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City-dwellers started returning to the capital on Wednesday after celebrating the Eid-ul-Azha festival at their village homes across the country with near and dear ones, but the pressure of the returnees was still low.
People were making their way back to the city as the Eid-ul-Azha holiday would end on Saturday. Moderate crowds were found at the railway stations as well as bus and launch terminals across the capital.
The people who returned on Wednesday were mainly working class people and small traders. Passengers expressed relief at the smooth travel conditions during the holiday, and said they could return in the city with comfort.
However, a significant number of city dwellers were still leaving Dhaka to spend the remaining portion of the Eid holiday elsewhere. Besides, a large number of people, who had come to Dhaka for Eid festivities, were seen heading back to their workplaces.
Visiting the Kamalpur Railway Station, the FE correspondent found a significant number of passengers were arriving at the station after the Eid celebration.
"I return to the capital after celebrating the Eid with my family. I have to reopen my shop on Thursday (today). So, I came back to the city," Md Shajahan, a trader, told the FE at the station on Wednesday.
An official said all the trains were full-packed and returned to the station without much delay.
On the other hand, launch and bus terminals in the city also witnessed hundreds of people, who were returning to the city. Mohakhali, Sayedabad and Gabtoli intercity bus terminals witnessed a number of city dwellers on the day.
Long-distance coaches were seen bringing back passengers to Gabtoli bus terminal from Meherpur, Kushtia, Rajshahi, Bogura, Naogaon, Chuadanga, and other districts. Buses arriving in the city were filled to their capacity, while outbound vehicles left the terminals with only a handful of passengers. Bus operators said the trend would likely to continue at least for the next few days.
The returnee bus passengers said their journey was smooth, as there was no traffic jam on the highways.
"I went to my village two days before to celebrate the Eid with my parents and grandparents," said Md Rafiqul Islam, a university student, who returned from Jamalpur to Mohakhali bus terminal. "I'm happy to be back in Dhaka city without any major gridlock on the road," Md Mezbaul Huq, a small trader who returned to the city from Feni, told the FE at Sayebadad intercity bus terminal.