With just two days left before Eid-ul-Adha, thousands of people are leaving the capital to celebrate the festival with their families. However, due to a shortage of public transportation and soaring fares, many are resorting to risky means—riding on open trucks, pickups, and even the rooftops of buses—to reach their hometowns.
On Wednesday (June 4), visits to key points along the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge Highway—including Elenga Bus Station, Rabna Bypass, and Ashekpur Bypass—revealed a chaotic situation. Passengers were seen waiting for long periods to find transport. In addition to regular buses, trucks, pickups, local minibuses, motorcycles, and private cars were being used to carry passengers. In fact, private vehicles and motorcycles outnumbered buses on the highway.
The public transport crisis and high ticket prices are forcing many to choose unsafe travel options. As a result, people are seen cramming into rented motorcycles, microbuses, and private cars—while others are left with no choice but to ride in open trucks or on bus rooftops.
To ensure safe travel during the Eid rush, more than 600 members of the district police have been deployed along the 65-kilometer stretch from Gorai to the Jamuna Bridge. The army is also assisting with traffic and security.
Passengers Suman Khan and Abid Khan, who traveled from Mirpur, said it took them four hours just to reach Chandura. “There was a long traffic jam from Chandura to Kaliakair, but the road from Mirzapur to Tangail was relatively clear,” they said.
Another traveler, Jashim Uddin, said, “I used to travel from Chandura to Tangail for 60 to 70 taka. Today I had to pay 200 taka for the same trip, and I waited a long time just to get on a bus.”
Kamrul Hasan, who was waiting at the Rabna Bypass, said, “I’ve been standing here for an hour, and no vehicles are stopping. I’m trying to go to Bogura, but even when a bus stops, they’re asking for double the fare. It used to cost 200 taka; now they’re asking for 400.”
Abul Kalam Azad from Sirajganj and Abdul Latif from Bogura said they couldn’t find any buses, so they decided to ride on a truck. “The most important thing is being with our families for Eid,” they said. “Even if it means risking our safety, at least the trucks are cheaper than the buses.”
District Commissioner Sharifa Haque stated, “So far, people have been able to travel home with minimal disruption, but traffic on the highways has significantly increased compared to previous years.”
Despite the increased security and monitoring, the combination of transport shortages and high fares is forcing many travelers to take unsafe routes just to reunite with loved ones and celebrate Eid at home.
