This Eid, I got a sudden leave from the office. By then, tickets for buses and trains were sold out. Thinking I wouldn't get any, I tried online and surprisingly managed to get a bus ticket by good fortune. The journey was on 18 March (Wednesday) at 10 PM. The bus would depart from Shyamoli, Dhaka, with the destination being Thakurgaon, a northern district.
Yesterday evening, Dhaka was hit by a severe rainstorm—a Kalbaishakhi. I felt uneasy about starting my journey in such weather, but I reassured myself that once I got on the bus, the ride would be comfortable. The news even reported, “No traffic congestion on the roads. This Eid journey is smooth.”
As the intensity of the storm and rain eased a bit, I left home. I loaded my luggage onto a rickshaw and went to Shyamoli. It was nearly 10 PM according to the clock. I saw the bus was about to leave. It's surprising to see buses leaving on time before Eid. Whatever the case, I hurriedly boarded the bus.
The bus departed from Shyamoli at 10:10 PM. It was an AC bus. The quality was good, and the service was also satisfactory. The environment was comfortable, even though the ticket price was almost double. They charge this every Eid. This time I heard that some places aren't charging extra bus fares. But while buying the ticket, I realized it's all fairy tales. It doesn't match reality.
As soon as the bus departed, another round of severe storm and rain began. On the wet road, the driver was driving relatively slowly and carefully. We had not yet passed Hemayetpur when the supervisor said in a sorrowful tone, "Brother, a lot of traffic jam has started on the road. What will happen!"
Hearing this, the excitement of going home instantly faded. I asked, "Where's the jam?" He replied, "From after Nabinagar and up to before the Jamuna Bridge." Hearing this left me speechless.
Upon reaching Nabinagar, I saw a long queue of vehicles on the road. Buses, microbuses, private cars—all heading towards Bypile, Chandra route via Nabinagar. Some were heading home by small pickups. Many city buses were seen taking passengers towards the north.
Our bus driver cleverly took the road to Manikganj instead of going via Bypile. To avoid traffic congestion, he would enter Tangail through that route. This way, Bypile, Chandra, and parts of Kaliakair could be avoided.
By then, the clock struck 12 midnight. The inner roads were narrow and wet from the rain. The bus was moving cautiously. But upon nearing Tangail, it halted. Like us, many long-distance buses had taken the same route. The traffic congestion persisted there.
Meanwhile, passengers had their sehri meal on the bus. By the time the bus got onto the Dhaka-Tangail highway in starts and stops, the sun was peeking out from the east.
After that, the bus did not move at all up to the Jamuna Bridge toll plaza. Rows of vehicles were stuck on the road. The clock’s hands moved at their pace, but we were stuck in the same place. Meanwhile, I saw buses and pickup vans with passengers whizzing by on the wrong lane toward the north.
I felt regret, wondering if there is anyone watching these mismanagements? Previously, during Eid journeys, I saw police officers performing duties at various points, not allowing buses to park anywhere. This time, it was rarely seen. Anywhere along the Dhaka-Tangail highway, buses were parked, passengers were getting on and off, travelling on the wrong lane. The result—a long traffic jam. Sitting for hours in traffic congestion. Endless suffering.
I felt regret, wondering if there is anyone watching these mismanagements? Previously, during Eid journeys, I saw police officers performing duties at various points, not allowing buses to park anywhere.
This time, it was rarely seen. Anywhere along the Dhaka-Tangail highway, buses were parked, passengers were getting on and off, travelling on the wrong lane. The result—a long traffic jam. Sitting for hours in traffic congestion. Endless suffering.
By then, it was 7:45 AM. We slowly reached close to the Jamuna Bridge toll plaza. There was a jam of vehicles there as well. Although the road is quite wide, it narrows down there. Time was being consumed in collecting and giving tolls. There was also heavy vehicular pressure. In total, the situation was messy.
By around 8 AM, after paying the toll, the bus embarked onto the northern entry point—the Jamuna Bridge. We had started the journey at 10 PM. That means 10 hours had passed. When coming directly from Dhaka, it usually takes 4 to 4.5 hours to reach Jamuna Bridge. But it took a solid 10 hours this time.
I wrote this on my mobile phone while sitting in the bus after crossing Jamuna. Typically, the trip from Dhaka to Thakurgaon takes 10 to 12 hours. This time, it took 10 hours just to get past Tangail on this Eid. I don't know how much more time the rest of the journey will take.
While on the bus, I checked Facebook and saw a post by an acquaintance, Raushan Jamal Milon, expressing the hassle of the Eid journey. Milon, a private employee, is traveling from Azampur, Dhaka, to Rajshahi.
He mentioned that he was supposed to board his bus from Chandra at 11 PM last night, but it left at 5 AM today. When we spoke over the phone at around 11:45 AM, he was stuck in traffic at Hatikumrul in Sirajganj.
Milon said, “The buses were not allowed to enter Dhaka for a long time last night. Hence, there was a wait to get the bus. On top of that, there was continuous traffic congestion at Chandra-Kaliakair. Those who are on their way home with their families are facing endless hassles.”
Another acquaintance, Mohammad Ali Firoz, expressed his frustration while stuck in traffic.
He said, "Those of us who regularly travel back to North Bengal for Eid, know that it takes us 18 to 22 hours to cover an 8-hour journey. Without an effective traffic control system and restraint on local-type vehicles, it is difficult to reduce this misery."
Mohammad Ali Firoz, a private employee, is going to Gaibandha for Eid. His bus left Dhaka's Kalyanpur at 11:30 PM yesterday. At around 11 AM today, he said that he had reached Bogura.
He mentioned that it took almost 5 hours just to travel from Mirzapur, Tangail to Elenga due to traffic congestion.
Almost every Eid, passengers traveling north have to endure limitless suffering on the road this way. Still, I wish everyone a safe and smooth Eid journey. May all the mismanagement and suffering of the journey be eliminated.