City yet to gain momentum
Traffic volume remains low around the bustling Shapla Chattar yesterday unlike any other working day, as Eid holidaymakers have yet to start rushing back to the city. Photo: STAR
The city is yet to regain its usual rush though the government offices resumed work yesterday after a five-day holiday, beginning with the weekend and ending with the three days from Eid-ul-Azha.
Most private offices, business houses and educational institutes are yet to open. Presence of officials and employees at government offices was very low with most spending the day exchanging Eid hugs and greetings.
Officials at the Secretariat said around 50 percent employees turned up yesterday. Many rooms were seen locked and seats were found empty as many officials took leave for a couple of days in addition to the holiday.
On the first day, the pace of work was very slow at both government and non-government offices.
“One-third of our employees joined today (Wednesday) and around 50 to 60 percent of a regular day's job was done,” said Fakhrul Islam, chief engineer of Department of Shipping.
Faisal Imtiaz, account of Rangs Electronics, said “We could not complete all of our day's jobs as around half of our staff are absent. The same scenario prevailed in most of our sister companies.”
The lack of office-goers meant that the busy capital bore a different look over the past few days and was free from the perennial traffic congestion while major thoroughfares saw an absence of the regular passers-by crowds.
Meanwhile, hundreds of city-dwellers started returning to Dhaka on buses, trains and launches after celebrating the holiday with their relatives at their village homes.
Shaymoli Paribahan Managing Director Romesh Chandra Ghosh said most buses entering the city were almost full to the brim with passengers.
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