Dhaka: City dwellers, especially the family members of both government and private job holders, started leaving the capital on Friday morning to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with their near and dear ones at their respective villages.

Many have chosen to send their families a bit early to avoid the mad rush of people just ahead of eid. 

There was a greater crowd than usual at Kamalapur Railway Station as the home-goers were using the railway for their journey fearing traffic snarls and hassles on highways.

Yasin Faruk, officer-in-charge of Kamalapur Government Railway Police Station, said all the trains left the station as per their schedules.

The three-day official Eid holiday begins on August 21 as Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated on Wednesday (August 22).

On August 8, Bangladesh Railway began selling advance train tickets for Eid-ul-Azha. On the day, people collected train tickets for the journey on August 17.

Meanwhile, passengers suffered in tailbacks on Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways on Friday due to a heavy pressure of vehicles carrying homebound people and cattle ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

A 30-kilometre tailback was created on Dhaka-Chattogram highway from Daudkandi upazila following a road accident, inflicting sufferings on passengers for the 4thconsecutive day.

A 15-km tailback was created in Tongi, Cherag Ali, College Gate, Gazipura, Borobari, Board Bazar and adjoining areas on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur while a 10-km one from Kharajora to Chandra and adjoining areas on Dhaka-Tangail highway as the number of cattle-laden vehicles has increased on the highway.