The Bangladesh Railway (BR) has decided to sell all train tickets to general passengers, withdrawing its previous blocking system which was mainly practised at Dhaka and Chattogram stations for influential people.
Sources said a large number of intercity train tickets used to remain unsold in Dhaka and Chattogram due to the blocking system as those tickets are kept for very important persons (VIPs) and influential people including political leaders.
Additional Director General (Operation) Mohammad Mia Jahan issued an office order this week, asking the authorities concerned to sell such tickets to common passengers.
The directives came in a bid to ensure smooth management of advance tickets, it added.
"We have taken the decision to meet the increasing demand for tickets by the common people," Mr Jahan told the FE.
Due to the blocking system in the name of VIPs and influential people, he said, BR used to incur a huge loss as they never withdraw it in case of unavailability of trains.
The ADG, however, said tickets under the auto quota system will be available for those officials eligible as per circular 2012. These include judges, railway officials, deputy commissioners, freedom fighters and members of parliament.
Mia Jahan said the officials eligible under auto quota will have to follow official procedures including necessary documents or request needed to avail any specific train.
Due to nagging congestion traffic and sorry state of roads and highways, the demand for train tickets has increased to and from Dhaka and Chattogram. The officials including those of BR under auto quota get tickets on payment.
