Dhaka, April 9 -- A rush of holidaymakers journeying for Eid-ul-Fitr festivities has led to a surge in traffic on the highways.

Alongside buses, people headed to their hometowns and villages in the northern districts risked their lives by travelling by pickup vans, trucks and covered vans on Monday, reports bdnews24.com.

Abdur Rahman, a Bogura-bound passenger travelling on a pick-up van, said at Elenga CNG Station that he took the vehicle as it is much cheaper than bus. The trip to Bogura from Dhaka's Amin Bazar cost him Tk 200.

As many as 17,742 vehicles crossed Bangabandhu Bridge in the 12 hours to Monday noon, nearly double the number in usual times, said Ahsanul Kabir Pavel, executive engineer of the site.

Toll collection has also...