Seven-day Eid holiday boosts tourism
Large crowds were seen at Gabtoli, Mohakhali, Sayedabad and Fulbaria bus terminals, while Kamalapur Railway Station and launch terminals also experienced a surge in passengers
ATT Correspondent 
The nationwide seven-day Eid-ul-Azha holiday began today, triggering a massive travel rush as millions of people left major cities to celebrate the festival with their families and enjoy short vacations across the country.
The extended holiday is expected to provide a significant boost to domestic tourism, with popular destinations including Cox’s Bazar, Kuakata, Sylhet, Bandarban and various riverside resorts already experiencing increased booking pressure ahead of Eid.
Government offices, semi-government institutions, autonomous bodies and many private offices will remain closed from May 25 to May 31 under the extended Eid holiday schedule announced by the government.
The long vacation has encouraged many families to combine Eid celebrations with leisure travel, leading to heavy passenger movement on highways, railways and waterways since early morning.
Large crowds were seen at Gabtoli, Mohakhali, Sayedabad and Fulbaria bus terminals, while Kamalapur Railway Station and launch terminals also experienced a surge in passengers travelling to different parts of the country.
Transport operators and tourism stakeholders said the consecutive holidays had created strong demand for both homebound travel and holiday tourism this year.
Authorities said most long-distance buses and trains were operating on schedule, although some delays occurred due to increased passenger pressure.
Deputy Commissioner of Mirpur Traffic Division Md Sanowar Hossain said police personnel had been deployed to ensure smooth traffic movement and hassle-free travel for Eid passengers.
To manage the increased holiday traffic, additional members of police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have also been deployed at key transport hubs, highways and toll plazas.
The government earlier revised the Eid holiday schedule through a special executive order to ease travel congestion and ensure smoother passenger movement during one of the country’s largest annual travel periods.
Tourism insiders said the long break could help revive domestic tourism spending, as many middle-income families were choosing short local trips instead of international travel.
Hotels and resorts in several tourist destinations have already reported high advance bookings for the Eid period, particularly in beach and hill district areas.
Officials said the extended holiday was expected to generate increased economic activity in the transport, hospitality and tourism sectors during the festive season.
