Advance tickets for Eid special launch service from Wednesday

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has decided to sell advance tickets for special launch services, which will operate alongside regular services during the Eid-ul-Fitr, from April 20.

The decision was made at a meeting held on Sunday, Mobarak Hossain Mazumdar, BIWTA public relations officer, told UNB. “From Wednesday, passengers will be able to buy cabin tickets for the service in advance. The launches will operate on all routes where passenger-carrying launches ply,” he said.

Based on people’s demand, the special service would continue till five days after Eid, he added. On April 15, the sale of advance bus tickets began from Gabtoli, Shyamoli, and Kalyanpur counters for travel on April 26, but the number of people turning up at the counters was significantly lower than expected.

On the other hand, Bangladesh Railway will start selling advance tickets on April 23. The advance tickets for April 28, 29, 30 and May 1 will be available on April 24, 25, 26 and 27 respectively. Besides, the selling of return tickets will begin from the second day of Eid.

The Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB) has predicted that twice the usual number of people will be returning home for the Eid holidays since the Covid-19 restrictions eased this time after a two-year break.

According to Buet’s Accident Research Institute (ARI), on average, about three million people will leave Dhaka every day during the Eid holidays till Eid day.

Each day, about 800,000 people will leave Dhaka before Eid by bus, 100,000 by train, 125,000 by launch, 300,000 by motorcycle, and another 300,000 on private vehicles. However, 1.4 million might not be able to manage tickets and will have to travel on the roofs of trains, buses, and launches.