The district administration has assured passengers that regular operations and stricter monitoring will continue to curb black-market ticket sales and make train travel more accessible to ordinary people.
Representational Photo: Collected
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Representational Photo: Collected
Passengers travelling by train from Sylhet must ensure that the name on their ticket matches the name on their National Identity Card (NID), as the district administration will launch strict checks from 12 October.
Sylhet District Commissioner Abdullah Al Mamun announced the measure after leading an operation at Sylhet Railway Station last night (8 October) amid longstanding allegations of black-market ticket sales and irregularities.
The operation, conducted with four magistrates, found discrepancies between the names on some passengers’ tickets and those on their NID cards. In several cases, the name on an online ticket did not match the passenger’s actual name.
“Today, we saw that the names on some passengers’ tickets did not match those on their NID cards. We are giving them three to four days. Strict operations will begin on 12 October. I will check the matter, and magistrates will be regularly present at the railway station,” Abdullah Al Mamun said after the operation.
He said anyone travelling from Sylhet to Dhaka or any other destination must ensure that the name on their ticket matches the name on their NID. The district administration has assured passengers that regular operations and stricter monitoring will continue to curb black-market ticket sales and make train travel more accessible to ordinary people. Court-initiated case over suspected ticket syndicate.
The latest operation follows a suo motu case initiated in late September by Senior Judicial Magistrate Abdullah Al Noman over suspected black-market trading and hoarding of train tickets.
The case was filed after the court found specific indications of possible black-market sales and hoarding amid complaints about ticket shortages and passenger harassment.
The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has been assigned to investigate the case. The case documents reached the PBI on 7 October, and Sub-Inspector Abdul Ahad is conducting the investigation. He has confirmed that he is investigating the case initiated by the court.
According to the case documents, passengers have long been expressing dissatisfaction on social media over the unavailability of tickets for intercity trains running between Sylhet and Dhaka and Chattogram. Tickets for these routes reportedly sell out within minutes of being released online, leaving ordinary passengers struggling to secure seats.
Allegations have also emerged that tickets are subsequently resold through various channels at higher prices. After examining the government’s train ticketing website, the court found it suspicious that tickets for specific dates were being sold out within minutes of becoming available.
The case documents suggest that a syndicate may be acquiring tickets rapidly with the assistance of some people involved in the ticket distribution process and reselling them to passengers at inflated prices.
The alleged practice is causing harassment for ordinary passengers and may also adversely affect the development of Sylhet’s tourism industry, according to the case documents.
The case, registered as Miscellaneous Case No 01/2026, was initiated by Senior Judicial Magistrate Abdullah Al Noman in his capacity as an authorised magistrate, based on suspicions of offences including black-market trading and hoarding.
The Upaban, Kalni, Jayantika, and Parabat Express trains operate between Sylhet and Dhaka, while the Paharika and Udayan Express trains connect Sylhet with Chattogram.
Previous initiative failed to sustain momentum
In October last year, an urgent meeting involving politicians, administrative officials, and representatives of relevant departments decided that passengers would not be allowed to travel by train without tickets issued in their own names.
Following the decision, the administration began monitoring ticket sales under the initiative of then District Commissioner Sarwar Alam. However, the drive lost momentum after a few months, and complaints about ticket irregularities resurfaced.
Allegations of black-market ticket sales at Sylhet Railway Station have persisted for years. Demand for train tickets has increased amid the poor condition of the Dhaka-Sylhet road, with complaints of black-market trading growing alongside it.
Sylhet Railway Station Manager Nurul Islam said train tickets must be purchased online, although some passengers also buy them directly from the station counter.
“We have no role in ticket sales,” he said.
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