Muslims in the country celebrated the major religious festival of Eid-ul-Fitr on Saturday. However, the flow of homebound travelers has not yet stopped. Even the day after Eid, passenger congestion increased at Mohakhali Inter-District Bus Terminal, where travelers were seen standing in long queues at ticket counters to purchase tickets for buses to their destinations. Buses operating without counters departed the terminal without significant delay.
Passengers said that in general, the days before Eid see heavy travel pressure. Tickets are often hard to obtain, and roads are frequently congested. Traveling after Eid, they added, usually offers a smoother journey.
Transport officials noted that this year, passenger flow at Mohakhali Terminal on Eid day and the preceding days was not very high. Travelers were able to purchase tickets and depart for their villages as on a normal day. However, a large number of people returning to Dhaka has not yet been observed. Officials predict that passenger pressure towards Dhaka will increase from Monday, March 23.
According to officials, passenger congestion has been noticeable at Mohakhali Terminal since early morning, with most travelers heading to Mymensingh and northern districts. Roads remain largely free of traffic jams, allowing passengers to reach their destinations smoothly.
Due to Eid, government employees received a continuous seven-day holiday starting from March 17, while many private institutions also observed leave during this period. This long holiday has made Eid travel comparatively more comfortable, according to both passengers and transport operators.
From Mohakhali Terminal, nearly 2,000 buses transport passengers daily to districts including Mymensingh, Tangail, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Netrokona, Kishoreganj, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Bogura, Sirajganj, Pabna, Naogaon, Natore, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Joypurhat, Sylhet, and Brahmanbaria.
At 10 am on Sunday, a field visit showed heavy passenger congestion at the terminal. Travelers from various parts of Dhaka were seen purchasing tickets either at the counters or directly on buses. Buses departed for their destinations at scheduled intervals, while conductors on buses without counters called out for passengers. No reports of overcharging by transport operators were observed.
Among the busiest routes are Mohakhali-Mymensingh, operated by United Transport; Mohakhali-Netrokona by Rofurf; Mohakhali-Sherpur by Sonar Bangla; Mohakhali-Kishoreganj by Onnoya Transport; Mohakhali-Brahmanbaria by Labiba Classic; Mohakhali-Tangail by Binimoy Transport; Mohakhali-Sirajganj by SI Enterprise; Mohakhali-Bogura by Ekota Transport; Mohakhali-Sylhet by Ena Transport; and Mohakhali-Tangail by Nirala Transport.
United Transport, which runs the Mohakhali-Mymensingh route, carries the most passengers. Their counter displays the government-approved fare list: “Dhaka-Mymensingh AC: 450 Taka; Dhaka-Mymensingh Non-AC: 310 Taka.” Passengers were seen purchasing tickets at these rates.
Zulfikar Ali, a grocery store owner from Rampura, purchased a ticket to Sylhet via Ena Transport. He said he did not travel to his village before Eid as business was good at his shop but is now heading home with his family. He added that post-Eid travel is more convenient, as the rush to reach home before Eid is absent, allowing for a more comfortable journey.
Zahirul Islam, who works as a security guard in Mohammadpur, arrived at Mohakhali by CNG auto-rickshaw and purchased a Non-AC ticket to Mymensingh via United Transport for Tk 310. He said that during Eid, the house he works at received many guests, so he was unable to take leave earlier. Now, he is traveling to his village for the seven-day holiday.
Sohag Ahmed, a ticket seller at United Transport, said that from 6:00 am to 10:00 am, 31 buses departed for Mymensingh, all fully occupied. Hundreds of passengers were still waiting in line for tickets, each being issued a ticket in turn. He added that the terminal has sufficient buses, and passengers are facing no significant disruption during Eid travel.