Hundreds of travellers have left Dhaka city for the northern regions of the country by motorcycle to reach their village homes to spend Eid-ul-Fitr with their loved ones.

Although making long trips on motorcycle puts lives at risk, many men, women, and children do so anyway.

A long queue of village home-bound motorcycles could be seen at the east end of the Bangabandhu Bridge in the early morning on Wednesday.

There were more private vehicles than passenger buses on the highway, said Ahsanul Kabir Pavel, executive engineer of the bridge. Motorcycles were the most common.

“A separate booth has been set up beside the East Toll Plaza at the Bangabandhu Bridge for motorcycles. Hundreds of motorcycles have been waiting there since morning to cross the bridge.”

The bridge authorities urged the travellers on two-wheelers to keep Tk 50 at hand for a quick toll collection.

Mobarak Hossain, an Eid traveller from Dhaka, said he left the city at dawn to reach his village home by motorcycle. “I could reach here quickly as the highway was quite empty,” he said.

Abul Bashar was travelling to his ancestral home on a motorcycle along with his wife. “My home is situated just across the bridge. That’s why I’m taking my wife on a motorcycle. Hundreds of motorcyclists like me are waiting to cross the bridge.”

The riders said it was quite easy and convenient to travel home by motorcycle. That was why they opted to do so on the first day of the Eid holidays and could reach the bridge without too much hassle due to clear roads.