The National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) forecasts that around 15 million individuals are poised to exit the greater Dhaka area, including Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Gazipur, and Narayanganj city corporation areas, for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr celebration. An estimated 60% of these holidaymakers, roughly nine million people, will opt for road travel, while the rest will utilise waterways and railways. The projection, released in a press statement by NCPSRR on Monday, sheds light on the massive seasonal migration and its implications on transportation and safety. Despite admitting potential inaccuracies due to the lack of a comprehensive database, NCPSRR's general secretary, Ashis Kumar Dey, stated that the report was compiled from a variety of sources, including research data, civic groups, and transport sector organizations. Read more: Dhaka Metro Rail operations to continue past 9 pm from today The committee has voiced concerns over the possibility of increased public suffering and accidents on the roads, similar to previous years. Nevertheless, it acknowledged the government's significant efforts to facilitate smoother Eid travel for millions. Drawing from the latest census, the report details the population distribution within the Dhaka division, noting that about 75% of the country's garment factories are in Gazipur. Workers, who predominantly reside in the Gazipur region, contribute to the large-scale exodus during Eid. Additionally, significant populations in Narayanganj and adjacent districts add to the surge of travelers seeking to return to their native places for the Eid holiday. Read more: Seasoned journalists, experts stress vital role of media in creating awareness to make roads safe again The report highlights several challenges faced by travelers, including the inadequate capacity of the road transport sector to manage the massive flow of people within a week leading up to Eid. Issues such as the poor condition of long-distance roads, over 500 risky turning points nationwide, and the manual collection of tolls exacerbating traffic congestion are identified as major obstacles to smooth travel. Despite these hurdles, the NCPSRR remains optimistic that the implementation of government measures could alleviate some of the public's difficulties on the roads during this peak travel period. The focus now shifts to ensuring that these initiatives are carried out effectively to enhance the Eid travel experience for millions. Read more: Wheels of hazard: Motorcycle safety crisis unfolding on Bangladesh’s roads

Most of the readymade garment factories and other industries resumed production on Saturday after weeklong Eid vacation. The workers and technicians have joined their work and the remaining workers will join within the next few days, said Rubaet Ahmed, owner of a garment factory in Ashulia. Talking with UNB on Saturday he said, “We announced Eid Vacation on April 27 and scheduled to join on Saturday, so that the workers and other employees can share Eid joys with their family members.” He said many garments’ owners have announced Eid vacation for 10 to 15 days. “Production of almost all the factories has started as the leave ends on Saturday, Work will start in all the factories in the next 2-3 days,” he added. Fazle Shamim Ehsan, senior vice-president of BKMEA, an association of knitwear factory owners, said that the work has started in most of the garment factories from Saturday after the Eid holiday. “Some factories gave workers a little more leave as needed. They will start opening the factories from tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,” he said. Also Read: Govt offices reopen in Bangladesh He said that since the inception of the garment industry in the country, the workers have got the most leave this Eid. He said that the factories which were under pressure of shipment have already reopened. And the ones with less pressure will open after another two-three days. Anwar Hossain, a worker at Denim Expert Limited, said that he had a good Eid holiday with his parents. “I have started work today (Saturday). This time there was no problem in getting leave or Eid journey on the highways,” he added. Meanwhile, workers are returning to Dhaka, Gazipur, Ashulia, Savar and Narayanganj by bus, launch and train as well as trucks from different parts of the country to join the workplace after the Eid holidays.    

