Staff Reporter :
Eid-ul-Fitr, a time typically marked by a joyous mass exodus of city dwellers yearning to reunite with loved ones in their hometowns across the country, is facing a subdued scenario this year.
The financial squeeze gripping the nation has forced many individuals and families to forgo their traditional journeys and remain in the capital city.
During Eid, city streets are usually teeming with travellers enduring long waits for their designated buses as the transportation network grapples with the massive surge in movement.
However, traffic police report a stark contrast this year, with roads remaining nearly deserted and buses entering and exiting the capital without encountering any congestion.
The culprit behind this unexpected calm is the harsh economic reality. Strained household incomes coupled with skyrocketing inflation rates have left many with no choice but to prioritise financial prudence over the celebratory homecoming.
Normally bustling hubs like Gabtoli and Mahakhali inter-district bus terminals, along with the signboard area, would be overflowing with eager passengers. This year, however, a visit to these terminals reveals a disheartening scene as counter managers were seen lamenting the absence of the expected crowds.
Many, preferring to remain anonymous, point to the prevailing economic hardship as a significant reason for the decline in travelers. The cost of travel, coupled with anticipated expenses upon arrival in their hometowns, simply proves too much of a burden for many families.
While some pockets of normalcy exist, with reports of some counters selling out tickets in advance, the overall picture remains one of a significantly reduced Eid exodus.
Terminals like Gabtoli, which would typically be overflowing with passengers, now wear a deserted look. Similarly, ticketing counters for destinations like Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions haven’t witnessed the usual throngs of eager travellers.
This economic downturn is having a palpable impact on transport workers as well. Jewel, a transport worker, shared his experience, stating that the Barishal-bound Surjomukhi buses left the terminal with almost empty seats.
The sentiment is echoed by Md. Solaiman, a driver for Shah Sultan Paribahan bound for Kishoreganj. A veteran of 16 years in the business, Solaiman remarked that he had never faced such a difficult situation before. “It’s disheartening to drive empty vehicles during the peak season of Eid,” he said, reflecting the shared disappointment among many in his profession.
The economic hardship is hitting ordinary people the hardest, forcing them to make difficult choices. Abul Hasan, a garment factory worker in Savar, shared his disappointment about having to forgo his Eid homecoming this year. “I had been looking forward to reuniting with my family,” he said, “ but the financial burden proved insurmountable this year.”
Hasan’s story is a common refrain. Daily essentials are becoming increasingly expensive, straining household budgets and leaving many struggling to make ends meet.
“My meagre income can barely cover the basic expenses,” he explained. “Travelling home this time is not feasible.”
Similar sentiments are echoed by Mohammad Ali, a rickshaw puller in Dhaka who earns a modest income.
“The cost of living keeps increasing,” he said. “But my income remains stagnant.
” The financial constraints leave him with a difficult choice: “I can barely afford to put food on the table, let alone travel home and buy gifts for others during this Eid.”
The economic slowdown is being felt across the country. Just like the previous three days, there were significantly fewer passengers on the Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Sylhet highways in Narayanganj on Monday.
Visiting the Sighboard and Shimrail areas of Narayanganj in the morning, it was seen that there were more buses compared to passengers.
However, transport workers are expecting that the pressure on passengers will increase after noon.
At the signboard area on Monday morning, it was observed that a group of 8–10 transport workers were soliciting passengers.
As soon as they saw passengers, ticket sellers surrounded them and wanted to know the destination of the passengers.
They were persuading passengers to take their own transport. Passengers are also bargaining with them for the fare. Passengers are selecting transport based on the ticket price.
“We thought that the pressure on passengers would increase on Sunday. But all our assumptions have gone wrong this year. Everyone wants to celebrate Eid, but passengers are not coming.
However, I hope the pressure will increase in the afternoon,” a ticket seller of Ekushey Paribahan said. The other ticket sellers also echoed him.
They said that most of the ready-made garment factories in Narayanganj would announce holidays by Monday afternoon after paying wages. The pressure on passengers will increase, and then the prices of tickets will also go up.
“Going home for Eid used to be a cherished tradition for us, but times have changed,” said Farida Begum, a domestic worker in the capital.
“I wanted to go to Lalmonirhat this Eid. But this time I would not go as my income is not enough due to the high prices of daily essentials and other costs,” she said.
Meanwhile, some passengers complained that the bus counters had charged some extra money against their tickets.
The law enforcers said that they are alert to any allegation by the passengers, and stern actions will be taken.
