Tickets elusive to many home-bound train passengers
Sunday, 13 September 2009
FE Report
A large number of people who usually go to their village home by train to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr are passing anxious time this year as they are not getting tickets even after long hours of waiting in queues at Kamalapur railway station.
While talking to the FE Friday, some of the aggrieved passengers alleged that they had to return home without tickets as most of the tickets were sold to black-marketers and vested quarters, while some claimed that black-marketers are selling tickets at more than double prices of the face value.
Asaduzzaman Sumon, a Dewanganj-bound passenger told the FE: "Some people are selling advance tickets at higher prices on the railway station premises."
Sumon claimed that he had come to the country's biggest railway station platform at 4:00am, but like many he would have to return without ticket.
Tickets for all inter-city trains are sold out within two hours of opening booths which start selling tickets at 9:00am every day.
Joinal Abedin, a Chittagong-bound passenger told the FE: "I came to stand in the queue at 5:00am. But tickets were sold out even though the queue did not move that much."
"It is very mysterious as how all 900 tickets were sold out within just two hours," he added.
He said some influential people were seen collecting tickets even without standing in the queue.
Refuting the allegations, station manager M A Zinnah told the FE: "We are selling tickets properly."
He claimed that no vested quarter was active on the station premises during ticket selling.
But he could not explain clearly how so many tickets were sold out within first two hours of selling.
State-owned Bangladesh Railway (BR) started selling advance tickets for upcoming Eid festival since September 7.
According to the BR, five per cent ticket has been reserved for the railway staff and their wards. The remaining 95 per cent are reserved for justices, ministers, member of parliaments, very important persons (VIPs), and general public.
At least 12,611 railway passengers will leave Dhaka each day from September 14 to September 20, the BR estimated.
Apart from this, more than 30 per cent passengers will be allowed as standing passengers during the seven-day period.
A large number of people who usually go to their village home by train to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr are passing anxious time this year as they are not getting tickets even after long hours of waiting in queues at Kamalapur railway station.
While talking to the FE Friday, some of the aggrieved passengers alleged that they had to return home without tickets as most of the tickets were sold to black-marketers and vested quarters, while some claimed that black-marketers are selling tickets at more than double prices of the face value.
Asaduzzaman Sumon, a Dewanganj-bound passenger told the FE: "Some people are selling advance tickets at higher prices on the railway station premises."
Sumon claimed that he had come to the country's biggest railway station platform at 4:00am, but like many he would have to return without ticket.
Tickets for all inter-city trains are sold out within two hours of opening booths which start selling tickets at 9:00am every day.
Joinal Abedin, a Chittagong-bound passenger told the FE: "I came to stand in the queue at 5:00am. But tickets were sold out even though the queue did not move that much."
"It is very mysterious as how all 900 tickets were sold out within just two hours," he added.
He said some influential people were seen collecting tickets even without standing in the queue.
Refuting the allegations, station manager M A Zinnah told the FE: "We are selling tickets properly."
He claimed that no vested quarter was active on the station premises during ticket selling.
But he could not explain clearly how so many tickets were sold out within first two hours of selling.
State-owned Bangladesh Railway (BR) started selling advance tickets for upcoming Eid festival since September 7.
According to the BR, five per cent ticket has been reserved for the railway staff and their wards. The remaining 95 per cent are reserved for justices, ministers, member of parliaments, very important persons (VIPs), and general public.
At least 12,611 railway passengers will leave Dhaka each day from September 14 to September 20, the BR estimated.
Apart from this, more than 30 per cent passengers will be allowed as standing passengers during the seven-day period.