Long traffic jams during Eid journeys, women and children suffer the most

Eid brings a rush of people travelling home. But for thousands of travellers leaving the capital, the journey itself has turned into an ordeal, overshadowing the festive spirit with hours of gridlock, inadequate infrastructure, and acute suffering particularly for women and children.

Over the past few days, major highways out of Dhaka, including the Gazipur–Tangail Highway, have witnessed severe congestion. Buses have remained stranded in the same location for hours, with journeys that typically take four to five hours stretching to as long as 10 to 15 hours.

Passengers remain trapped in cramped vehicles, battling exhaustion, frustration and uncertainty as traffic barely moved.

However, the worst impact has been on women and children. Prolonged confinement inside vehicles has led to significant physical and mental distress.

The absence of safe and hygienic public toilets along highways has further compounded the suffering.

A Supersonic bus was seen stuck in one place for nearly three hours on the Gazipur–Tangail route. Rokeya Nazneen, a passenger on the bus, said, “We’ve been on the road since morning. My child is crying repeatedly to use the bathroom, but there’s nowhere safe to get down and no facilities nearby.”

Children, forced to endure long hours in such a situation, are becoming increasingly fatigued and unwell. The lack of food and safe drinking water has made matters worse, with some children vomiting or falling sick inside buses without access to immediate medical care.

For many women, this type of experience has become a regular part of Eid travel. In some cases, passengers are forced to get down in isolated areas to relieve themselves posing serious safety risks, particularly during the evening or at night.

Mithila Rahman, a working woman caught in the congestion, said, “We are stuck in a place where it is impossible to find a washroom in an emergency. It is an extremely uncomfortable experience.”

Transport insiders attributed the situation to excessive passenger pressure during Eid and limitations in road management.

A supervisor of Supersonic Transport, who wished to remain anonymous, said prolonged delays not only cause physical and mental fatigue but disproportionately affect women and children.

As millions attempt to return home for Eid, the journey has become a test of endurance where the joy of reunion is constantly challenged by the harsh realities of travel hardship.