Mad rush for home

November 26, 2009

Thousands of people started leaving the capital on Thursday and head for their homes outside Dhaka to spend their Eid holidays with relatives, withstanding the difficulties of transportations.

The hustling and bustling metropolis is showing signs of tranquility in the coming days. The pace of people leaving Dhaka is gaining momentum as bus and launch terminals and railway stations are crowded with homebound people.

Even though the public holiday for Eid starts Friday, many people working at government and non-government offices left for their respective homes after taking leave on Thursday.

Passengers at different bus terminals alleged that the bus service operators are charging extra while the bus service employees claimed they are not charging more than they are supposed to charge.

Members of law enforcement agencies has tightened their monitoring at bus terminals, Kamalapur Railway Station and Sadarghat Launch Terminal to maintain law and order. They also took initiatives to prevent scalpers selling tickets in the black market.

Meanwhile, bus fare of different routes has increased by Tk 20 to Tk 150. The bus operators, however, denied the allegations saying they are not charging more than the rates fixed by the government.

Terminal authorities of Saidabad, Gabtoli and Mohakhali are asking passengers through loudspeaker not to buy tickets from outside the counters to avoid black marketeers, brokers, and frauds.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), police and intelligence personnel have been deployed at the terminals to ease the situation for the home goers.

Although the railway authorities arranged advance sale of tickets ahead of Eid-ul-Azha but by the time all the tickets of the 36 intercity trains have been sold out.

Many passengers were seen waiting at the Kamalapur Railway Station to buy ‘standing tickets’ of intercity trains.

The authorities concerned have arranged four special train services on four routes for November 25-27 to ease the pressure of homebound people. The special trains will be operational after Eid for the passengers who will return to Dhaka.

The routes are Dhaka-Jamalpur, Dhaka-Mymensingh, Joydebpur-Shantahar and Dhaka-Cantonment-Ishwardi, said MA Jinnah.

Extra two to four compartments have been added to reduce the pressure of the passengers.

Law enforcers have been deployed at Kamalapur to maintain law and order and prevent black marketeers from selling tickets in black market.

Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) has started its special Eid service from Thursday and it will continue for the next three days.

BRTC sources said a good number of bus will ply different inter-district routes while 77 other buses, city service and staff buses, will be added to the fleet.

Mad rush for home

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