Dhaka: Around 70 lakh people will leave the capital city of Dhaka for their village homes to celebrate upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr with their near and dear ones.

Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims, will be celebrated in the country either on June 26 (Monday) or June 27 (Tuesday) subject to the sighting of the Shawwal moon.

 A major portion of the Eid holidaymakers will start leaving the city after Thursday noon as the day is the last working day for the government and private officials and employees before Eid-ul-Fitr.

"We think nearly 6-7 million people will go to their village homes from Dhaka on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr," said Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Masudur Rahman on Wednesday.

He said nearly 5 lakh Eid holidaymakers, especially family members of officials and employees of government, semi-government and private organisations, have already left the city while 15-20 lakh more will leave Dhaka by Thursday night.

Bus, launch and railway stations will witness the main Eid rush on Thursday and Friday as nearly 35-40 lakh people will make their frantic efforts to reach their native villages in the two days, Masudur said.

About DMP's security measures at bus stations and launch terminals and railway stations of the capital, he said both plainclothes and uniform police have already strengthened their vigilance to prevent the activities of 'Malam Party' and 'Agyan Party' as well as other crimes for ensuring hassle-free journeys of the homebound people.

Senior highway police officials hoped that both the Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Tangail highways will witness comparatively less gridlock this time as there is a 3-4 holiday before the Eid day.

Superintendent of Comilla Highway Police Paritosh Ghose told UNB that the Dhaka-Chittagong highway from Daudkandi to Chittagong will witness a heavy rush after Thursday noon. "But the situation will improve from Friday morning."

He, however, said the vehicular movement will slow down in Biswa Road crossing and Mahipal of Feni as the highway narrows to just two lanes there.

Besides, the construction of overpasses is underway at those points, he said.

As heavy vehicles will be restricted to the national highways, passenger-carrying vehicles can ply smoothly from Friday night, the SP added.
 On the other hand, traffic will run at a slow pace on Dhaka-Tangail highway as work to turn it into four lanes is progressing, said SP of Gazipur Highway Police Shafiqul Islam.

He, however, hoped that there will be a smooth vehicular movement if there is no bad weather.

Both the highway police officials said they have taken adequate preparations to remove vehicles from the roads if any of them goes out of order.

Meanwhile, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) alongside other law enforcement agencies will take a foolproof security measures in the city during the upcoming Eid vacation as 15-20 lakh households, financial organisations, trading houses and shopping malls will remain empty during the Eid vacation.

The elite force together with other law enforcers has been providing security to the homebound passengers to ensure their safe and comfortable journeys.

It will also bring the major Eidgahs across the country under surveillance to avert any unpleasant incident.