The train tickets for journey during Eid-ul-Azha were sold out within three hours on the fourth day of selling advance tickets at Chittagong Railway Station yesterday. The railway authorities sold advance tickets for September 23 yesterday. Several hundred people thronged the station to buy tickets. Many people stood in long queues on Thursday mid-night for a ticket. While visiting the station, it was seen that there were long queues before every counter; however, after waiting in the queues for many hours, the passengers managed to collect tickets lastly peacefully. Many also seen returned empty-handed even after standing in queues for hours. The railway officials said that it being weekend yesterday, the demand for advance tickets was higher. The booking staff said that the selling of advance tickets began at 9am and at around 12pm most of the tickets were sold out. The railway authorittes will sell advance tickets for September 24 today. Hasibur Rahman, a private company employee, said that he was standing in the queue for nine hours for a ticket of Mymensingh bound Bijoy Express. However, he was able to manage the ticket. Hasan Bokhary, a banker who will visit his home with his family, said that after standing in the queue for six hours he could not manage any ticket of Meghna Express. The East Zone railway authorities yesterday distributed 7,512 tickets, while 5,364 tickets were distributed through the counters and others distributed online. “The demand for advance tickets increased on the fourth day of selling. We are grappling with mad-rush of passengers for train tickets,” Abul Kalam Azad, station manager of Chittagong Railway Station. Railway officials said that 65 per cent tickets will be distributed through the counters while 25 per cent will be distributed online.