DHAKA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- With just five days remaining for the holy Eid-ul-Fitr in Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of people began to leave the capital Dhaka Thursday for their hometowns to celebrate one of the biggest religious festivals.
Although the government has declared a nine-day holiday for Eid starting on Friday, many people working at government and non-government offices in Dhaka left for their hometowns on Thursday, the last working day before the Eid.
Since Thursday afternoon, long distance bus stations, ferry terminals and train stations were seen overflowed with home-bound passengers.
Enthusiastic home-goers even were seen clinging on the bodies of the ferries and trains risking their lives.
The usually hustling and bustling Dhaka is now showing signs of tranquillity as people with or even without seat-ensuring tickets, are gathering in the city's main launch terminals, railway and bus stations, eager to go home to join relatives for the holiday.
Bangladesh is all set to celebrate the Eid on either next Wednesday or Thursday, depending on the sighting of the new moon.
State-owned transport bodies have started special Eid services to ply on different inter-district routes in addition to the regular services to meet the demand of the home-bound city dwellers.
To make the travel of the home-bound passengers easy, officials said additional forces have been deployed in Dhaka streets.
Authorities said they have strictly enforced control on the overloading of ferries, the main cause behind many deadly crashes during the previous Eid holidays.
Bangladeshi Police have announced that it will take a three- tier security measures in the capital Dhaka to check any unpleasant incident as more people leave Dhaka for village homes.
To shore up security in major cities, additional law enforcers have been guarding all strategic points including commercial hubs and main Eid congregation grounds.
Bangladesh police said they have sent thousands of personnel to monitor major travel routes across the country.
