Even though the consecutive holiday for Eid has ended, the roads of Dhaka remain largely empty on the fifth day of Eid-ul-Fitr. Traffic has increased slightly compared to the past few days, but no congestion has been reported, allowing passengers to travel without any hassle. Public transport, however, continues to run with many vacant seats.
On Wednesday (25 March), this scene was observed across major roads in the capital. Areas including Kalyanpur, Shyamoli, College Gate, Asadgate, and Agargaon saw significantly less movement of people compared to previous holiday days. Most public transport vehicles had plenty of vacant seats, with passengers waiting at various bus stops. No traffic jams were reported anywhere.
Jasim, a conductor of Gabtoli Link Bus Service, said, “I completed two trips since morning. Our bus operates from Gabtoli to Jatrabari. On the first trip, we collected Tk 750 in fares, and Tk 1,200 on the second. There were almost no passengers; the bus was completely empty.”
Imran Hossain, a conductor of Labbaik Bus Service, added, “Even half of the seats in our bus are empty. Many people haven’t returned to Dhaka despite the holidays being over. With the few passengers on the road now, it’s difficult to cover the bus expenses.”
Meanwhile, passengers expressed satisfaction with the smooth traffic. Manik, who came from Amin Bazar to Shishu Mela, said, “It took less than 20 minutes to get here from Amin Bazar. The bus even waited briefly for passengers at Gabtoli. There was no traffic anywhere. If Dhaka’s roads were always this peaceful, it would be very convenient for those of us traveling from outside the city.”
Low passenger turnout has also affected income for CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers. Mokbul, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, said, “There are hardly any passengers on the road. Fares are low. Since morning, I haven’t even been able to cover the daily vehicle installment of Tk 1,400; so far, I’ve only earned Tk 500–600. Normally, I would have covered the daily installment by now. If people don’t return from home, it’s difficult to earn the usual fare. I hope fares return to normal next week.”