Sylhet region’s train passengers are left in despair as Bangladesh Railway’s online ticketing system faces widespread issues, with tickets for popular routes selling out within minutes of opening.
On 10 October, the rail authority released tickets for the Dhaka-Sylhet route at 8 am, only for them to vanish in less than three minutes.
Kulaura Junction’s station master, Roman Ahmed, expressed disbelief, asking, “How is this possible?”
Travellers shared their frustrations, citing the overwhelming demand and limited availability.
Expatriate Atiqur Rahman, who needed to return to his workplace, found all tickets sold out by the time he tried to book. “How will I get to Dhaka now?” he asked.
Souther East Bank Assistant Manager Suwairur Rahman sought urgent travel but was unable to secure a ticket despite attempts to engage with black market sellers.
Businessman Harun Ahmed also shared his experience of needing to travel to Dhaka for medical treatment. Despite the official price of Tk 350 for the Kalni Express, he was forced to buy a ticket for Tk 1,000 from the black market.
However, using such tickets comes with the risk of facing penalties due to the ‘ticket holder travels’ policy.
Roman Ahmed, at Kulaura station, and his colleagues had logged in early to secure tickets, but even after gaining access to the website, no tickets were available for the Dhaka-Sylhet route. “Who is behind this?” he questioned.
Reports have surfaced across the region about black market sellers swiftly snatching up tickets the moment they become available online.
A local correspondent of a national daily posted on Facebook, revealing that black market syndicates seized tickets within seconds of release at Shamsernagar station, later selling them at inflated prices.
In Shreemangal, the story is no different.
Railway Master Mohammad Sakawat Hossain explained the scarcity of seats, citing limited train allocations such as only 81 seats on Kalni Express, 70 on Jayantika Express, 105 on Parabat Express, 65 on Upaban Express, 47 on Paharika Express and 30 on Udayan Express.
“The demand is immense, but the seat availability is far too low,” he noted. Hossain added that the local authorities have repeatedly raised the issue with higher-ups in the railway system.
Locals believe the solution lies in increasing the number of carriages, boosting seat availability, and improving transparency in the online ticketing system. Many also stress the importance of cracking down on black market operations to ensure that genuine travellers aren’t left stranded.
The frustration among travellers has sparked calls for better management and reform within Bangladesh Railway’s online booking system to ensure fairness and accessibility for all passengers.
