Print: 29 Oct 2025
No Horns, No Hassle: Dhaka Breathes During Eid Break
Battery-powered rickshaws dominate the empty roads
Photo : Collected
The bustling capital Dhaka, unpleasant for its gridlock, now wears a rare look of empty and calm. With the onset of the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, crowds have thinned, street vendors' calls have faded, and the familiar cacophony of honking horns has all but disappeared. As thousands leave the city, and more continue to follow, the megacity finds itself in an uncharacteristic state of quiet.
In the near-empty streets, battery-powered auto-rickshaws are dominating with ease. With most offices and institutions closed, public buses are running with many vacant seats due to the lack of passengers.
A field visit to areas like Rampura, Badda, Kuril, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Banglamotor, and Shahbagh revealed significantly less traffic compared to regular days. The roads saw very little footfall, and most vehicles had empty seats, moving towards their destinations with few or no passengers. Some buses were even seen waiting at key points due to the shortage of commuters.
Although a few vehicles were still seen on the roads, there was no sign of traffic congestion anywhere in the capital. However, brief stops were observed at some traffic signals.
On the largely empty roads, rickshaws, battery-powered rickshaws, CNG auto-rickshaws, private cars, and motorcycles were seen moving freely. Ride-sharing drivers were also spotted waiting for passengers.
Sheikh Zubair, a bus driver in the Rampura area, told the Daily Sun, “Yesterday there were more passengers, but today the bus is completely empty. There’s hardly any crowd. In fact, there’s a passenger crisis. I’m worried if I’ll even make enough trips to count for attendance. I may have to reduce the number of trips.”
In Kuril, another bus driver, Ashik Hossain, said, “Since morning, there haven’t been many passengers, and now it’s raining too. It takes over 40 to 50 minutes to fill a bus, which usually took only 10 to 20 minutes. Passenger numbers have dropped significantly this Eid — even lower than on a regular day.”
Battery-powered auto-rickshaw driver Zahid Hossain added, “There’s no traffic jam today. The few passengers that are around are helping me earn quite well. On top of the regular fare, I’m getting an extra 5 to 10 taka as Eid tips. Driving these few days is quite relaxing.”
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No Horns, No Hassle: Dhaka Breathes During Eid Break
Battery-powered rickshaws dominate the empty roads
Photo : Collected
The bustling capital Dhaka, unpleasant for its gridlock, now wears a rare look of empty and calm. With the onset of the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, crowds have thinned, street vendors' calls have faded, and the familiar cacophony of honking horns has all but disappeared. As thousands leave the city, and more continue to follow, the megacity finds itself in an uncharacteristic state of quiet.
In the near-empty streets, battery-powered auto-rickshaws are dominating with ease. With most offices and institutions closed, public buses are running with many vacant seats due to the lack of passengers.
A field visit to areas like Rampura, Badda, Kuril, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Banglamotor, and Shahbagh revealed significantly less traffic compared to regular days. The roads saw very little footfall, and most vehicles had empty seats, moving towards their destinations with few or no passengers. Some buses were even seen waiting at key points due to the shortage of commuters.
Although a few vehicles were still seen on the roads, there was no sign of traffic congestion anywhere in the capital. However, brief stops were observed at some traffic signals.
On the largely empty roads, rickshaws, battery-powered rickshaws, CNG auto-rickshaws, private cars, and motorcycles were seen moving freely. Ride-sharing drivers were also spotted waiting for passengers.
Sheikh Zubair, a bus driver in the Rampura area, told the Daily Sun, “Yesterday there were more passengers, but today the bus is completely empty. There’s hardly any crowd. In fact, there’s a passenger crisis. I’m worried if I’ll even make enough trips to count for attendance. I may have to reduce the number of trips.”
In Kuril, another bus driver, Ashik Hossain, said, “Since morning, there haven’t been many passengers, and now it’s raining too. It takes over 40 to 50 minutes to fill a bus, which usually took only 10 to 20 minutes. Passenger numbers have dropped significantly this Eid — even lower than on a regular day.”
Battery-powered auto-rickshaw driver Zahid Hossain added, “There’s no traffic jam today. The few passengers that are around are helping me earn quite well. On top of the regular fare, I’m getting an extra 5 to 10 taka as Eid tips. Driving these few days is quite relaxing.”