Eid-time travellers faced immense sufferings in the capital on Thursday as weather went rough amidst the collapse of the train schedules, traffic congestion and crowd at ferry terminals.
As Thursday is the last working day before Eid-ul-Azha, a huge number of people started leaving Dhaka since morning.
Rainy weather along with severe traffic congestion put extra burden on them on their way to railway stations, interdistrict bus and launch terminals.
Bangladesh Railway had launched three Eid special trains and resumed rail communications on Gaibandha-Dhaka route after 22 days, said railway’s director (traffic) Md Mahbubur Rahman. Earlier, the communications were disrupted as the soil under the tracks in Gaibandha was washed away by flood water.
On Thursday, some major trains were behind the schedule for the second consecutive day at Kamalapur Railway Station.
Rangpur express on Dhaka-Rangpur route was scheduled to start from Kamalapur at 9:00am and Ekota Express on Dhaka-Rajshahi route was scheduled to start from the same station at 10:00am. Till writing this report at 12:30pm both trains were yet to start from the station.
Nilsagar express on Dhaka-Nilphamari route started from the station around three hours behind and Sundarban Express on Dhaka-Khulna route left around two hours behind their schedules.
At Gabtali Interdistrict Bus Terminal most of the buses on the northern districts were late due to traffic congestion in Sirajganj.
New Age correspondent in Tangail reported that vehicles were stuck in congestion at Chandra area in Gazipur and Sirajganj. People were waiting at the terminal while rain caused extra suffering.
The number of passengers was increasing as the day passed on.
After 18 hours, ferry and launch movement on Shimulia-Kathalbari route resumed partially at around 7:30am on Thursday.
Till 12:30pm only three out of 18 ferries were plying on the channel.
At Paturia-Daulatdia route ferry movement was disrupted by inclement weather in the morning causing traffic jam.
