For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
EID-UL-AZHA, the second biggest festival of the Muslims, is just round the corner. A lot of people living in Dhaka go to their respective village homes to celebrate Eid with their near and dear ones. But as I think of Eid, I am delighted on the one hand and saddened on the other. I am saddened when I think of the sufferings one has to go through during his/her journey for village home. It is often a traumatic experience one has to go through. The trouble starts from collecting a ticket for bus or train. One has to stand in a queue for hours together to collect a ticket. In case of a bus ticket, one is often asked to pay more than the regular fare. A journey by train during Eid is not uncomfortable compared to journey by bus. Most of the highways are in a bad shape. There are serious traffic congestions at different points and one is stuck for hours together. As a result, inordinate delay occurs for one to reach home.
It is said that more than half of Dhaka city dwellers go to their village homes to celebrate Eid there and their sufferings on the way during Eid is too well known to elaborate. Reports on both print and electronic media give ample evidences about the serious difficulties the home-bound people have to go through. This time, the home-bound people are already booking their bus tickets and train tickets will be on sale a few days later. Bus tickets just disappeared within a few hours due to high demand. The fare is also high in some cases. It happens every year and the government should make sure that the commuters are not being charged higher than the normal fare. In many places, broken and dilapidated roads create unnecessary traffic jam which makes sufferings greater. The authorities concerned should also make sure that roads are properly repaired to enable home-bound commuters reach home timely without being stuck on the road.
Saiful Islam
Baridhara DOHS
Dhaka