Eid Travel Fervor Sees Students Pack Campus 12 Hours Early
Jagannath University students began queuing almost 12 hours ahead of their scheduled departures on Friday, vying for limited seats on university buses to return home for the Eid al-Adha and summer holidays. The intense competition for a spot on one of the nine buses, slated to depart early Friday morning for seven divisions across Bangladesh, has compelled hundreds to camp out overnight across the Dhaka campus.
By Thursday evening, shortly after 7 PM, students from various dormitories, messes, and private residences started converging on the campus, forming lines at key locations. Many placed their bags to secure a spot, while others prepared to spend the night with friends, awaiting their journey.
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Scenes across the university, including the main gate, Shaheed Minar, Rafiq Building, and the Ekattorer Gonohotya sculpture area, showed students occupying the ground in front of the buses. Some chatted, others passed time on their phones, and many laid out blankets in anticipation. Despite the visible excitement for returning home for Eid, an underlying anxiety about securing a bus seat was evident on their faces. Students emphasized that arriving early was the only way to ensure a coveted spot.
The limited number of university buses and seats forces many to endure long waits, a situation particularly challenging for those whose homes are furthest from the campus.
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Rakib Hossain, an English Department student, told Prothom Alo that the experience of traveling home by university bus is truly unique. “This is my third time returning home on the university bus,” he stated. “I got a seat the first two times, but I can’t say if I will this time. Still, I want to travel this way because the joy of going together with everyone is different.”
Ahad Adil, a second-year student, shared a similar sentiment. “Even if it’s a bit difficult to stand, the conversations, laughter, and the feeling of going home with friends make you forget all the exhaustion. It feels like one of the most beautiful memories of university life,” he remarked. However, Adil suggested that “it would be even better if the university authorities arranged a few more buses. Then everyone could travel comfortably, and the entire journey would be even more enjoyable.”
An anonymous student echoed the widespread frustration, noting, “During Eid, everyone is in a hurry to go home. But due to insufficient buses, we are forced to wait like this for hours to get a seat. Those who come from far away face the most problems.”
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