Shawdesh Desk:

The mad rush of Eid-time travellers continued on Friday amidst congestion at ferry terminals and on highways as both bus and train schedules collapsed.

The travellers also suffered at city exit points at the weekend because of cattle markets set up for Eid-ul-Azha.

Passengers in the morning started rushing to Gabtoli, Mohakhali and Sayedabad bus terminals, railway stations and Sadarghat launch terminal.

As a huge number of trucks laden with cattle were headed towards Dhaka from the south, a long queue of vehicles is seen at Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari for the third consecutive day, leaving passengers headed for Gabtoli and Shaymoli stuck there. These buses were running behind schedule by five to six hours.

Buses headed for the north were, meanwhile, delayed for traffic congestion in the Gabtoli area and on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway because of the Eid cattle market.

The Tangail correspondent reported that the toll plazas on both ends of the Bangabandhu Bridge had been closed since 11:48am, creating long tailbacks.

Iftekhar Nasir Rokon, Bangabandhu Bridge east-end highway police sergeant, said that traffic congestion had taken place because of the heavy rush of vehicles that delayed toll collection.

Vehicles were also running slowly on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway and the Dhaka-Aricha road.

Passengers at the Mohakhali terminal alleged that the bus operators had charged them extra.

Many trains have been running behind schedule for the third consecutive day on Friday.

On the day, Dhumketu Express on Dhaka-Rajshahi route set for Kamalapur station five hours behind schedule.  Rangpur Express on Dhaka-Rangpur route was scheduled to start at 9:00am but until 12:00pm it did not start.

Sundarban Express on Dhaka-Khulna route and Ekota Express on Dhaka-Panchagarh route are running 3:30 hours and 1:30 hours behind their schedules respectively.