5 trains delayed at Kamalapur as Eid rush begins

A massive rush of homebound passengers hit Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station on Monday as people began leaving the capital ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Schedule disruptions affected at least five trains—particularly those heading to the northern region—causing immense suffering to thousands of waiting passengers.

According to station sources, around 15 trains departed for various destinations since morning. While most left on time, two suffered major delays, and two others failed to reach the platforms by their scheduled departure times.

The 6:00 AM Dhumketu Express was delayed by half an hour, leaving at 6:30 AM, while the 6:45 AM Nilsagar Express faced a long delay, finally departing at 8:10 AM. Furthermore, the 9:10 AM Rangpur Express was rescheduled for 10:45 AM, and the 9:45 AM Titas Commuter was pushed back to 10:50 AM. The Ekta Express, scheduled for 10:15 AM, had still not arrived at the platform as of 10:30 AM.

Many commuters chose to leave Dhaka early to beat the official government holidays, aiming to avoid the peak ticket crisis, highway traffic jams, and security hassles. Passengers who managed to secure early tickets expressed relief at avoiding extra holiday fares.

Meanwhile, pressure remained low at the capital's bus terminals as corporate and government offices are yet to close. Long-distance buses were observed operating smoothly and departing on schedule.