With just one day left for the 13th parliamentary election and referendum, thousands of people have been gathering at Dhaka’s main railway station since Wednesday morning to return to their respective areas to exercise their right to vote.
The station platform, entrance and ticket counter were full of passengers since morning. Even though the coach seat tickets were already sold out, the passenger pressure did not ease. Many trains did not even have standing space. Some were seen riding on the roof of the train despite knowing the risk.
Although all the tickets were sold online, there was a long queue in front of the counter. Hundreds of people turned away without getting tickets. While some got standing tickets, many were not lucky enough to get even that.
Despite the crowd and suffering, there was a festive atmosphere at the station. Some were waiting for the train with their families, some were chatting with friends. The joy of being able to vote was clear on the faces of many.
Railway security forces are on duty at the station to ensure security. Passengers are being allowed to enter the platform after scanning their bags and verifying their tickets.
Zubair Rahman, a passenger on the Rangpur Express, said, “I am able to vote after many years. We want to vote for change.”
Meanwhile, pictures of Sylhet-bound Parabat Express and Chittagong-bound Mahanagar Prabhati Express carrying passengers on the roof have been circulating on social media.
Dhaka Railway Station Manager Sajedul Islam said that there has been an increase in passenger pressure for the last three days. The number of passengers has increased several times due to the long holiday for the elections. The weekly closure of the Rajshahi-bound Padma Express has been canceled to manage the pressure. 43 intercity and 26 mail and local trains are running from Dhaka on Wednesday.