People leaving Dhaka to enjoy Eid

City dwellers have started leaving the capital for their ancestral homes to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with their families and dear ones. Bus terminals, railway stations and launch terminals were crowded with homebound people yesterday.

The rush, however, is expected to intensify today (Wednesday) and reach its peak two days before Eid.

Due to the long vacation, home-goers’ trips are likely to be a little comfortable this year. Besides, most highways are in better condition while new bridges and flyovers have been opened to public.

Moreover, the government has allowed motorcycles to cross Padma Bridge and also arranged special ferry services for the motorcyclists. A good number of home-goers left Dhaka city yesterday through different trains, buses and launches. A good number of home goers thronged to Sadarghat launch terminal to catch the southern-bound launches.

There were traffic jams in terminal areas in the morning when a good number of buses left the capital. Traffic jams were created again in the afternoon when buses coming from different districts entered Dhaka, especially in Mohakhali and Gabtoli areas.

A five-day vacation marking the Eid-ul Fitr, one of the biggest religious festivals of the country’s Muslim community, began Wednesday as the Eid will be celebrated on April 22 or 23, based on the appearance of the Moon.

The government has already prepared a public holiday list by fixing April 22 as the Eid day if Ramadan ends by 29 days.

The government employees have been entitled to get five-day Eid vacation starting from April 19 to April 23 as April 20 has been declared as an extra public holiday.

But the public holidays are likely to be extended one more day to April 24, if the Ramadan ends by 30 days. Consequently, the government employees will enjoy six days of Eid vacation till April 24.

Meanwhile, after the public holiday due to holy Shab-e-Qadr on April 19, the government has declared April 20 as the gen-eral holiday which was announced by the Ministry of Public Administration through a gazette notification issued on April 10.

After the Eid-ul Fitr, the office time of all the government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous organisa-tions will begin from 9am and continue up to 4pm, said the official handout.