Staff Correspondent

A journey that used to be stressful has now become a smooth ride for most passengers

Shafiqul Rahman, an official at a private company, made the journey from Arambagh in Dhaka to Cumilla in just two hours.

It was a pace he had not experienced in the past decade of Eid travels.

“I can't believe it. I've never had such a smooth Eid journey. I reached Cumilla from Arambagh in just two hours, and even took a 40-minute break for Iftar. This has never happened in the last ten years,” he said.

Speaking to thedailycountrytodaybd, Shafiqul described his surprising Friday journey. "In previous years, there was always some level of traffic. I believe the administration was quite active this time.

“I saw traffic police cars at different points along the route."

It echoed the remarks of Mosharraf Hossain, the general manager of Hanif Enterprise, who said he had not seen such an Eid travel in his 40 years in the transport industry.

He told thedailycountrytodaybd on Saturday, "Eid holidays effectively began from the night of the 25th March. Due to the long holiday, people didn’t need to travel all at once, and this has had an impact on the roads."

"In my 40 years of service, I’ve never seen such a long holiday before Eid. People have been able to return home gradually at their convenience. As a result, the pressure on the roads has been reduced.

“There were traffic jams from Nabinagar to Chandra. On Friday, it took 7-8 hours to cross that road. But [on Saturday], there isn’t much traffic."

At Mohakhali inter-district bus terminal, the crowd of passengers was noticeably lower than usual.

Drivers and helpers said the long holiday had affected the Eid travel this year.

It was not just buses; passengers also reported smooth journeys on trains and launches, with fewer hassles than any other time.

A passenger at Kamalapur Railway Station, the country's busiest terminal, said all trains had departed on time.

Passengers and transport officials alike said travel has been relatively hassle-free due to the long public holiday before the festival, school closures, and the opening of unfinished sections on major highways.

Train schedules ran smoothly, and the number of passengers on launches was also lower than usual.

However, there were some occasional traffic snarls between Savar’s Nabinagar and Gazipur’s Chandra.

Passengers also complained about higher fare charges on certain routes.

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection carried out raids at terminals and different transport counters to prevent such practices.

This time, the usual scenes of overwhelming crowds, traffic congestion, exhausted passengers waiting at terminals and stations, or the rush to board launches were noticeably absent.

Eid-ul-Fitr will be observed in Bangladesh on Monday or Tuesday, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.

Most travellers are heading home assuming Monday as Eid.

As a result, those who did not rush after office on Thursday and those who wanted to avoid Friday’s crowd at the beginning of the nine-day holiday left Dhaka on Saturday.

On this day, almost all those who left the capital have set off on their journey or reached their loved ones with a sense of relief.

Now, only a few people will head home on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, known as Chaand Raat.

Buses, trains, and launches began their Eid journeys on Mar 24.

With Friday and Saturday being the weekly holidays, the official Eid holiday started on Friday.

In addition, Wednesday (Mar 26) was also a public holiday. As a result, many passengers began returning home after Tuesday evening.

On Thursday afternoon, there was a noticeable influx of homebound passengers at different transport counters and terminals across Dhaka.

Mahmudul Hasan, a journalist, told dailycountrytodaybd that he had travelled from Mohammadpur to Shariatpur in just one and a half hours on Saturday morning without encountering significant traffic.

He added, “Buses were picking up passengers at bus stops on the expressway at Ikuria, Hasnabad, and Chhunkutiya. This caused some minor congestion on the road, but I wouldn’t exactly call it a traffic jam.

“I didn’t notice much of a line at the expressway toll plazas either. This year’s Eid journey is truly different from previous years.

“In addition to the long holiday, the movement of Awami League leaders and activists has been minimal this time. They make up a large portion of the country’s population, so that could be a reason.”

Miraj Hossain, a passenger on the Dhaka-Mymensingh route with United Paribahan, told bdnews24.com: "This time, there’s less crowd. They’re not charging extra fare either. The fare to Mymensingh is usually TK 310, and it’s still the same [on Saturday].

“I can’t say much about the road conditions; we’ll know once we move forward."

Abu Sayeed, a passenger on the Anannya Plus bus on the Dhaka-Kishoreganj route, said: “In other years, the fare increases during Eid. They raise it by Tk 50 or Tk 70 and put a stamp on it. But I haven’t seen anything like that this time. They’re charging the same fare as before.”

Ferdous Alam, a driver of Grameen Travels on the Mohakhali to Chapainawabganj route, told thedailycountrytodaybd: “The administration is active this time. Also, they’ve opened up all the roads, which has made travel easier. If police keep an eye on the main points, there won’t be any jams. I’ve seen this over the past few days.

“However, there’s still a jam at Chandra, but it’s not as severe as before. The main reason is that this time, with the long holiday, people are travelling gradually — some today, some tomorrow — which has reduced the pressure on the roads.”

At the Sayedabad inter-district bus terminal on Saturday, there was no overwhelming crowd of passengers