Bangladesh News

Thousands of passengers thronged bus, train and launch terminals yesterday, the last working day of the government employees, to leave the capital in a bid to observe Eid-ul-Azha with their near and dear ones.

During visit to different terminals, The Daily Star correspondents found passengers facing scarcity of tickets and high rates.

Different city streets yesterday looked less crowded and plying of vehicles was also thin in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, additional policemen and Rapid Action Battalion forces were deployed in the terminals to avoid untoward situations.

Sadarghat launch terminal yesterday witnessed the highest crowd compared to three bus terminals at Sayedabad, Mohakhali and Gabtoli and Kamalapur railway station.

According to the ticket sellers, rush may be doubled today as more people are expecting to start leaving the capital.

SADARGHAT
Sadarghat launch terminal experienced the highest rush as thousands of homebound passengers crowded to return their homes before the biggest festival of Muslims.

The price of a cabin on Dhaka-Amtoli route was Tk 600 last week, which is now selling at Tk 1200, said Mamun, a launch cabin boy.

Long route passengers were seen returning empty handed from the ticket counters as they failed to manage launch tickets even they were ready to pay exorbitant fares.

KAMALAPUR
Twenty-six day labourers were seen waiting at the ticket counter of Kamalapur station as they failed to get tickets for their hometown Bahadurabad in Sirajganj.

“After waiting for the entire day we failed to manage tickets even the standing ones,” said Abdul Jalil, one of the labourers, adding, “Now we have to find other alternatives.”

Many passengers were also seen boarding the trains without tickets after bribing the train ticket examiners (TTEs).

The advance tickets were sold from December 21 to 26, though brokers bought most of the tickets depriving the passengers.

A total of 41 trains will carry passengers to Chittagong, Sylhet, Noakhali, Dinajpur, Rajshahi and Khulna, said Ashok Kumar Dey, station manager of Kamalapur railway station.

Extra compartments will be added to almost every train to meet the increased demand of the passengers, said the Bangladesh Railway sources.

Besides, a special train with a capacity of 500 passengers will also ply between Dhaka and Dewanganj, the sources added.

SAYEDABAD
ANM Mujibullah Naser, general secretary of Sayedabad Terminal Bus Owners’ Association, told The Daily Star that they have decided to ply extra city-service buses on different routes considering the need of the homebound passengers.

“We also decided to deploy 100 volunteers at different spots from Sayedabad to Jatrabari to reduce traffic jam,” Naser added.

Defending the exorbitant fares, he said they are bound to do so to overcome losses as the buses return empty from the other side of the routes.