No extra rush at Gabtoli bus terminal on eve of Eid-ul-Adha

Even on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha, Dhaka’s Gabtoli Bus Terminal did not witness the usual surge of holidaymakers, with the terminal maintaining a relatively calm atmosphere.

Passengers who had booked advance tickets were seen boarding buses without hassle, while many others were still able to purchase tickets from counters easily.

A visit to the terminal from 3pm to evening revealed that buses bound for northern and southwestern districts were departing timely. Some ticket counters were even found closed due to low passengers.

Transport operators said the comparatively lower pressure this year was mainly because many people had already gone earlier.

Mohammad Imam, an employee of Subarna Paribahan, said four of the company’s buses left for Barishal with full occupancy today.

“Most of the tickets for those buses had been sold earlier,” he said.

Ali Haidar, a passenger travelling to Chuadanga by Purbasha Paribahan, said he bought ticket in the afternoon after selling cattle at the Gabtoli cattle market.

“My bus will leave in the evening,” he said, holding a Tk830 ticket.

Hridoy, ticket counter employee of Iran Express bound for Mathbaria, said uncertainty over the exact Eid date and the early start of holidays prompted many people to leave Dhaka ahead of time.

He also noted that after the construction of the Jamuna Bridge, many passengers travelling to the southern region now prefer routes through Jatrabari and Gulistan instead of Gabtoli, as buses from Gabtoli still rely heavily on ferry crossings.

Despite the lighter crowd, some passengers were still arriving at the terminal at the last moment to collect tickets.