Save people this time from the ticket black marketers
Monday, 24 September 2007
Out of the over 11 million people of Dhaka city, some 70 per cent have their roots outside Dhaka and most of them decide to go to their village homes on the joyous occasion of the coming Eid ul Fitre. But in recent years they had the repeated experience of their joys getting marred by ticket black marketing.
Therefore, this letter is written with the hope that it would attract the attention of those who matter and this time-- when a tough caretaker government remains in charge -- the ticket black marketers will not dare to indulge in their mischief like in the past. Let us hope that the caretaker authorities will become proactive to absolutely frustrate the designs of the ticket mafia before the Eid.
In recent years, it has become a certainty that bus companies, launch companies and train stations on being approached at their ticket selling counters by people before the two Eids will declare they have run out of them. But nearby such tickets are seen available in the black market. They usually demand twice, thrice or sometimes even more the normal fare against a ticket. Thus, a bus ticket for journey from Dhaka to Comilla that normally should cost Taka 40 is bought for taka 100 or even more by the hapless passenger. Such cut-throat activities by the ticket black marketers increase in intensity as the Eid day comes near and the ones who leave Dhaka late turn desperate to lay their hands on tickets to find a place in the buses, launches or trains.
The majority of people who leave Dhaka on the occasions of the two Eids are people of modest means. Such ticket black marketing indeed means deep cuts on their resources. A family of five or six persons in Dhaka city moving to an outside destination during Eid and getting arm-twisted to pay an extra four or five hundred taka most unreasonably, must find their humble family budget quite eroded after the spending.
Does the government have no role in the matter ? Transport companies need to be asked to account how their tickets find their way into the black market. If no good explanation is obtained, then appropriate steps should be taken against them. Specially, buses running on CNG must be asked to account for the higher fare that would be charged, on the first place because the price of CNG has not increased.
Police remains mum to the ticket black marketing. Therefore, special steps must be taken by the police top brass so that police is obliged to become truly active against the ticket black-marketers. Government ought to also seriously consider employing the RAB against the ticket black-marketers. All of these measures must be actively considered and enforced before the coming two Eids. This is the minimum expectation from the people before the Eids.
Anisul Haque
Rayerbazar, Dhaka
Therefore, this letter is written with the hope that it would attract the attention of those who matter and this time-- when a tough caretaker government remains in charge -- the ticket black marketers will not dare to indulge in their mischief like in the past. Let us hope that the caretaker authorities will become proactive to absolutely frustrate the designs of the ticket mafia before the Eid.
In recent years, it has become a certainty that bus companies, launch companies and train stations on being approached at their ticket selling counters by people before the two Eids will declare they have run out of them. But nearby such tickets are seen available in the black market. They usually demand twice, thrice or sometimes even more the normal fare against a ticket. Thus, a bus ticket for journey from Dhaka to Comilla that normally should cost Taka 40 is bought for taka 100 or even more by the hapless passenger. Such cut-throat activities by the ticket black marketers increase in intensity as the Eid day comes near and the ones who leave Dhaka late turn desperate to lay their hands on tickets to find a place in the buses, launches or trains.
The majority of people who leave Dhaka on the occasions of the two Eids are people of modest means. Such ticket black marketing indeed means deep cuts on their resources. A family of five or six persons in Dhaka city moving to an outside destination during Eid and getting arm-twisted to pay an extra four or five hundred taka most unreasonably, must find their humble family budget quite eroded after the spending.
Does the government have no role in the matter ? Transport companies need to be asked to account how their tickets find their way into the black market. If no good explanation is obtained, then appropriate steps should be taken against them. Specially, buses running on CNG must be asked to account for the higher fare that would be charged, on the first place because the price of CNG has not increased.
Police remains mum to the ticket black marketing. Therefore, special steps must be taken by the police top brass so that police is obliged to become truly active against the ticket black-marketers. Government ought to also seriously consider employing the RAB against the ticket black-marketers. All of these measures must be actively considered and enforced before the coming two Eids. This is the minimum expectation from the people before the Eids.
Anisul Haque
Rayerbazar, Dhaka