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City starts to look deserted

Abdul Kader and Ashiqur Rahman
The capital witnessed yesterday a massive outflow of its residents for their village homes to celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr with their near and dear ones.
Thousands of people left the city by bus, launch and train as a six-day vacation began with a public holiday yesterday, weekend today and a four-day Eid holiday from tomorrow.
All the three inter-district bus terminals, Sadarghat launch terminal and Kamalapur Raiway Station were seen crowded with home-going people. With only two or three days left for the greatest religious festival of the Muslims, the rush will reach its peak today and tomorrow as Eid maybe celebrated on Sunday if Shawal moon is sighted tomorrow.
At Sayedabad bus terminal yesterday noon, bus operators were seen charging much higher fare.
Bus staff however claimed they are not taking more than Bangladesh Road Transport Authority’s (BRIA) fare-rate.
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab),
paramilitary BDR and police were present at the terminal and there was no incident of harassment of passengers by bus staff.
Belal, a Fulgazi bound passenger, complained to Magistrate Abu Sayeed M Noman of the mobile court at the terminal that a Parsuram bound bus took a fare of Tk 150 from him, up fromTk 127.
The magistrate ordered the ticket seller to return the extra fare but this correspondent heard him telling the passenger it will be given backlater.
At Titipara bus stand near Mugdah, mainly for luxury coaches, passengers were paying Tk 30 to 40 more than the normal fare.
Sale of advance tickets at Kamalapur Railway Station ended yesterday. But passengers alleged brokers bought the tickets and were selling them at exorbitant rates, unnoticed by the law enforcing agencies.
One borker said he wants to sell three advance tickets of Upaban Express for Sylhct on November 14. "I bought it for me but now I have cancelled my travel plan," he added.
At Sadarghat, all launches were leaving the terminal overloaded with passengers.
Launch staff continued such malpractice in presence of the law enforcers.
Asked about overloading, some patrol police said it was not their concern.
"It is very hard to control the situation as thousands of people have become desperate to board the launches to reach their village homes," said Abdur Rahim Bhuiyan, Magistrate of the Marine Court
Many passengers got into the launches reaching them by boats, avoiding the terminal passage, he added.
Launch cabins were available but unscrupulous staff were selling tickets under the counter at much higher rates.
Lower income people had to pay brokers about Tk 100 in extra fare to find a place on the decks of launches.
The magistrate however said passengers did not file any such complaint to them.