Safe Eid journey
It is expected
that the return journey of the homebound people will be safe and hassle-free
Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the greatest religious festivals of the Muslims, will be celebrated in the country as elsewhere in the world within a day or two. This year government officers and employees have got nine days Eid holiday which is rare in the recent years. Due to long holiday increasing number of people are going to their village homes to celebrate the Eid with their near and dear ones. Millions of people hailing from different districts of the country who are engaged in different income-generating activities in the capital and other cities and towns are going to their birth places to celebrate the Eid. But the journey home is not always safe, smooth and hassle-free.
It is heartening to note that this year homebound people are not confronting that much problems unlike in the previous years. There are rushes in trains, buses and launches but there is no irregularity, indiscipline and chaos. Passengers are not facing that much problems in getting tickets of trains, buses and launches. No major road or waterway accident has occurred so far this year. No severe traffic jam or long tailback on the highways or roads has jeopardised the journey of the homebound people.
Unfortunately, last year at least 40 people were killed in road accidents ahead of the Eid. The inauguration of four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong and Joydebpur-Mymensingh highways has facilitated smooth movement of commuters. The government deserves credit for this. It is expected that the return journey of the homebound people will be equally safe and hassle-free. It is usually seen that the return journey of the homebound people is not that much smooth. In the past road and waterway accidents after the Eid marred the joy of the Eid celebration. It is generally seen that the members of the law enforcement agencies and others concerned are not that much cautious and vigilant after the Eid which they maintained before Eid. Overloading and rash driving of vehicles lead to accidents causing deaths and injuries. This is not expected this year.
Pitiable conditions of roads and highways make the journeys of the homebound people hazardous before Eid. Almost every year the authorities undertake the works of repair and renovation of roads and highways just before Eid. The quick or adhoc-basis repair cannot improve the conditions of the same, rather it is a sheer wastage of the state money. It is the responsibility of the relevant authorities, particularly the Roads and Highways Department, to undertake the repair works much ahead of Eid so that it does not imperil the peoples journey to and from their respective homes.
