The sale of advance tickets of Bangladesh Railway for Eid-ul-Azah will begin from August 8. Moreover, Bangladesh Railway will operate nine pairs of special trains for holidaymakers on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha this year. The advance tickets will be sold from Dhaka and Chittagong railway stations. Railways minister Mujibul Hoque made the announcement at a press briefing held at the ministry yesterday.

The nine pair of trains are: Dewanganj special on the Dhaka-Dewanganj-Dhaka route, Chandpur Special-1 and 2 on the Chottagram-Chandpur-Chottagram route, Rajshahi Special on the Rajshahi-Dhaka-Rajshahi route, Dinajpur Special on the Dinajpur-Dhaka-Dinajpur route, Lalmonirhat Special on the Dhaka-Lalmonirhat-Dhaka route, Khulna Express on the Khulna-Dhaka-Khulna route, Sholakia Special-1 on the Bhairab Bazar-Kishoreganj-Bhairab Bazar route, Sholakia Special-2 on the Mymensingh-Kishoreganj-Mymensingh route.

Law enforcement agencies, including the police, RAB, BGB, GRP and RNB, will prevent black marketing of tickets at big railway stations. District administrations will conduct mobile courts to keep an eye on the situation.

According to the minister, advance tickets for August 17 will be available on August 8, for August 18 on August 9, for August 19 on August 10, for August 20 on August 11, and for August 21 on August 12. “At least 2.6 lakh people travel by train daily. About three lakh people are likely to travel by train daily during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha holidays. Our resources are limited, but we will try our level best to give the passengers the highest service with those resources,” he said.

A total of 1,402 coaches will operate through 229 locomotives on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, the minister added. Mujibul Hoque said that return tickets for August 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 will be open for sale on August 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 respectively under special arrangement in Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Lalmonirhat stations.

Railway ministry secretary Mofazzal Hossain, Bangladesh Railway Department director general (DG) Amzad Hossain and other senior officials were present during the press conference. Eid-ul-Azha is likely to be held on August 22 (subject to the sighting of the moon).