It is time you stopped worrying.
If you want train tickets to go back home during Eid but lack the time and patience to stand in long, overnight queues, there is someone to take that trouble for you. All you need to do is pay what is being called a ‘service charge’.
People have to queue up from midnight at the Kamalapur Railway Station to buy tickets in advance for travels during Eid-ul-Fitr. To relieve them of this tiresome wait, some people are acting as proxies in exchange for some money.
Aklima Begum, who stood in a women’s queue on Monday, told bdnews24.com that she had been there from Sunday night for someone ready to pay her Tk 200 for the job.
Ticket-seekers have been thronging Kamalapur station’s 20 counters from midnight — long before they open – until they close the following evening, ever since the railway started advance booking from Friday. On Monday, they sold tickets for Sept 7.
Saleha Beugm is another woman queuing up for those not willing take the trouble of standing themselves.
She told bdnews24.com: “Women travellers cannot stand in overnight queues like men. One such person has promised to give me Tk 150. So I am in the line from last night.”
Several proxies were found in the queues for men too.
Sohag Miah was in a line for a person from Sunday midnight for Tk 300.
He told bdnews24.com: “I’ll call the gentleman after I am near the counter. He will then come and buy the ticket.”
Bangladesh Railway launched the sale of tickets in advance on Friday, offering bookings for Aug 4. Tickets for Aug 8 travels will be sold on Tuesday. Return ticket booking will start on Aug 2 and continue up to Aug 6.
Railway officials said 65 percent of the tickets were being sold from counters and 25 percent through mobile phone SMS and e-ticketing. Five percent of the tickets are reserved for VIPs and another 5 percent for railway employees.
They said like in previous years, additional coaches would be added to every train during the Eid travels.
Source: bdnews24
