Bangladesh's two major river crossings, the bridges on the mighty Padma and Jamuna rivers, witnessed record-level vehicular movements on the same day ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, that saw them generate a combined toll revenue of nearly Tk 9 crore, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) said Thursday.
According to BBA, on Tuesday, May 26, some 45,602 vehicles crossed the Padma Bridge, yielding a toll collection of Tk 5.03 crore; on the same day, 56,239 vehicles used the Jamuna Bridge, bringing in Tk 3.83 crore. They pushed the combined toll collection to approximately Tk 8.86 crore.
Despite the heavy traffic volume, authorities said no major accidents or significant gridlocks were reported this year, crediting coordinated management and advance preparation for the smooth flow.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam visited the BRTA control room Thursday morning to monitor the Eid journey situation, reviewing live footage from both bridges. State Minister Md. Razib Ahsan also conducted an on-site inspection of the Padma Bridge toll plaza.
BBA Executive Director Mohammad Abdur Rouf said the government has been working relentlessly to modernise the country's transport network, with the minister and state minister maintaining round-the-clock monitoring to ensure a safe and hassle-free Eid commute.
Among the measures deployed for Eid-ul-Azha 2026, BBA cited trained toll collectors, extended toll lanes, dedicated motorcycle lanes, non-stop ETC (Electronic Toll Collection), activated bus bays at Mawa and Elenga, enhanced surveillance-based traffic monitoring, emergency lanes, security guards posted every 300 metres along the bridges, three rescue vehicles including one brought from the Karnaphuli Tunnel, and Fire Service and medical teams on standby.
Livestock-carrying vehicles were also exempted from weighing scale requirements to facilitate uninterrupted movement of sacrificial animals ahead of the festival.
BBA said the coordinated effort by all stakeholders made homebound Eid journeys more comfortable and orderly this year.