Ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, a large number of people from the capital are heading home by rail. Since early Wednesday morning, the passenger pressure at Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station area has increased rapidly and at one point it has become beyond control. Many passengers are forced to take a risky journey by climbing onto the roof of the train, unable to find space inside.
As the morning progresses, the crowd at the station premises becomes denser. Passengers with their families and luggage wait for long periods on the platform; many stand for hours hoping to catch their scheduled train.
Railway authorities said that security has been beefed up across the station to handle the additional pressure. Members of RAB, police, Ansar, intelligence agencies and railway security forces are keeping watch at the entrances and platforms. Search operations have also been increased.
However, as the number of passengers is several times higher than the seating capacity, it has become difficult to prevent people from climbing onto the roof of the train. A security official said, “Despite the risk, many passengers are choosing this route because they have no other option. It is not possible to completely prevent it from humanitarian considerations.”
Several trains, including those bound for Rajshahi, Sylhet, Chilahati, Chittagong and Kishoreganj, left on time this morning. But the pressure of passengers on each train was excessive.
Railway officials say that maximum preparations have been made to ensure a smooth Eid journey. However, passengers have been urged to follow the rules as per their tickets to ensure safe travel.