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Published : 28 Mar 2025, 09:54 PM
With the long Eid-ul-Fitr holiday around the corner, holidaymakers have been exiting Dhaka to embark on their journeys home over the past few days.
As a result, no noticeable surge in passenger traffic was seen on the roads on the first day of the government holiday, Friday.
Most of those who had purchased tickets in advance could catch buses on time.
Even those buying tickets at counters were able to set off without delay.
The crowd was thin at bus counters at Shyamoli, Kalyanpur, and Mohakhali in Dhaka from the morning until the evening.
No complaints of extra fare charges were reported either.
Md Nasim, the manager at the Shyamoli Paribahan counter in Kalyanpur, which operates on routes to Bogura, Naogaon, and Rangpur, said: "There is no rush this time. Except for a few places, the conditions of the road are also good. Buses are leaving on time."
He added, "People have been leaving for the past few days, and most of them have already left. This time, people are travelling without crowds, and there is no chance of a crowd building up in the coming days."
Yunus Ali, who is in charge of Shah Fateh Ali Paribahan’s counter for the Bogura-Naogaon route, said: "There’s no queue for passengers this time. Some passengers bought tickets, got on, and left. There’s no extra fare, and passengers are few."
He added, "In the past, during Eid, passengers used to ask for a ticket to be arranged, sometimes offering a tip of Tk 50-100. Even after the buses were full, some still wanted to board.
“This time, the buses are leaving with just enough passengers."
Due to the lack of crowding, passengers leaving Dhaka felt at ease.
Mohammad Shamim, a construction worker from Mirpur, who was travelling with 56 colleagues to Chapainawabganj, said: “I had booked the ticket in advance for a 2pm departure. I arrived early to avoid the crowd.”
At the Mohakhali bus terminal, there were no signs of the usual crowd or long waits for buses.
There was a slight crowd at the United Paribahan counter for the Mymensingh route, but with enough buses available, passengers were able to get tickets and board.
Sohel, a staff member at this counter identified with a single name, said: "There’s no extra fare. Passengers who booked tickets in advance are coming, and buses are leaving on time. Those arriving and buying tickets for AC buses may have to wait for a bit."
He added, "Traffic congestion in some parts of Gazipur is causing delays for some buses. Overall, the situation is good."
Monir Hossain, who was waiting for an AC bus ticket, said: "I’m waiting for an AC bus ticket. They told me they’ll issue tickets once the bus arrives. If not, I’ll just take a non-AC bus."
Touhid Hossain, a staff member at the Bilash Paribahan counter for the Sylhet-Sunamganj-Habiganj route, said: "Many had purchased advance tickets for Friday and Saturday. It, however, turned out that they had already received their holiday starting from the 26th of March.
“Some of them are now asking to leave earlier, and we have accommodated them. Those who managed to get their leave earlier have already left. This time, there are no issues," he added.
