Dhaka, Aug 19 (UNB) – A large number of city dwellers kept on streaming out of the capital by buses, trains and launches to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of the Muslims, with families in their village homes.

The homebound people crowded Gabtali, Sayedabad and Mohakhali inter-district bus terminals, Kamalapur Railway Station and Sadarghat launch terminal desperately trying to buy tickets at high prices, though most of the transports were departing the terminals for their respective destinations much behind their schedules.

As in previous years, the city’s major exit points have been experiencing severe traffic jams for the last few days as people started getting out of the city since Tuesday morning as they have got almost a weeklong holiday, including the National Mourning Day, Shab-E-Qadr and weekly holidays. 

Many city dwellers, said to be about one fourth, have already left capital Dhaka.

Witnesses said railway stations and bus and launch terminals took chaotic look as thousands of people tried to jump onto the roofs of trains, busses and launches even using ladders in their frantic bid to go back home.

The Eid will be celebrated in the country on Monday, as the Shawal moon was not sighted in the Bangladesh sky on Saturday.

The National Moon Sighting Committee decided the date of the Eid at a meeting held on Saturday evening at the Islamic Foundation’s Baitul Mukarram office.