Many people celebrating Eid and Puja outside the capital have rushed to return to the city a bit early this year as they fear political turbulence with both the ruling Awami League and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party calling rallies on October 25.
Most of the return tickets of trains and bus operators were sold out by October 25.
The four-day Durga Puja and Eid vacation, added to a two-day weekend, made a six-day holiday this year. Eid-ul-Azha was celebrated on Wednesday while the five-day Durga Puja ended last Monday.
Our Lalmonirhat correspondent reports that thousands of Dhaka-bound people suffered at Lalmonirhat railway station as many of them failed to collect tickets.
Harunur Rashid, a resident of College Road in the town, alleged that the Lalmonirhat railway station counter manager, in collusion with brokers, sold train tickets at double the usual rate.
‘I bought tickets for my family members to make the journey standing as we need to go back to Dhaka safely before October 25,’ he added.
Sumon Islam, the station counter manager, however, denied the allegation.
Lalmonirhat Railway Division assistant traffic superintendent Sazzad Hossain said they carried on their duties perfectly.
Only 140 tickets for the intercity train Lalmoninrhat Express and 40 tickets for Karatoa Express are allocated for the passengers from Lalmonirhat railway station but lot of passengers crowded for the tickets, he added.
Kamalapur railway station master, Shakhawat Hossain Khan, told New Age on Sunday that most of the people already returned Dhaka between Friday and Sunday.
‘Sale of tickets for leaving Dhaka this week is below normal,’ he added.
Habibur Rahman, a Mirpur resident, said his family had left for Jessore for celebrating the Eid and were supposed to come back on October 26.
‘I will bring them back on October 22 as I do not want to take any risk if there is any violence after October 25,’ he added.
Meanwhile bus operators at Gabtoli bus terminal said most of their return tickets were already sold out.
‘All our tickets for Chittagong, Sylhet, Cox’s Bazaar, Jessore, Khulna, Stakhira and Brahmanbaria are booked until October 28,’ said Shohag Transport officers at its head office in the city.
Shyamoli Paribahan manager Mohammad Zakir told New Age that many people returned to the city on Sunday.
He said that their return tickets purchased by Dhaka-bound people were sold out within October 23.
-With New Age input
