Home-bound passengers rush for ticket

Although Bangladesh Railway started selling advance tickets at Kamalapur station yesterday, the tickets of bus and launch are rarely found in the counters as the brokers are selling the tickets in black markets.

While visiting Sadar Ghat Launch Terminal yesterday this correspondent found few hundred passengers returning in empty hands as no ticket for cabin was available at the counters.

Meanwhile, the fare of the cabin has been doubled as the brokers have grabbed the tickets, said terminal sources.

Mamun, a cabin boy of MV Shariatpur-3, said a ticket for double cabin on Dhaka to Amtoli route, is being sold now at Tk 1200 which was Tk 600 in last week.

While visiting the Kamalapur station, this correspondent found a long queue of passengers who were buying tickets from the counters.

The Bangladesh Railway will sell advance tickets till December 26 from 8:00am to 4:00pm daily under the supervision of specially assigned officials, said Ashok Kumar Dey, station manager of Kamalapur station, adding that the passengers can buy tickets for December 27 to 31.

"As today is the first day of selling advance tickets, there is less rush of passengers. But there will be heavy rush of passengers soon," Ashok told The Daily Star.

He said a total of 41 trains including 20 intercity and 21 mail, local and commuter trains will ply between Dhaka and Chittagong, Sylhet, Kishoreganj, Noakhali, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Rajshahi and Khulna routes.

Besides a special train will ply between Dhaka and Dewanganj in which at least 500 passengers can travel, he said.

Meanwhile, sale of advance tickets for buses on different routes has also started.

Sources at Sayadabad, Gabtoli and Mohakhali bus terminal said they are yet to start selling advance tickets.