Most of the advance tickets are sold out within a few hours after the counters open every day at Dhaka and Chittagong railway stations, with a large number of people, who wish to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha and Durga Puja in their village homes, returning empty-handed.
The Bangladesh Railway began selling advance tickets on Wednesday while officials at the Kamalapur railway station and Chittagong railway station said at around 1:00pm on Friday that a few tickets were available for October 13.
Tickets for air-conditioned and first class seats in Dinajpur-bound Drutajan Express and Ekata Express, Rangpur-bound Rangpur Express, Chittagong-bound Turna-Nishitha, Shubarna Express, Mahanagar Godhuli, Mahanagar Probhati, Rajshahi-bound Silkcity Express and Upakul Express,
Sirajganj-bound Sirajganj Express, Kishoreganj-bound Egarasindur Pravati and Egarasindur Godhuli for October 13 were sold out in two hours at Kamalapur.
Our Chittagong correspondent reports that
within an hour AC and first class tickets for journey to different destinations including Dhaka, Sylhet
and Rajshahi were sold out.
This year the vacation for Durga Puja is on October 14 followed by vacation for Eid-ul-Azha from October 15 to October 17 and two holidays on October 18 and October 19.
On Friday, like every year many people gathered at Kamalapur since Thursday evening to purchase tickets.
Meanwhile due to heavy rain on Friday many passengers came to Kamalapur late in the morning and failed to get ticket.
‘I came at the station Thursday night to buy two tickets for going Chittagong. There were about 20 people in front of me in the queue. When I reached the counter the officials said there was no AC ticket,’ said Abdullah, a Goran resident.
Ruksana Akhter Mili, an Eden Mohila College student, said due to heavy rain she came at the station at 10:00am.
‘I did not get tickets for Dinajpur. Now I have to go by bus,’ she said at 2:00pm.
The railway will sell tickets today for October 14 and on Sunday for October 15.
BR officials said that about 50,000 to 60,000 travellers would be able to reach their destinations from Dhaka.
Chittagong station officials said from the port city a total of 12,000 advance tickets would be sold in five days.
Twenty-five per cent tickets will be sold online, 10 per cent tickets will be reserved for VIPs and railway officials and maximum 25 per cent while be sold as standing tickets this time.
Nine pair special inter-city trains will operate during the Eid holidays on Chittagong-Chandpur-Chittagong-1, Chittagong-Chandpur-Chittagong-2, Chittagong-Chandpur-Chittagong-1, Chittagong-Chandpur-Chittagong-2, Dhaka-Dewanganj-Dhaka, Parbatipur-Dhaka-Parbatipur, Dhaka-Parbatipur-Dhaka, Dhaka-Khulna-Dhaka, and Khulna-Dhaka-Khulna routes with the regular trains.
Four-pair trains will operate on the Eid day on Bhairab-Kishoreganj, Kishoreganj-Bhairab, Mymensingh-Kishoreganj and Kishoreganj-Mymensingh routes.
-With New Age input
