Thousands of people thronged bus, train and launch terminals across the capital from Wednesday morning, heading to their home districts to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.

On the second day of the weeklong holiday marking the festival, journeys were largely smooth without major disruptions.

However, traffic congestion was reported in the Jatrabari area, a key gateway to the Dhaka–Chattogram, Dhaka–Mawa, Dhaka–Sylhet and Dhaka–Narayanganj highways.

Heavy crowds were seen on trains and launches, though services operated mostly on schedule. Some passengers complained about overcharging of bus fares and a shortage of public transport.

Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the two biggest festivals for Muslims, is expected to fall on March 21, subject to moon sighting.

The government earlier announced a weeklong holiday from March 17 to March 23.

A large number of people gathered at Kamalapur Railway Station from early morning, with the heaviest crowd on trains bound for northern districts. Some passengers were even seen travelling on train roofs.

At the Sadarghat river terminal, hundreds of passengers crowded launches, particularly on southern routes.

Officials of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority said many garment workers began leaving Dhaka in the morning after receiving holiday leave.

At the Saidabad and Gabtoli bus terminals, crowds were high in the morning but eased by noon.

Several passengers alleged they had to pay extra fares for buses on different routes.