The scenario centring around Eid-ul-Fitr journeys by people this year is quite different from what was witnessed in the past.
People are enjoying their journey to celebrate the holy Eid-ul-Fitr with less hassle and more comfort than before.
The people of at least 21 districts in the country's South and South-Western zone have been experiencing quite a new and trouble-free journey taking advantage of the country's biggest ever Padma Multipurpose Bridge, which was opened just eight months ago.
This year they are crossing the River Padma using the bridge within five to 10 minutes although earlier they had to spend one hour to two hours by launches or ferries amid untold sufferings.
Besides, the long vacation for five days instead of three days is another reason for the reduction of hassle to the people.
Wednesday was a public holiday for holy Shab-e-Qadr. A general holiday was declared on 20 April under the executive powers of the Prime Minister. So, the last working day before Eid-ul-Fitr was Tuesday. That is why the Eid holiday vacation has turned to five days.
Moreover, proper management by the authorities concerned of the government to make the journey hassle free is also playing a vital role to curb public sufferings and make the journey comfortable.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar said around 12.2 lakh SIM users left Dhaka on Tuesday (18 April) to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.
The minister posted the statistics based on the SIM users of four major operators – Grameenphone Limited, Robi Axiata Limited, Banglalink Digital Communications and Teletalk Bangladesh Limited.
Sources said, around 20 lakh more people left Dhaka on Wednesday to celebrate the vacation.
According to witnesses, most of the people already left capital Dhaka on Tuesday evening and Wednesday to celebrate the Eid vacation.
Besides, most of the people of the country’s South and South-Western zones left Dhaka through the Padma Bridge, as it takes very less time compared to all other means to cross the River Padma.
The pressure of the passengers on the launch route has also been reduced for the same reason.
Witnesses said there was no crowd at the country’s biggest Sadarghat Launch Terminal.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Daulatdia-Paturia, the second route to cross the River Padma, has also taken special measures with additional ferries and launches to make the journey trouble free.
Although there was some congestion in the morning on the first day of the Eid holidays, the situation became normal by 10:00am due to the availability of a sufficient number of ferries.
Currently, there are 20 ferries designated for transport at Paturia ghat.
The people of the southern and southwestern regions travel back and forth through Paturia ferry terminal, a significant entry point connecting the capital Dhaka with Manijkganj.
Although the terminal saw a decrease in traffic and passengers since the opening of the Padma Bridge, the pressure of cars and motorcycles increased on the first day of the Eid holidays, with the number of motorcycles crossing the route doubling compared to other vehicles.
However, due to the availability of enough ferries and launches, everyone managed to cross the river without any inconvenience.
To avoid congestion at the ferry terminal, small vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, were taking an alternative road in the Tepra area which is about 7 kilometres from the Paturia terminal.
As a result, passengers only had to wait for 15-20 minutes before boarding the ferry directly.
According to the authorities, there were no waiting passengers or vehicles in the Paturia ferry terminal area at the moment of writing this report.
Shah Md Khaled Nawaz, deputy general manager (Commercial) of BIWTC, said a total of 20 ferries, including small and large ones, have been deployed on the Daulatdia-Paturia route, seven on the Aricha-Kazirhat route and three on the Nazirganj-Dhawapara route, keeping the Eid rush in mind.
Additionally, 33 passenger launches will also operate on the Paturia-Aricha water route, said Shah Md Khaled Nawaz.
"We are ready to safely transport passengers and vehicles across the water routes during Eid. In the last 24 hours, 900 cargo trucks, 950 buses, and 1,800 motorcycles crossed the route safely and without hassle," he said, hoping vehicles and passengers can cross the ferry terminal area without any congestion this Eid-ul-Fitr.
Moreover, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has appointed executive magistrates at 46 important points, including 20 points in Dhaka, for a smooth Eid journey.
BRTA Chairman Noor Mohammad Majumdar gave the information after visiting Gabtoli bus terminal on Wednesday.
He said: “The magistrates are appointed in two shifts in more congested points. Our monitoring team is also working. Our executive magistrates will be on the streets for seven days before and after Eid, so that there is no problem of any kind.”
The BRTA chairman, after visiting various bus terminals since morning, said: “I visited the bus terminals and saw that there is not much crowd of passengers. Due to the long vacation, many people are in less hurry to return home.”
“Control room has been opened at the BRTA head office. We are monitoring the places where there is usually traffic congestion through 130 cameras from the control room. If there is a traffic jam, immediate action is taken,” he added.
He said: “Based on the information that we have for the last two or three days, there is no traffic jam anywhere. We have got no complaints. We don't even have any complaints about charging extra fare.”