The first train scheduled to leave Kamalapur Railway Station in Dhaka for Eid trips home with advance tickets ran late on the first day of journeys on Wednesday.
The Rajshahi-bound Dhumketu Express was supposed to leave the station at 6am but had yet to even reach the station as of 11am.
In its place, the Sylhet-bound Parabat Express was the first train to leave the station, at 6:20am.
Those travelling with women and children suffered the most due to the delay in the first train’s arrival.
“I rushed to the station to catch the morning train after Suhoor, but there is still no news [of the train]. How can we possibly sit like this with small children in this summer heat?” complained a passenger named Rokibul Alam.
Khairul Islam, who hails from Sylhet, said before boarding his train: “I am finally going home along with my family. But I had to face a lot of hassle to get the tickets. I stood in line for around 18 hours.”
Meanwhile, many were seen standing in lines at the station to secure tickets for the May 1 journeys, with many waiting patiently since the evening prior.
Some 53,000 passengers will leave the capital by train every day ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, according to Bangladesh Railway.
