Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) authorities have arranged for students to travel to divisional cities on their own buses for Eid for the first time.

The initiative aims to resolve the crisis arising from the rescheduling of the term final examinations.

A festive atmosphere prevailed on the Buet campus since Monday morning as home-bound students gathered in front of the main gate of the university. The authorities made arrangements for students to travel on three buses along the Chittagong route via Rangpur, Khulna and Comilla.

The rescheduling of the term final examinations to 23 and 24 May caused major disruptions to the travel plans of the students. Although passengers usually purchase Eid tickets at least 10 days in advance, many students failed to secure bus or train tickets due to the new exam schedule.

The university administration decided to launch its own bus service to ensure that students could reach home without facing difficulties. The program commenced on Sunday morning with spontaneous participation from the students.

Buet Vice Chancellor Prof Ekramul Haque supervised the entire program from the morning.

“This initiative has been taken due to the special situation,” Haque said. “After I took charge, I saw that the exams were scheduled after Eid. To avoid session jams and keep the academic calendar in order, we decided to conduct some exams before Eid. However, this created problems for the students to go home. We made this arrangement based on their request.”

He added: “Initially, it was thought that not many students would go. But now I see that many are taking this advantage.”

Prof Tanvir Manjur and other university officials were also present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, students expressed great excitement about travelling home together on university buses.

They noted that the initiative not only eased their journey but also multiplied the joy of the festival, urging the authorities to continue such programs in the future.