Train tickets for the homebound people on the occasion of Eid-ul-Ahza have already been sold out only leaving scopes for travelling standing in the compartments or on the roofs risking lives and limbs.
Bangladesh Railway (BR) and other sources said the short vacation of Eid-ul-Azha caused the ticket crisis as a large portion of people choose government-run railway for cheaper travel and lesser risk.
The BR authorities started selling tickets in advance from November 18. They sold tickets for November 23 on November 17 while November 24 on 18th, November 25 on 19th and November 25 yesterday.
Tickets for November 26 will be available today while November 27 tomorrow.
Though the BR authorities have arranged seven special trains and added a number of compartments with almost all the trains, hundreds of people were found standing in long queues for hours yesterday.
Hundreds others left the station without tickets while many others with the hope of getting room on train roofs or a chance to go home standing in the compartments.
Young garment worker Moshiul Alam of Lalmonirhat who came to Kamalapur train station from Kanchpur in Narayanganj said, "I came here early in the morning. It is around 4:00pm and I am still standing in the queue hoping to reach the ticket counter. I am not sure whether there are anymore tickets left."
BR Director General (DG) Belayet Hossain told The Daily Star, "Since we have limited capacity we have to carry standing passengers considering the home rush."
He said, "We have arranged seven special trains -- three from Dhaka, one from Joydevpur and three from Chittagong -- and will allow 15 to 40 percent additional passengers without sitting arrangement."
BR sources said a total of 22 trains leave Kamalapur station every day with around 17,000 passengers with sitting arrangement while some other trains from Cantonment and Joydevpur stations with 10,000 passengers.
Talking to The Daily Star, Kamalapur Station Manager MA Zinnah said, "Only a few tickets [November 25] for Sylhet are available while tickets for Chittagong, Noakhali, Chandpur, Comilla, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Khulna, Jessore and Mymensingh are sold out."
Sources said of the total tickets, 5 percent are reserved for BR staff while 5 percent for VIPs.
Sources said there are allegations that the BR staffs often sell the reserved and VIP tickets in black market.
Bangladesh Railway (BR) and other sources said the short vacation of Eid-ul-Azha caused the ticket crisis as a large portion of people choose government-run railway for cheaper travel and lesser risk.
The BR authorities started selling tickets in advance from November 18. They sold tickets for November 23 on November 17 while November 24 on 18th, November 25 on 19th and November 25 yesterday.
Tickets for November 26 will be available today while November 27 tomorrow.
Though the BR authorities have arranged seven special trains and added a number of compartments with almost all the trains, hundreds of people were found standing in long queues for hours yesterday.
Hundreds others left the station without tickets while many others with the hope of getting room on train roofs or a chance to go home standing in the compartments.
Young garment worker Moshiul Alam of Lalmonirhat who came to Kamalapur train station from Kanchpur in Narayanganj said, "I came here early in the morning. It is around 4:00pm and I am still standing in the queue hoping to reach the ticket counter. I am not sure whether there are anymore tickets left."
BR Director General (DG) Belayet Hossain told The Daily Star, "Since we have limited capacity we have to carry standing passengers considering the home rush."
He said, "We have arranged seven special trains -- three from Dhaka, one from Joydevpur and three from Chittagong -- and will allow 15 to 40 percent additional passengers without sitting arrangement."
BR sources said a total of 22 trains leave Kamalapur station every day with around 17,000 passengers with sitting arrangement while some other trains from Cantonment and Joydevpur stations with 10,000 passengers.
Talking to The Daily Star, Kamalapur Station Manager MA Zinnah said, "Only a few tickets [November 25] for Sylhet are available while tickets for Chittagong, Noakhali, Chandpur, Comilla, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Khulna, Jessore and Mymensingh are sold out."
Sources said of the total tickets, 5 percent are reserved for BR staff while 5 percent for VIPs.
Sources said there are allegations that the BR staffs often sell the reserved and VIP tickets in black market.
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