The capital city of Dhaka wears a deserted look as millions of residents left the city to celebrate Eid with their loved ones. Most of the city thoroughfares were empty with a few traffic here and there on Sunday.
Both public and private sector employees are enjoying an extended 10-day holiday, prompting a mass exodus that began on Wednesday and continued into Thursday. As a result, Dhaka’s streets and neighborhoods are noticeably less crowded.
The usual hustle and bustle of the city has significantly diminished, with roads that are typically congested now appearing calm and quiet.
Areas such as Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Farmgate, Bijoy Sarani, Karwan Bazar, Banglamotor, Shahbagh, Press Club, Paltan, Motijheel, and Kamalapur are seeing far fewer people and vehicles compared to regular weekdays.
Public transportation is operating with fewer passengers, and many buses are running nearly empty.
Most of the city residents were seen spending time at parks and Zoos, while some opted to stay home on the second day of the celebration.
On the second day of Eid, people enjoyed outings under bright and sunny skies. A large number of visitors were spotted at Dhaka Zoo in Mirpur, drawn by a variety of majestic animals and the festive atmosphere.
Meanwhile, after two consecutive days of rainfall, the skies over Dhaka turned bright and sunny again. However, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has issued a five-day weather forecast indicating mixed conditions across the country.
According to the Met office the monsoon is currently weak to moderately active over the North Bay and less active over Bangladesh. As a result, the weather is expected to remain mostly dry with partly cloudy skies in most areas.
Despite the generally dry conditions, there is a chance of increased rainfall activity during this period, accompanied by a slight drop in temperature. Scattered light to moderate rain or thundershowers may occur in some parts of the country.
At the same time, the meteorological office warns of ongoing heatwave conditions. A mild heatwave is currently sweeping across Khulna Division as well as Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Panchagarh districts, and it is likely to persist.
On Sunday and Monday, isolated places in Chattogram and Sylhet divisions may experience temporary gusty winds, lightning, and light to moderate rain or thundershowers.
In Dhaka, winds from the south and southwest are blowing at speeds of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, scattered rain or thundershowers with gusty winds are likely in isolated areas of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions, excluding Chattogram and Sylhet.
By Thursday, the Met office predicts more widespread rainfall. Many places in Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions and a few places in Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions may experience temporary gusty winds with lightning and light to moderate rain or thundershowers.