Staff Correspondent:

The nine-day Eid holiday officially ends on Saturday though many holidaymakers returned to their workplaces a day or two earlier to avoid the crowds.

On Friday, some bus stations in the capital including Gabtoli, Kalyanpur, Mohakhali, Sayedabad, Jatrabari, Kamalapur Railway Station, and Sadarghat Launch Terminal saw a moderate rush of people heading towards Dhaka.

To avoid the last-minute rush and hassle, several chose to return before the holiday officially ended.

Jubayer, a private-sector employee returning to Dhaka by bus from Feni with his family on Friday morning, said “I returned a day earlier as the last day would be crowded. There was no traffic gridlock on Dhaka-Chattogtram highway and the journey was comfortable.”

Transport owners said long holiday allowed people to travel with relatively less hassle both while going to and returning from the villages.

On Saturday, the final day of the holiday, passenger pressure on roads and public transport could be higher than usual, they said.

Although many have started returning to Dhaka the capital’s roads remain relatively empty, allowing its residents enjoy the congestion-free atmosphere.

Public transport is also seeing fewer passengers than usual.

However, personal cars, rickshaws, and motorcycles were seen around recreational spots and open spaces in the capital.

Some residents, enjoying the holiday and lack of traffic, were seen touring different parts of the city.

Motiur Rahman, a resident of Malibagh area who went out on Friday afternoon with his family in a private car, said, “I celebrated Eid in Dhaka. We are touring Dhaka to enjoy the holiday. If Dhaka were always this empty, people wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed.”

The government had earlier approved a nine-day holiday for its employees—from 28 March to 5 April—to facilitate Eid celebrations.

The homebound rush began on 26 March, with the country celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the most significant religious festivals for Muslims, on 31 March.