Monsoon Rains, Soaring Fares Complicate Eid Travel in Bangladesh
Photo Collected
Thousands of people attempting to travel for the Eid-al-Adha holiday faced severe challenges on Monday, encountering exorbitant fares, ticket shortages, and chaotic scenes exacerbated by heavy rain at Dhaka’s Janapath Morh and Sayedabad bus terminal areas. Passengers, many carrying luggage or young children, endured hours of waiting only to find inflated prices or no available transport for their journeys home.
A survey conducted between 11:00 AM and 12:30 PM revealed a dire situation stretching from Janapath Morh to Sayedabad bus terminal, where complaints of additional fares ranging from 50 to 300 Bangladeshi Taka were widespread. Travelers reported that buses, when available, were charging significantly more than usual rates, with prices varying even among passengers on the same vehicle.
বিজ্ঞাপন
At Janapath Morh, passengers waiting for a Khulna-bound Bakhtiyar Paribahan bus alleged that some were charged 600 Taka while others paid 700 Taka for the same trip. A bus driver’s assistant, Rakib, acknowledged the discrepancy, stating, “You are getting it for 700 from us, but the counter is asking for 1,000 Taka.” Similarly, an unairconditioned bus for Barisal’s Afra Express was demanding 800 Taka, a stark increase from its usual fare of 500-550 Taka. When questioned about the hike, a bus worker claimed ignorance.
Masum Billah, a passenger headed for Pirojpur, expressed his frustration, noting the lack of tickets and the high prices of those available. “If I don’t go now, I won’t be able to reach home,” he lamented. At the counter for Pirojpur-bound Emad Paribahan, an attendant identified as Liton defiantly told a reporter, “You can write it large, no matter what reporter you are.”
বিজ্ঞাপন
Monowara Begum, who came to Janapath Morh with her son for a trip to Khulna, failed to secure tickets after a long wait. “I don’t know what to do,” she said, planning to try her luck in the Dholai Par area. Nearby, Shahed Alam, with his wife and two sons, spent nearly an hour at the Zonaki Service Line counter near Sayedabad bus terminal without boarding a bus. “If we have to suffer so much just to return home…” he trailed off, visibly frustrated.
A long queue snaked outside the Zonaki Service Line counter, where a disgruntled passenger remarked on the lack of tickets, stating, “Can’t you see there are no tickets? I’ve been standing here for ages.” Several counter staff attributed the bus shortage to many vehicles having not yet returned to Dhaka from their early morning or overnight trips to various districts.
The already difficult situation worsened significantly after 12:00 PM when heavy rain began to fall. Passengers at the Zonaki Service Line counter and other locations were instantly drenched. Many sought shelter under the terminal’s canopy, while others stood with bags on their heads, and some children were seen crying in their wet clothes. Despite the downpour, the crowds at the bus counters did not diminish.
Finally, around 12:30 PM, a bus arrived. By this time, however, the road in front of the counter was inundated with knee-deep water, and the rain continued relentlessly. News of the bus’s arrival sparked a scramble among passengers, with people carrying children wading through the water and others balancing luggage on their heads as they rushed towards the vehicle. Some even hired rickshaws to navigate the flooded street to reach the bus. Amidst wet clothing, mud, and continuous rain, the homebound travelers struggled to board the bus.
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