Rail tickets run out due to rush of passengers

Passengers returned empty-handed from the Kamalapur Railway Station after waiting for hours for tickets as number of commuters increased manifold due to the suddenly-imposed transport strike in protest against the recent hike in diesel and kerosene prices.

Suffering of the passengers, mainly those who came to Dhaka to attend various job exams, was beyond description as they became at a loss having no alternative to return to their homes, reports Prothom Alo.

Mainul Haque, a student of International Islamic University of Chittagong (IIUC), arrived in Dhaka this morning to attend a job test at the Bureau of Statistics. The student stood in line at the station for one and a half hours for a ticket but in vain.

Asked how he got to Dhaka, he said he left by bus last night. He arrived in Dhaka at 7am and came to know about the public transport strike declared yesterday night.

An on duty Ansar member said the crowd at the station since the morning was overflowing. People were trying to reach their destinations by train as bus operation remained suspended due to the strike. But most of them returned empty-handed due to the limited number of tickets.

Anwar Hossain, station manager of Kamalapur Railway Station, said the rush of passengers is more today than other holidays. The passenger pressure on the railway increased all of a sudden due to the closure of public transport. Usually, so many passengers are not seen on other Fridays.

He added that tickets for standing passengers were not being sold due to the pandemic which doubled the sufferings of ticket-seeking commuters. However, tickets have been sold under alternative arrangements to the passengers who needed to return home urgently.