In preparation for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, the railway authorities have heightened their efforts to combat the black market for railway tickets, ensuring a safe and comfortable travel experience for the public. The Ministry of Railways, in collaboration with vigilance teams and mobile courts, has carried out several raids across railway stations to curb ticket fraud, reports BSS.
As part of their proactive measures, the authorities have successfully apprehended individuals involved in the illicit ticket trade. On March 20, railway security forces arrested a suspect at Thakurgaon railway station who was found in possession of 108 tickets for various intercity trains, including those traveling from Dhaka to Panchagarh and Dhaka to Parbatipur. Along with the tickets, the suspect had three mobile phones and 14 SIM cards. During questioning, the individual failed to provide satisfactory answers regarding the source of the tickets. Further investigation revealed that these tickets were part of a broader black market operation.
In a separate operation on March 21, Dhaka Railway Police arrested Mohammad Rakib Mia (24) from the Kamalapur Railway Station area. Rakib Mia, a known ticket black marketer, was found with 21 seat tickets for various trains traveling on the Dhaka-Kishoreganj route, along with a smart mobile phone. According to police, Rakib had been advertising tickets on social media platforms like Facebook, selling them for prices significantly higher than their official rates (Tk 450-500 compared to the standard Tk 180). He reportedly used his and several acquaintances' NID numbers and mobile numbers to create multiple railway service accounts and regularly collected tickets, which he then resold to customers through Facebook, sending them PDF copies of the tickets once payment was made.
Furthermore, it has been revealed that Rakib had also been planning to exploit the demand for tickets on the Dhaka-Kishoreganj route after Eid, preparing for continued operations in the black market.
In addition to these arrests, Mohammad Ashraful Islam, a Carriage Attendant at Rajshahi Carriage Depot, was suspended from his duties after being found guilty of facilitating ticketless passengers aboard the Banalata Express on March 27. Ashraful accepted a bribe of Tk 1,000 from two passengers traveling without tickets, an act confirmed by the train guard and ticket collector (TT).
The railway authorities have vowed to continue their crackdown on ticket fraud and related criminal activities. Legal action is being pursued against those involved in the black market trade, and further investigations are underway to ensure that such illegal practices are eradicated in time for Eid travel.
This ongoing campaign aims to ensure the smooth and lawful operation of train services, providing passengers with a safe and fair travel experience.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
