Dhaka, March 28 -- The return to the workplace after a notably long Eid vacation has turned into a saga of suffering for holidayers, who continue to endure gruelling journeys in severely congested spaces both inside compartments and on the rooftops of trains and buses.

The typical Eid rush has been significantly worsened by a fuel crunch that has thinned out an already inadequate public transport arrangement, leading to travel times that far exceed the norm and forcing commuters to wait in conditions many described as simply unbearable.

At Kamalapur Railway Station, every incoming train from different districts was packed beyond capacity.

Witnesses reported that most compartments lacked even standing room, forcing hundreds of desperate...