A lack of public transportation forced many holidaymakers to hop onto trucks that carried sacrificial cattle to Dhaka, with cow dung littered all over the vehicles.
Many others climbed to the roofs of trains, risking their lives to celebrate the festival with their relatives in their hometowns or villages. Trains were also late by hours.
Such misery was not reported by passengers who travelled to Chattogram in the south or Sylhet in the northeast.

Although motorcycles are banned from the highways during the Eid holidays, many hired the two-wheelers to return home. The motorcyclists sneaked through stranded buses and trucks to dodge police.
JOURNEYS TO THE NORTH
The holiday is shorter this time than last year. Crowds in the terminals of Dhaka began to grow on Thursday afternoon. Factory workers, mainly from the garment industry, streamed onto the highways in Savar and Gazipur also on Friday.
The pressure created sporadic gridlocks on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway's Chandra, Shafipur and Kaliakoir.

Traffic was very slow on the 12-kilometre stretch on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway from Tongi to Chandna.
People's suffering started as they left their homes in Dhaka for the long-distance transport hubs. Many buses on the local routes were diverted by the operators to the long routes to make extra profits. It meant ridesharing or autorickshaw trips became costlier.

After the end of the struggle to reach Gabtoli or Kalyanpur bus terminal, passengers found that all tickets had been sold in advance.
Arif, a textile mill worker of Narayanganj, arrived in Kalyanpur to catch a bus to Rangpur. Two buses agreed to take him, but they asked for Tk 1,700 for the trip. The usual fare on the route is Tk 500-700. "It's also uncertain when the buses [that asked for Tk 1,700 for a ticket] would leave," said Arif, who gave a single name. He added he would settle for a bus trip at Tk 1,000.
TO THE SOUTH
Following the opening of the Padma Bridge, hordes of southbound travellers are heading home by road for the first time this Eid. As a result, the demand for tickets to Barishal and Khulna, along with Pirojpur, Patuakhali and other areas, has multiplied at Sayedabad.
Tickets on several southern routes were sold out before noon. Many counters also put up signs indicating that there were not any buses available.

Most of their tickets had been booked in advance, according to the terminal staff. However, allegations are there that some transporters are selling tickets outside at higher prices to make the most of the high demand.

Bonoful Paribahan's Superviser Fayez Ahmed said, "We're charging extra money because the bus will be empty on the way back."
Mukul Mia, a garment factory worker who managed a standing ticket, was relishing the prospect of travelling on the Padma Bridge for the first time, even if it means having to remain standing on his two feet throughout the journey. “I'm going even if I've to keep standing in order to see the Padma Bridge."
The presence of a large number of bus passengers meant fewer travellers for the ferries and launches, but all launch tickets were also sold at Sadarghat terminal.
Although the vessels were at full capacity, they were not overcrowded like in the previous years. Many travellers still opted for launch journeys due to the comfort the vessels offer.
“I can easily recall the days when I waited for hours on end to catch a ferry. Be it traffic jams or fog, strong currents, submerged shoals or lack of navigability, different factors prevented us from crossing the river the Padma easily.
"But now we’re able to travel smoothly, thanks to the Padma Bridge,” said Sumon Hasan, a businessman in Dhaka who frequents Shariatpur's Zajira.