At least six million people go to the village every Eid, as per official data compiled by Buet
The Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB) has predicted that twice the usual number of people will be returning home for the Eid holidays since the Covid-19 restrictions eased this time after a two-year break.
The massive number of homebound travellers will create huge traffic congestion within Dhaka city from 25th Ramadan, they observe.
The organization recommended taking effective measures to control traffic congestion and road accidents on the highways to make the journeys safer.Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of PWAB, placed the demands during a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Sunday.
He said that people in Dhaka city suffer the most due to traffic jams, and therefore, all the roads in the city need to be free of illegal hawkers and illegal parking.
Dr Md Hadiuzzaman, director of Buet’s Accident Research Institute (ARI), said at the press conference that, according to the ARI data for 2018 and 2019, over 11.5 million people went home during Eid.On average, about three million people will leave Dhaka every day during the Eid holidays till Eid day.
Due to the Covid crisis, the number of home-goers had decreased in the last few years, he said.
“According to our data, at least six million people go to the village every Eid,” he said.Each day, about 800,000 people will leave Dhaka before Eid by bus, 100,000 by train, 125,000 by launch, 300,000 by motorcycle, and another 300,000 on private vehicles, said Haiduzzaman.
However, 1.4 million might not be able to manage tickets and will have to travel on the roofs of trains, buses, and launches.
He said that people including students and others should not work from 20th Ramadan and start leaving the capital before the holidays begin.
