Dhaka, Feb 11: Bangladesh’s capital and other major cities witnessed a massive travel rush on Tuesday as thousands thronged bus terminals and railway stations to head to their hometowns ahead of the parliamentary elections.
Bangladesh is set to hold general elections on February 12 — the first since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following nationwide protests in August 2024.
Transport operators reported unusually heavy passenger traffic, with long queues seen at major bus terminals and train stations across the country.
“It feels almost like the traditional Eid rush of homebound passengers,” said Abdur Rahim, who runs a tea stall near Dhaka’s Mohakhali Bus Terminal.
Similar scenes were reported at other bus depots and at Dhaka’s main Kamalapur Railway Station, which handles services to various parts of the country.
“I want my family to return to our village as there are fears of violence during voting and in the days after,” said Jashim Uddin, a commercial press worker in Dhaka.
Newspaper reports said a large number of people were also leaving the southeastern port city of Chattogram and other metropolitan areas for their native villages. However, several passengers alleged that transport operators were charging higher-than-usual fares.
Many travellers complained of waiting for hours with their families for buses. Terminal authorities, however, cited a shortage of vehicles, saying several buses had been requisitioned by law enforcement agencies for election duty.
Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam said the police would be supported by the armed forces and paramilitary troops to maintain law and order during and after the polls.
“A three-tier security arrangement will be in place at more than 42,000 polling centres across the country. Each centre will have static police deployment, supported by mobile patrols and striking forces to respond to any emergency,” he said.
Officials earlier stated that nearly one million security personnel, including members of various agencies and the paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh, had been deployed nationwide.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has emerged as the frontrunner in the upcoming elections, with its longtime ally Jamaat-e-Islami seen as its principal rival, in the absence of Sheikh Hasina’s now-disbanded Awami League, which has been barred from contesting. (Agencies)
