United News of Bangladesh

Thousands of holidaymakers, particularly readymade garment workers, faced severe traffic congestion, inflated fares and overcrowded transport options on Thursday as they departed from Savar and nearby industrial areas ahead of Eid. Heavy traffic gridlock was reported from morning to noon on the Dhaka-Aricha and Nabinagar-Chandra highways due to an overwhelming surge in vehicle and passenger numbers. The situation worsened further due to continuous rainfall since the morning, compounding the hardship of travellers. Taking advantage of the Eid rush, transport workers were allegedly charging extra fares, forcing passengers to pay well above the regular rates. Many commuters were seen booking seats by offering higher payments just to secure a spot. From early morning, long queues formed at transport counters across Savar and surrounding areas. Mass exodus from Dhaka begins as 10-day Eid holiday kicks off Key points such as Hemayetpur, Amin Bazar, Genda, Ulail, Nabinagar, Baipail, Sripur and Jirani Bazar witnessed long tailbacks, with travellers complaining of a shortage of seats and steep ticket prices. Parvin Akhter Paru, a garment worker waiting to travel to Rangpur, said, “I've been standing for hours. Even when a seat is available, they ask for nearly double the fare. A Tk 650 ticket is being sold for Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,400.” Sentu Mia, another passenger heading to Jashore, said, “They’re asking Tk 800 for a Tk 400 trip. We’re poor people, what are we supposed to do?”  

The government will take legal action if any transport operator charges extra fares or carries passengers beyond capacity during Eid journeys, said Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Wednesday. “We are making every effort to ensure a safe and hassle-free Eid journey. Bus fares remain the same as last year, and the rates are being charged as per the chart at the terminals,” he said while speaking to reporters after visiting the Mohakhali Bus Terminal in the capital. Preparations for Eid-ul-Azha satisfactory: Home Adviser He added that transport owners and workers have been instructed to remain vigilant so that no one demands extra fares. “If there are any complaints of overcharging, passengers should inform the owners, workers, or law enforcement agencies. They will take immediate action,” he assured. To prevent highway robberies, a new measure has been introduced, photos of all passengers will be taken before departure. “Every bus has three staff members, including the driver. If any untoward incident occurs, they have been instructed to immediately alert law enforcement and the transport owners,” the adviser added. Additional security measures have been taken on highways, and all relevant agencies, including the police, army, navy, coast guard, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are on alert to ensure passenger safety. Earlier in the day, the adviser visited Kamalapur Railway Station and spoke to passengers there. No specific threats detected ahead of Eid-ul-Azha: RAB Briefing reporters at the station, he said that so far 31 trains had departed from Kamalapur. “Except for 4 to 5 trains with minor delays, all others left on time,” he noted. He expressed hope that the remaining 35 scheduled trains would also depart on time. “This year, there have been no reports of ticket scalping,” the adviser said.