The Kamalapur Railway Station saw a significant surge in crowds on Saturday, the second day of the Eid-ul-Fitr getaway, as holidaymakers flocked to the platforms to head home ahead of the festival.
The journey was not entirely smooth for early travellers.
By 2pm on Saturday, five out of 23 inter-city trains had failed to maintain their schedules, leaving passengers waiting for up to an hour.
Railway officials downplayed the delays, saying delays of 30 to 60 minutes are normal during Eid rush and acceptable.
The Dhaka-Cox's Bazar Tourist Express departed at 6:50am, 35 minutes behind its schedule.
The Teesta Express to Jamalpur was delayed by 20 minutes, while the Chattogram-bound Mahanagar Provati left at 8:50am, over an hour later than its scheduled departure. The Burimari Express and the Agnibina Express also faced delays of 30 and 20 minutes, respectively.
Kamalapur Station Master Anwar Hossain said the situation was under control.
"We don't consider a 20-to-30-minute gap a delay in the context of Eid travel. So far, passengers are travelling without significant disruption," he told bdnews24.com.
Many passengers had planned their trips a week early specifically to avoid the notorious last-minute Eid chaos.
"My siblings and I decided to leave early to avoid the crowds, but even today, the train is 50 minutes late and hasn't even reached the platform yet," said Tasnim Jannat Sayan, a university student bound for Chattogram.
The congestion eased significantly after midday.
By the afternoon, platforms appeared nearly empty as trains began arriving well ahead of their departure times.
The Subarna Express, scheduled for 4:30pm, reached the platform at 3:00pm.
To manage the seasonal rush, authorities have implemented a two-tier security and ticket-checking system. Passengers must produce tickets both at the main station entrance and again before entering the platforms.
Sajedul Hossain, a travelling ticket examiner (TTE) on the Subarna Express, said no one would be allowed to board without a ticket.
"We are facilitating standing tickets for extra family members in specific cases," he said. �"bdnews24
