A Memorable Night Journey: From Dhaka to Brahmanbaria

Hello dear friends,
I hope you all are doing well and spending a beautiful life with your loved ones. I wish you all happiness and peace.

Last night was one of those nights that I’ll remember for a long time. Around 9:30 PM, I boarded the Mahanagar Express from Dhaka to Brahmanbaria. The main reason for this trip was my wife’s upcoming Honors in-course exams, which will begin on November 2. I had taken a day off from work on Thursday, and since Friday is a weekend holiday, it was the perfect time to make the short but meaningful journey.

Anyone who lives in Dhaka knows how unbearable the traffic can be. One moment the roads are clear, and the next, everything comes to a standstill. To avoid any last-minute rush, we left home around 7:30 PM, even though our train was scheduled to depart at 9:20 PM. Luckily, by 8:00 PM, we reached the Kamalapur Railway Station.

The station was bustling with people — travelers rushing to their platforms, vendors calling out to passengers, and announcements echoing through the loudspeakers. I always try to purchase train tickets online in advance because getting a ticket at the last moment is nearly impossible. Thankfully, I already had our tickets ready, which gave me some peace of mind.

The Mahanagar Express was supposed to leave at 9:20, but it departed slightly earlier, around 9:30 PM. Everything seemed smooth as the train rolled out of Dhaka, leaving behind the chaos of the city.

However, after crossing Bhairab Station, as we approached the Bhairab–Ashuganj Bridge, the train suddenly stopped. It was around 10:30 PM. At first, everyone thought it was just a short signal delay, but soon we learned that two of the train’s four engine motors had failed. Because of that, the engine didn’t have enough power to climb the slope of the bridge.

We waited there for nearly 40 minutes. The night felt long and tiring. The stillness, the dim lights, and the uncertainty made the journey a bit frustrating. But after some time, the engineers managed to restart the train, and slowly, it began to move again — climbing the bridge with visible effort.

Our scheduled arrival time at Brahmanbaria Station was midnight, but due to the delay, we finally reached around 1:00 AM. By the time we reached home, it was already 1:30 AM.

To our surprise, no one at home had gone to bed yet. Everyone was awake, eagerly waiting for us — especially to see my little daughter Nusaiba. The joy on their faces erased all our tiredness. It felt like a festival at home, with laughter and warmth filling the air.

After freshening up and having dinner, we finally went to bed around 3:00 AM. Nusaiba had fallen asleep in the car earlier, but she woke up briefly and didn’t go back to sleep until about 4:00 AM.

Despite all the delays, exhaustion, and unexpected troubles, the journey turned out to be memorable. Traveling with loved ones always brings a sense of peace, even when things don’t go as planned.

This trip reminded me once again that no matter how difficult the journey is, the happiness of reaching home and seeing your family’s smiles makes everything worthwhile.

As I write this, I sincerely pray to the Almighty that everything goes well with my wife’s exams and that we safely return to Dhaka on Saturday morning, Insha’Allah.