Road accidents during this Eid-ul-Fitr holiday rush claimed 323 lives in just 15 days, even though long-haul buses were off the road due to Covid-19 lockdown, said Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Shamiti on Sunday. At least 318 road crashes occurred during May 7- 21 period, the passenger welfare forum revealed while presenting its road accident report-2021 at a press briefing here. The report also said 622 people were injured in road accidents during the period when lakhs of people hit the road to celebrate the Eid festival with their families in village homes. The Eid was celebrated on May 14 during the Covid-19 lockdown. Also read: 249 lives lost on the road during Eid holidays The number of road crashes usually increase as people’s movement surges during such festival.  According to the report, the number of both deaths and accidents on the road increased this year. Due to lockdown, public transports remained suspended, but the holidaymakers packed private cars, microbuses, motorcycles, auto rickshaws, trucks, pick-up vans and covered vans. The report also stated that among the deceased, 35 were women, 22 children, 69 pedestrians and 31 transport workers, and 96 drivers.    Also read: Rab member, another killed in Gazipur road accident According to the report, like other years accidents on motorcycles were at top recording 139 deaths in 144 accidents this year. This accounts for 45.28% of the total accidents and 43.03 % of the total deaths recorded. About 32.28 percent accidents took place in national highways, 40.88 percent in regional highways, 22.32 percent in feeder roads, the report stated analyzing the types of accidents. Members of the road accidents monitoring cell of the forum prepared the report collecting information from widely published and trustworthy national, regional, daily newspapers and online portals in the 15 days. Also read: Rickshaw puller killed in city road crash Of the total accidents 3.14% occurred in Dhaka and 1.25% in Chattogram. The report also mentioned 331 people died and 772 sustained injuries in 322 accidents occurring jointly on the country's road, rail and waterways. “Movement of only 8 to10 percent of the population caused so many accidents and deaths only due to negligence of the concerned authority and organizations liable for road safety,” said Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, general secretary of the Jatri Kalyan Samity. He strongly demanded that the government prioritizes the road safety and take necessary measures. Also read: Road accidents in Bangladesh claim 468 lives in April Public transport expert and director of FBCCI, Abdul Haque said, “transport owners face graft  and suffer a lot when they go to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) for fitness tests or other services”. Thus lead to an increase in the movement of unfit vehicles, he said

As Eid holidays are over, now thousands of holidaymakers from south-western districts overcrowded the ferry terminals in a bid to return to Dhaka to join their workplaces. They are flocking to Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Banglabazar ferry ghats to cross the river and reach the capital as offices reopened on Sunday following a three-day vacation. The returnees seemed hardly concerned about maintaining hygiene rules although there is an alarming Covid surge in neighbouring India and Nepal. Read: BGB personnel keep watch on Covid safety protocols at Shimulia ferry ghat The detection of a deadlier Indian variant of virus in Bangladesh has also raised serious concerns here in recent days. UNB Munshiganj correspondent says microbus, cars and auto-rickshaws are charging extra fares from passengers as public transport services remained suspended as part of the government restrictions to stem the transmission of coronavirus. AGM of Bangladesh Inland water transport Authority (BIWTA) Shafiqul Islam said ferry services are in operation to carry vehicles providing emergency services even though public transport services have been suspended. “People are now returning to Dhaka and adjacent districts through the overcrowded ferries without maintaining social distancing or wearing masks, raising the risks of virus transmission,” he said.  

Commuters heading home ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr had to suffer through a 12km tailback on the Dhaka-Aricha highway on Wednesday. Massive traffic jams were witnessed on the highway from Tepra point to Baniajuri point, which forced many people to walk a couple of kilometres. Read: 20- km tailback on Dhaka-Aricha highway Sources said that lakhs of people have crossed the river on ferries since morning. All the 17 ferries are operating to cater to the mad rush of home-bound people. Some 800 vehicles and 10,000 people have crossed the river till Wednesday noon, officials said. Authorities, meanwhile, claimed that people will not face any difficulties in crossing rivers as ferry services are available. UNB found that hundreds of people reached the Daulatdia-Paturia ghat area in the afternoon on rickshaws, foot and other vehicles, defying all lockdown norms. Police have installed a number of check-posts on the highway, including in the Barbaria, Singair and Dhalla areas. Though the cops forced many vehicles coming from other districts to return, passengers were quick to get off the vehicles and head towards the ferry ghat on foot. Amid a mad rush of home-bound people ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Banglabazar routes were suspended to curb the spread of Covid-19. Read:BGB deployed on Paturia-Daulatdia, Shimulia-Banglabazar routes Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) said the decision to suspend ferry services on the two busy water routes, with effect from Saturday morning, was taken in the wake of the ongoing second wave of coronavirus. But the mad rush of home-bound people later forced them to resume the ferry services.  

The government has decided not to extend the three-day Eid holiday asking the government employees not to leave their workplaces amid the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.