Dhaka:Popular fiction director Ashfaque Nipun has raised concerns about how train tickets for the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route sold out within just "one minute" of online sales opening. This incident has led him to question the integrity of the railway's ticketing system.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Nipun shared his experience in a Facebook post, explaining his difficulty in purchasing three train tickets for his relatives who wish to travel to Cox's Bazar during the Durga Puja holidays. Due to his uncle's age and health condition, train travel was considered a more suitable option than a long bus journey.
Nipun detailed his efforts to secure the tickets by logging into the ticketing system early and preparing to purchase the tickets as soon as sales opened at 8:00 am. However, despite his prompt actions, the tickets were sold out by 8:01 am. The director expressed skepticism over how such a rapid sellout was possible, considering the online booking process typically takes several minutes to complete.
He humorously criticized the situation, suggesting that Bangladesh Railway had created a 'commercial fiction' scenario where two trains disappeared within a minute. Nipun noted that while high demand during holidays like Eid and Puja is expected, he regularly tries to secure tickets in advance but often fails.
Nipun further alleged the existence of a longstanding ticket syndicate within Bangladesh Railway, suggesting that systemic issues persist across different governments. He called for decisive action against entrenched syndicates in both the railway and airport sectors, challenging the government to address these issues effectively.