The three inter-district bus terminals, Kamalpur railway station and Sadarghat launch terminal in the capital experienced huge rush of homebound passengers on Saturday as thousands of people headed for their village home to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with their near and dear ones.Large crowd were seen these places since morning and the transport operators were struggling to cope with the rush of Eid passengers. Many of the people were seen taking risky ride on rooftops of buses, trains and launches.Transport operators said, the mad rush of homebound passengers would continue till next Monday with the start of three- day Eid vacation. As thousands of people started leaving the capital from Thursday withstanding the difficulties on roads, and scarcity of train and launch tickets, the capital city on the day wore a deserted look, laying its hustle and bustle to temporary rest.There is no traffic jam, no unbearable noise, which otherwise spell havoc for the dwellers in the 360 square-kilometer crammed Dhaka City Corporation area.Sources said, more than 75 lakh people will leave the capital this year to celebrate Eid.Visiting different bus and launch terminals and train stations in the capital, this correspondent found hundreds waiting with their family for transport. Most passengers faced different kinds of harassment like the hassle of getting a seat, unexpected delay in journey and overcrowded the start of three- day Eid vacation. As thousands of people started leaving the capital from Thursday withstanding the difficulties on roads, and scarcity of train and launch tickets, the capital city on the day wore a deserted look, laying its hustle and bustle to temporary rest.There is no traffic jam, no unbearable noise, which otherwise spell havoc for the dwellers in the 360 square-kilometer crammed Dhaka City Corporation area.Sources said, more than 75 lakh people will leave the capital this year to celebrate Eid.Visiting different bus and launch terminals and train stations in the capital, this correspondent found hundreds waiting with their family for transport. Most passengers faced different kinds of harassment like the hassle of getting a seat, unexpected delay in journey and overcrowded launch terminals and rail stations, thanks to the mismanagement on the part of the transport authorities.Passengers alleged that transport companies are exploiting the huge rush of homebound people, charging extra fares from them.”We had no option but to pay them high to reach home to celebrate Eid,” said Monir Hossain, a government official, who was waiting at Gabtoli Bus Terminal for bus.He said, many passengers fell prey to the deception by dishonest transport workers but the law enforcing agencies kept a blind eye.Sources said, this year, the pressure on waterways and railways is overwhelming, as many home goers, who travel by bus ahead of the Eid every year, are taking trains and launches this time fearing dangers on the battered highways.Officials at Sadarghat Launch Terminal said the number of homebound passengers on waterways has increased by at least 10 to 15 per cent so far this year compared with the last year. The railway authorities put the rise at around 15 per cent. Many vessels at Sadarghat Launch Terminal were seen carrying passengers nearly double their capacity. Besides, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on the day used helicopter to enhance monitoring to ensure safety of waterway passengers.”The number of people taking bus has decreased in almost all the routes due to their bad conditions,” Khandaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Samity, told The New Nation yesterday.He added, the sorry state of the roads is also affecting the bus operation badly. Meanwhile, hundreds of train passengers at the Kamlapur Railway station had to suffer most on the day following schedule disruption of special trains. “I have been waiting for half one hour. Every time I ask, the officials of Kamlapur Railway station but they fail to give a satisfactory answer,” said Motiur Rahman waiting at the railway station.A special train service was delayed by more than an hour to start the journey from Kamalapur rail station on Saturday morning because of ‘technical faults’ that had effects on other train services, said an official of Bangladesh Railway.However, Dhaka Metropolitan police said they had taken extra measures to beef up security in the capital particularly around shopping malls, and financial institutions.Owners of shops and business establishments have earlier been asked not to keep money inside their establishments to avert any unpleasant incident.Police said they had arranged all-out security measures in the capital to ensure security in the vacant houses as well as shopping malls and markets.Plainclothes police have already been deployed to strengthen the vigil.
