Dhaka: Bangladesh Railway (BR) today announced the commencement of advance ticket sales from March 3 to facilitate the travel of homebound passengers ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. The initiative includes the introduction of five pairs of special trains to complement the existing fleet.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the decision was revealed after a meeting at Railway Bhaban, where a BR spokesman confirmed that advance tickets for the Eid journey will be sold exclusively online from March 3 to March 9. This strategy aims to alleviate congestion in railway carriages and provide a smoother travel experience for passengers.
Tickets for trains operating in the western and eastern zones will be released at different times, with western zone intercity train tickets available online at 8 am and eastern zone train tickets at 2 pm. Passengers can purchase advance train tickets 10 days prior to their intended travel date, with a purchasing limit of four tickets per individual.
The meeting also outlined plans for selling advance return tickets based on the moon sighting, which determines the exact date of Eid-ul-Azha according to the Arabic lunar calendar. These return tickets will also be available 10 days before the scheduled journey.
The special train pairs designated for this period include the Chandpur Eid Special on the Chittagong-Chandpur route, Teesta Special on the Dhaka-Dewanganj route, Sholakia Eid Special on both the Bhairabbazar-Kishoreganj and Mymensingh-Kishoreganj routes, and Parbatipur Eid Special on the Joydebpur-Parbatipur route.
To ensure safety, BR has announced round-the-clock enhanced security arrangements at all major stations, including those in the capital, Joydebpur, Chattogram, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Rajshahi, and Khulna. Officials indicated that paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Ansar personnel will work alongside regular police, the General Railway Police (GRP), and BR’s Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB) to maintain order and prevent unauthorized access to stations.