Most of the passengers have paid extra money for their tickets, but the service operators did not take any step to make their journey comfortable.

Thousands of passengers were seen scrambling for a place on launches and trains.

All inter-district buses and south-bound launches charged each passenger extra Tk 50 in the name of the Eid celebrations. The operators argued that Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has increased the rate and showed a BRTA fare chart to prove their claim.

"Sundarban Paribahan is charging Tk 300 per ticket, up from the normal fare of Tk 180," said a passenger bound for Moralganj, Bagerhat, at Sayedabad bus terminal yesterday.

The BRTA, in its latest fare chart, has allowed inter-district transport operators to raise the fare -- additional 0.72 paisa per km for buses and additional 0.75 paisa per km for minibuses.

South-bound launch passengers thronged the Sadarghat terminal in huge number until noon from early hours of yesterday to get a place in the river vessels paying extra money, source said.

"We are charging each passenger Tk 120," said a staff of Bhandaria-bound Parabat launch. The normal fare is Tk 70 to 80, he said. The same is for other launches.

Although the launches were carrying passengers beyond their capacity, putting the lives of the people at risk, the mobile court was nowhere there to stop the unlawful practice.

Most of the launches were crammed with passengers by 12.00 noon, but passengers continued to pour in until evening. And most of the launches left the terminal at around 5.00pm.

Almost all the launches were in the mid-river and passengers had to reach them by boats paying extra Tk 10.

A boatman alleged that police collected Tk 10 to 20 in tolls from each boat.

Rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and taxicabs have also been charging more fare from the homebound passengers who were rushing towards the terminals.

The CNG autorickshaws and taxicabs were picking up passengers after a bargain on fare instead of meter reading. No cabs want to go to Sadarghat terminal in meter rate, they charged a fixed amount from the homebound passengers.

Strict security measures have been taken at the bus terminals by the government ahead of the Eid to ensure security of the passengers.

Although there was a huge rush at Gabtoli and Mohakhali bus terminals, passengers did not complain of harassment.

At Kamalapur Railway Station, rush of passengers was notable. But they left for home peacefully.

There were heavy rush of passengers at different bus counters in Fakirapool, Kalaynpur and Shyamoli, but less people thronged the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) Motijheel bus depot.

Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury visited the Sadarghat launch terminal to see the situation yesterday.