Exodus of home-bound people continues: Inadequacy of vehicles, scarcity of tickets multiply

As one of the biggest festivals of the Muslims-Eid-ul-Fitr-is knocking at the door, the homebound passengers were leaving the capital ignoring hassles and sufferings for celebrating the occasion with their near and dear ones
Bus, train and ferry terminals witnessed heavy crowd yesterday as homebound people were desperate to go to their respective destinations.
The three-day public holiday for the Eid-ul-Fitr begins from Sunday, but the people started leaving the city on Thursday as Friday and Saturday are weekly holidays.
The rush of homebound people was at the peak yesterday. Thousand of people thronged at the city’s inter-district bus terminals, Kamalapur railway station and Sadarghat launch terminal for tickets to travel to their village homes. Large number of people were seen traveling even on roof tops of trains and long distance buses ignoring the risk of accidents. A sizeable number of people were seen also traveling by trucks out of desperate urge to celebrate the great festival with dear and near ones.
Many people, even after waiting in queues for hours at different transport ticket counters in the city yesterday, have failed to procure tickets.
Finding no hope of getting tickets from inter-district bus counters, many people were seen waiting for local buses for hours.
Hundreds of passengers were waiting at the Gabtoli inter-city bus terminal amid uncertainty as they could not manage any ticket. Many of those who got tickets alleged that they managed tickets waiting for hours paying some extra money to the employees of bus companies or their agents.
But transport employees rejected the allegations saying that they charged less than the rate fixed by the government.
Comilla-bound passenger Mahfuzur Rahman at Sayedabad bus terminal alleged that the local buses charged extra money last year. The local buses might charge extra money also this year, he feared.
Abul Kalam Azad, who would go to Noakhali said the local bus fare during Eid festival is higher than the fare charged during normal time.
While visiting Sadarghat Launch Terminal and Kamalpur Railway Station, this correspondent found that the homebound people were desperately trying to get space on launches and trains. Those who could get tickets considered themselves as lucky.
Situation at the launch and train stations were comparatively better as homebound passengers have got much time ahead of Eid this year, officials said. Some passengers said that it was not possible to board the crowded launches even with tickets as overloading was seriously discouraged this year.
The whole of Sadarghat terminal has been brought under a security cordon. The policemen were deployed at each of eight entry gates.
RAB personnel were also deployed to strengthen security for the homebound people.
Many people, including women and children, were seen tired during their long wait in front of the ticket counters. Some city dwellers, planning to celebrate Eid with their kith and kin, earlier sent their family members home to avoid such sufferings.
Almost the same picture prevails elsewhere – at Gabtoli, Mohakhali and Sayedabad bus terminals and at Sadarghat launch terminal.
Photo Courtesy: Focus Bangla

Courtesy of The New Nation