Dhaka Deserted: Mobile SIM Tracking Shows Millions Left Capital for Eid Break
The capital city of Dhaka witnessed an extraordinary exodus of residents during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, as many left either for their hometowns or overseas vacations. According to data from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), significantly more people exited the city each day than entered during the holiday period.
The highest single-day departure was recorded on March 30, when 2,394,461 SIM users left Dhaka, while only 491,088 arrived in the city. In contrast, April 3 saw the highest number of returns, with 998,579 SIM holders entering Dhaka—though around 800,000 still left the city on the same day.
The figures, based on mobile SIM tracking, were shared via social media by Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor in charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology.
Between March 28 and April 3, a total of 17,209,155 SIM users left Dhaka, while 4,440,279 entered, according to the BTRC.
On Friday, April 4, ahead of offices reopening on Sunday, the return to the capital peaked, with 998,579 unique SIM users entering the city—marking the highest daily return figure post-Eid.
Operator-specific data show a large proportion of the departures involved users of Grameenphone, Robi, Banglalink, and Teletalk. Notably, over 6.375 million Grameenphone users left the city during the holiday window.
According to a 2023 survey by Professor Md. Hadiuzzaman of the Department of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), 12 million people left Dhaka in the four days leading up to Eid last year. This year’s data reveals a daily average of approximately 1,532,736 people leaving Dhaka over the course of seven days.
The term "SIM user" here refers to unique mobile users, though it is important to note that many travelers—including elderly people and children—do not carry mobile phones. Therefore, the actual number of individuals who left Dhaka is likely higher than the recorded figures.
