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The mass level Eid travel home this year has amply proved that the general people are not at fault when logjams are created on highways and at critical points. If the basic communication infrastructure is in place, few show the tendency to break laws. With a sharp break from earlier spectacles, the village-bound people were seen behaving on the eve of the Eid-ul-Fitr this year in the most desirable way. A large part of the thanks for this behavioural change goes to the authorities in charge of roads and bridge managements --- especially the Padma Bridge authorities. Thanks to their allowing hundreds of passenger-carrying motorcycles to travel over the bridge, the pressure and chaos on south-bound highways appeared tolerable. Thanks to the wide use of the country's longest bridge, pressure on the waterways eased to a large extent.
In the earlier days, overcrowded launches were a common scene on the Bangladesh river routes during Eid-time. Thanks to the 'difficult' online ticket system, lots of common people who are used to travelling home by rail opted for bus journey this year. In short, the travel scenes carried elements which could make many take heart. The Eid-ul-Fitr visited Bangladesh this year after a couple of devastating fire incidents in Dhaka. With their memories still fresh among people, many had premonitions for inauspicious happenings prior to the festival eve. Nothing happened. This may have encouraged people to embark on their cherished journeys.
A lot of people feared small and big mishaps during the peak hours of Eid shopping. The shoppers showed their utmost restraint amid crowds moving from one sales-point to another. The overall atmosphere was peaceful and festive, albeit restless at times. A number of factors have contributed to this year's run-up to Eid. Notwithstanding the calamitous fire incidents in the capital, the other factors stood out with their favourable character. The Bangla New Year's festival passed off peacefully amid festivities. There were fears of unwarranted incidents. On the other hand, different authorities kept repeating their promises to ensure a safe and hassle-free Eid journey home. People took heart from these assurances. Apart from a few anarchic elements, most of the people are found to be content with a little care on the part of the authorities. What they want is reaching their ancestral homes comfortably.
The general view of the village-goers travelling home speaks eloquently of this fact. Contrary to the common belief, the home-bound people are peaceful. It's a section of unscrupulous elements, which spark untoward incidents. During social or political mayhem, it's a section of overenthusiastic people who call the shots. Some of them even claim the role of gang leaders. The general people eventually discover themselves as passive onlookers. Many others shun the scene. They are least interested in entangling themselves in matters which do not benefit them. In the past during crowded journeys, especially before Eid celebrations, small arguments would snowball into quarrels. The futility of heated exchanges would dawn on few. As most of the homesick travellers were in a lighter mood this year, few were willing to waste time on unnecessary engagements.
Similar scenarios have been witnessed at middle-class markets, where bargaining is a normal feature. Thanks to the scorching summer heat, a lot of Eid shoppers avoided hot bargaining. The overall air of the Eid market was amiable --- if not too friendly. In fact, the turnout of Eid shoppers this year was relatively low in the large and upscale shopping complexes. On the other hand, streams of shoppers thronged the mid-level markets. In spite of this, the sales didn't peak at expected level. This has led to subdued economic activities this Eid-ul-Fitr. In the recent years, the Eid-based economy has begun adding to the national one in its humble manner. A section of economists are hopeful of the benefits the Eid economy has in store for the country. As the shopping outlets deal with locally made products, their role in instilling dynamism into different manufacturing outlets is implied. In the Eid-ul-Fitr of 2023, many reasons were at play in the veritably downbeat nature of the Eid market. The most dominant of them was the fallout of the global recession still haunting Bangladesh. However, in spite of the low-volume transactions, the businesses both at the manufacturers' and sellers' end expressed their upbeat mood for the future.
With this feature coming up in the sales activities in general, the overall look of the Eid market of clothing, shoes etc seemed healthy, if not buoyant. It was because the market was trying its best to return to normal amid an economic crunch time. People hope the reopened market after the Eid celebration is over would display a semblance of normalcy in its overall behaviour.
Like in the past years, the urban areas --- especially the capital, might be found bracing for the prolonged Eid holiday lag. In years in the past, a large number of the holidaying people return to Dhaka after overstaying in their village homes. Most of the government and non-government employees have their extra leaves granted prior to the start of the leave period. However, the full restart of offices and businesses in Dhaka and the busy cities normally takes more than a couple of days. With an extended leave period, the resumption of normal working days this year might take a longer time. It has become the trend.