Thousands of people were seen pouring into Dhaka early Saturday through the busy Sadarghat Launch Terminal, as the capital braces for the end of the extended Eid-ul-Fitr holiday period.
Launches, heavily loaded with returning holidaymakers, began arriving at the terminal from dawn, with launch operators reporting a notable increase in arrivals compared to the previous two days.
Although the government offices will start on Sunday after the long nine-day Eid holiday, most private offices have finished their holidays. Therefore, they have started returning to the busy city for their livelihood. People returning to the capital said that this time they were able to return to the capital as easily as they were able to go home.
The Bangladesh Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) said that about 70 to 75 launches arrived in Dhaka from different districts of the southern region till 8 am. To deal with the crowd, most of the launches disembarked passengers and quickly set off for other destinations including Barisal.
BIWTA official Arif said, “People are returning gradually due to the long holiday. The pressure of people returning to Dhaka today is relatively high. This trend will continue throughout the week.”
According to BIWTA sources, more than a hundred launches are plying on about 40 routes in the southern region, including Dhaka-Barisal. Although they operate according to rotation during normal times, special launches are being operated to meet the additional passenger demand on the occasion of Eid.
On the other hand, many are still leaving the capital in the spirit of Eid. Overall, the roads of Dhaka are now largely free of traffic jams and relatively empty. However, those concerned believe that the capital will return to its familiar form in the next few days.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
