Homebound passengers crowd Sadarghat Launch Terminal in Dhaka yesterday as they rush to board launches for their destinations ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. With Eid less than a week away, thousands are leaving the capital each day to celebrate the festival with their loved ones back home. Photo: Mehedi Hasan

Workers dry freshly made semai (vermicelli) at a factory in Khulna city’s Khalishpur area yesterday. From dawn till deep into the night, labourers are busy kneading flour, shaping the strands, and drying them to meet the seasonal demand. For many families, semai remains an essential part of Eid morning, served to relatives and guests after prayers. Photo: Habibur Rahman

With Eid-ul-Fitr just around the corner, customers throng shopping malls in the capital, making last-minute purchases for themselves or their loved ones. The photo was taken at Bashundhara City Shopping Mall in the Panthapath area yesterday. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

A father bids a temporary farewell to his family on a train at Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station, planning to travel later to reunite with them. Amid the rush of passengers heading home for Eid, this family, like many others, is returning in stages to ease the journey. The photo was taken yesterday. Photo: Prabir Das