Desk Report:
The government is working with maximum capacity to ensure a safe and comfortable Eid journey for passengers heading home by road, rail and waterways on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, said Minister of Roads and Bridges, Rail and Shipping Sheikh Rabiul Alam.
He said that Bangladesh Railway has added 124 additional meter gauge and 14 broad gauge coaches to various intercity services focusing on the Eid journey. Bangladesh Railway is operating five pairs of special trains in addition to regular services on the occasion of Eid. Arrangements have also been made to transport the maximum number of passengers in an orderly manner on road and waterways.
The Railway Minister said these things after visiting Dhaka Railway Station (Kamalapur) on Friday (March 13, 2026) on the occasion of the upcoming Eid journey.
The Minister of Roads, Rail and Shipping said that the journey of people heading home, which began on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr, has been fairly comfortable so far. He said that despite the huge pressure from passengers to sell tickets online, everyone has received their tickets fairly and maximum preparations have been made to ensure smooth travel by rail and other transport.
Regarding advance train tickets online, the minister said that advance ticket sales have been started continuously from the 3rd. About 3.7 million people have tried to buy tickets, but according to the railway’s capacity, about 36,000 tickets have been sold. He said that after booking the ticket, some time is given for payment. Due to this, many times the tickets are booked, others have to wait.
The railway minister said that on the first day of the Eid journey, 21 trains have left for their designated destinations and most of them are running on time. He said that the Prime Minister has given instructions to make rail communication modern and people-friendly, so that people can travel long distances comfortably in a short time. With that aim, the government is working for radical changes in the rail communication system.
The minister said that about 12.5 million to 15 million people leave Dhaka in just two to three days, which is seen in very few cities in the world. He said that there are plans to add new coaches, buses and boats to increase the capacity of the transport system in the country. At the same time, the government is also working towards bringing discipline to bus management. In the current situation, there is no possibility of fuel price increase and in view of it, there is no possibility of increasing public transport fares, the minister said.
He also said that although the work of six lanes is underway on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway, arrangements have been made to continue the movement of vehicles on at least two lanes. This may slow down the movement of vehicles, but the minister expressed hope that there will be no situation where there will be a halt anywhere.
Later, the minister visited the Motijheel BRTC bus depot. During the visit, he instructed the concerned to increase the cleanliness of the depot area. In addition, he gave necessary instructions to the concerned to operate the BRTC buses smoothly on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
State Minister for the Ministry of Railways and Road Transport and Highways Department Habibur Rashid, Secretary of the Ministry of Railways Md. Fahimul Islam, Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Department Dr. Mohammad Ziaul Haque, Director General of Bangladesh Railways Md. Afzal Hossain and senior officials of the ministry and department were present at the time.
