Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
Around 60 lakh people will have to opt for risky journey as they have no option to get expected tickets due to scarcity of arrangements to travel to their village homes to celebrate the Eid-ul-Azha with their near and dear ones.
They authorities concerned have ability to carry only for 20 lakh passengers while more than 80 lakh people will leave the capital ahead of the Eid, sources said.
Around 3,00,000 passengers will make their journey by train everyday and total number may be reached around 15,00,000 in five days before Eid while the number of bus and launch passengers crossed over 3,00,000 and 2,00,00 respectively, they said.
Following the dearth of traveling vehicles, including bus, train, launch and planes, the ticket-deprived passengers will make their long-distance journey by unfit and unapproved transports amid high risk.
According Bus Owners Association sources, around 4.5 lakh people will leave Dhaka everyday and the total number of over 22 lakh will be in five days before Eid.
Many of them will also use roofs-top of trains and buses, city buses, trucks, uncovered vans, engine-run tiny-transports and other faulty vehicles, although they have horrified experience like deaths and losing organs after fell from roofs-top train and buses in recent years.
Jatri Kalyan Samity sources said that around 60 lakh people will make their journey in mostly unfit, not permitted and city busses and some trucks by taking risk of life on roads and highways. They are also in panicked for more accidents as non-skilled drivers will ply buses violating traffic rules.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) sources said, there are around 8,00,000 expert drivers against 20,00,000 public transports while the 18,69,000 drivers hold legal licence against 35,44,009 vehicles.
Afia Sultana Moni, a private school teacher, who came to collect tickets to Kallayanpur bus station, told The New Nation on Friday, “I did not get any ticket of bus and train after frantic efforts in the last several days. Now, I am bound to take the journey to Rangpur by sub-standard bus with the risk.”
Amzad Hossain, Director General of Bangladesh Railway, said, “We have instructed the employees to give service to the holidaymakers.”
Md Zainal Abedin, Joint Director of Department of Marine Safety and Traffic Management of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Sadarghat River port, said, “BIWTA will check overloading of vessels and plying of unfit launches as well as also take necessary steps to ensure passengers’ safety in the waterway.”
Khandaker Enayet Ullah, Secretary General, Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Samity, said, “We instructed all our members to follow the government rules to ensure smooth journey.” General Manager (Marketing Support and PR) at US-Bangla Airlines Ltd Md Kamrul Islam said that they would operate additional flights to help passengers of their smooth journey.
A high-ranking police official seeking anonymity said that if police implement all traffic rules then most of the passengers to loss Eid celebrations with their near and dear ones.
