Eid travellers face gridlock, higher fares on Dhaka-Aricha highway

Thousands of holidaymakers, particularly readymade garment workers, faced severe traffic congestion, inflated fares and overcrowded transport options on Thursday as they departed from Savar and nearby industrial areas ahead of Eid.

Heavy traffic gridlock was reported from morning to noon on the Dhaka-Aricha and Nabinagar-Chandra highways due to an overwhelming surge in vehicle and passenger numbers.

The situation worsened further due to continuous rainfall since the morning, compounding the hardship of travellers.

Taking advantage of the Eid rush, transport workers were allegedly charging extra fares, forcing passengers to pay well above the regular rates.

Many commuters were seen booking seats by offering higher payments just to secure a spot.

From early morning, long queues formed at transport counters across Savar and surrounding areas.

Key points such as Hemayetpur, Amin Bazar, Genda, Ulail, Nabinagar, Baipail, Sripur and Jirani Bazar witnessed long tailbacks, with travellers complaining of a shortage of seats and steep ticket prices.

Parvin Akhter Paru, a garment worker waiting to travel to Rangpur, said, “I've been standing for hours. Even when a seat is available, they ask for nearly double the fare. A Tk 650 ticket is being sold for Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,400.”

Sentu Mia, another passenger heading to Jashore, said, “They’re asking Tk 800 for a Tk 400 trip. We’re poor people, what are we supposed to do?”

Bus driver Parvez Alam denied overcharging, saying, “We’re not forcing anyone. Some passengers are voluntarily giving Eid bonuses.”

Subrata Kumar, a supervisor of Sakura Paribahan for the Barishal route, claimed that they were charging regular fares but acknowledged the high demand. “Seats are limited and during Eid, costs always go up.”

Despite widespread complaints, local authorities said they had yet to receive any formal allegation regarding fare hikes.

Saleh Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Savar Highway Police Station, said they were aware of the congestion and had been working since dawn to ease traffic, deploying additional personnel.

He also assured that action would be taken if any official complaint was lodged.