Kaliakoir (Gazipur) Correspondent:

A large number of people returning home from Dhaka on the occasion of the 13th National Parliament Elections have caused severe traffic congestion on the roads around the Dhaka-Tangail Highway. Transport workers have been accused of charging several times more fares on the occasion of the bus crisis. They have been stuck in traffic jams for hours and have suffered greatly due to the additional fare.
Homebound passengers.

On Tuesday (February 10), hundreds of people were seen standing at various bus stands along Chandra Road. Slow traffic was seen on the highway from Dhaka to Chandra E intersection. Traffic congestion has become more severe in the areas of College Gate and Tangail Highway at Chandra E intersection. Passengers have also complained that buses are also making multiple trips, leaving their normal routes in the hope of earning extra income. This has further increased the suffering of ordinary passengers.

Hasan, a passenger, said that while the bus fare from Dhaka to Chandra is usually 150 to 250 taka, it is being charged from 450 to 500 taka. Many passengers are forced to take trucks because they cannot get a bus. The truck is charging 200 to 300 taka per person.

A passenger from Savar named Russell Hossain said that the fare from Dhaka to Chandra usually costs 250 taka. This morning, when I got on the bus, they asked for 600 taka. I had to pay them. I have not seen so much suffering even in the previous Eid.

A garment worker named Jamela Khatun said, they have given leave for voting, but I am not getting a bus. I have been standing since morning. Now it seems that I will have to take a truck. They are charging 400 taka there too. There are fewer buses, more passengers. Everyone is increasing the fare using this opportunity.

On the other hand, the government has declared general and special holidays on the occasion of the 13th National Parliament elections. The government has declared a general holiday on February 11. Election Day, February 12, will be a general holiday, as announced earlier. In addition, a special holiday has been declared on February 10 to ensure the voting rights of workers in industrial areas.

The holiday notification said that as per the decision of the Advisory Council meeting, on the occasion of the 13th National Parliament Election and Referendum, February 11 and 12 have been declared as government holidays by the election executive order for officials and employees working in all government, semi-government, autonomous and private offices, institutions and organizations, and teachers, officials and employees of government and private educational institutions.