Advance bus tickets for Sep 8, 9, and 10 highest in demand, limited stock disappoints Eid holidaymakers

Many Eid revellers have been found disappointed after failing to get advance bus tickets to haul them home in time for the Eid-ul-Azha celebrations.

Demand for tickets for Sep 8, 9, and 10 nights was found to be particularly high among the customers after the bus services decided to open sales of advance tickets on Tuesday morning.

Massive crowds were seen thronging the ticket counters across capital Dhaka, particularly at the Gabtoli, Shyamali and Kalyanpur areas.

A huge number of people spent almost the entire night standing in queues but ended up disappointed owing to either shortage or high ticket prices.

Most of the tickets for Sep 8, 9, and 10 were sold out within the first few hours of opening the counters.

The Eid is expected to be celebrated on either Sep 12 or 13, depending on the sighting of the moon.

A large crowd was spotted at the counter of Shyamali Paribahan on Gabtoli Mazar Road around 8am on Tuesday.

Navana CNG employee Moshiur Rahman who intends to travel to Gaibandha on Sep 9, had to return empty handed after spending two hours in the queue from 6am.

Journey at night was found more preferable among many.

Anwarul Haque, an employee of Elite Paints, purchased tickets for Sep 8 for his family members and one ticket for Sep 10 for himself.

“Got tickets for both days, but departures are in the morning, could not get the ones at night,” he said.

An employee of a private company, Mostafizur Rahman reached the counter at 5am but ended up empty-handed.

“I want to go to Rangpur. But they are saying no ticket is available for Sep 8, 9, and 10. Let’s see what happens,” he told bdnews24.com.

One Mahbub Alam, however, expressed satisfaction upon getting his desired ticket for Rangpur even though he couldn’t get front row seats as he preferred.

Tickets for Sep 8 night was sold out within two hours of opening the counter, said Shyamoli Paribahan General Manager Parvez Mahmud.

Many have also made familiar allegations of mismanagement, delay in sale and the charging of extra fare.

Md Rajon Karim, a businessman from Savar, said: “I wanted a ticket for Sep 10 to Kushtia but they are saying no ticket is left for that day. They went on sale only today, how can they run out of tickets so quickly?”

A salesperson at SB Parabahan’s counter, Tanim Ahmed, said tickets for non-AC buses were still available.

“Those who came here last night for the tickets of the AC buses got theirs,” he said.