Staff Reporter: Homebound people are leaving the capital to enjoy the Eid holiday with their loved ones. The biggest pain on the way home is the commute. Passenger transports have no place anywhere. Terminals are crowded with passengers. However, despite all the obstacles, everyone is running towards the bus, train or launch even in the rain. The rent also has to be multiplied two to three times more. Despite this, everyone is happy to return home.
On Sunday (July 03) morning, it was seen that the bus terminal of the capital, Sayedabad, was crowded with passengers except for Dhaka. The rent has to be doubled or tripled. At other times, bus fare from the terminal to Noakhali was Tk 350. But 600 taka is being taken on Sunday.
The counter managers said that there is a crowd of passengers while leaving Dhaka, but there are no passengers on the way back. As a result, the amount of rent is not available. That's why the owners have instructed to charge 600 rupees as rent.
If asked, the manager of Himachal Paribahan. Rabiul Islam told Banglamail, 'Everyone knows this. After meeting with the ministry for a few days, the owner association informed the higher authority. Then they agreed. That is why we are charging more rent.'
The same situation was seen at the Sadarghat launch terminal. Passengers are taken there, but if there is a little more cargo, it is not taken. However, some of the passengers said that the goods are being taken by paying extra money to the influential people of the launch.
MV Farhan-3, which was bound for Hatia, was found to have no moles anywhere. Despite this, the launch is not being released to pick up more passengers. On other days cabin rent is 1200 taka, but from last Thursday it is taken from 1500 to 2000 taka.
Meanwhile, the open space in front of the launch cabins is also being rented. 1000 rupees are being collected from each person for a bed and a pillow.
Farhana Akhter, a passenger going to Kaliganj, told Banglamail, 'For the past one week, I have been calling the launch only for the cabin. They say - there is no cabin. But now I see that the 1200 Tk cabin is being sold for Tk 2,000.
He also said, 'They are also selling the deck space in front of the cabin. Usually its rent is three hundred rupees. But taking 1000 rupees.'
When asked, a cabin boy named Sujan said, 'The crowd of passengers is high. So they come to us. We provide bedding and pillows. In return they give us gratuity. If they don't come, we can't take the money.'
On Eid, the voluntary organization 'Save Coast Movement' is giving new clothes to the poor children of the coast. When the workers of the movement wanted to lift two sacks of new Punjabi into the launch, the officials in charge of the launch threw the goods from the workers' heads.
They are saying that the passenger will go, but the goods will not go. After paying additional rent, the goods are allowed to be lifted. Several passengers complained that no remedy was found even after complaining to the local police control rube about these issues.
Government employees are getting a long 9-day holiday this Eid by the government's executive order. Government officials and employees have already left the capital to share the joy of Eid with their loved ones. Employees of private companies have also started returning home.
It has been raining in the capital since last Thursday night. Ignoring the rain, people at home are crowding the train, bus and launch terminals. However, most of the passengers expressed their anger at the extra fare.
