The Sylhet district administration has launched a crackdown on alleged train ticket black marketing, with passengers to be barred from travelling from Monday (October 12) if the name on their ticket does not match the name on their national identity card (NID).
A drive was conducted at Sylhet Railway Station on Thursday night, led by Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Al Mamun and four magistrates. The operation uncovered evidence of irregularities and discrepancies involving train tickets.
After the drive, Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Al Mamun said, “Anyone wishing to travel from Sylhet to Dhaka or elsewhere must ensure that the name on their ticket matches the name on their NID card.”
“We saw today that the names on the NIDs of some passengers did not match those on their tickets. We are giving them three to four days. A strict operation will begin on the 12th. Magistrates will be present at the railway station regularly,” he added.
The district administration has assured that such drives and strict monitoring will continue regularly to eliminate ticket black marketing and make train travel easier for ordinary passengers.
In October last year, a meeting involving politicians, administrators and officials from relevant departments to discuss improvements to Sylhet’s transport system decided that passengers would not be allowed to travel by train without tickets issued in their own names.
The administration subsequently began monitoring ticket sales under the initiative of then Deputy Commissioner Sarwar Alam, but the efforts came to a halt after a few months, and complaints resurfaced.
Allegations of ticket black marketing at Sylhet Railway Station have persisted for years. Demand for train tickets has reportedly increased due to the poor condition of the Dhaka-Sylhet road, alongside growing black marketing. Tickets are reportedly sold out within three to four minutes of being released online, with allegations that black marketers purchase a large share of them.
Amid persistent complaints about ticket shortages and passenger harassment, Sylhet Senior Judicial Magistrate Abdullah Al Noman initiated a case suo motu in late September after finding indications of black marketing and hoarding. The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has been assigned to investigate the case, and the case documents reached the agency on Wednesday (October 7). Sub-Inspector Abdul Ahad is investigating the case.
The court took notice of the issue after observing that tickets for specific dates on the government’s online train ticketing website were selling out within minutes of becoming available. According to the case statement, passengers have long expressed dissatisfaction on social media over the availability of tickets for intercity trains from Sylhet to Dhaka and Chattogram. Although tickets sell out rapidly, allegations have emerged that they are later resold through various channels at higher prices.
The case documents state that a syndicate may be removing tickets within moments, with the assistance of some people involved in the ticket distribution process, and later selling them to passengers at higher prices. The documents also note that such activities not only harass ordinary passengers but may adversely affect the development of Sylhet’s tourism industry.
Suspecting that offences such as black marketing and hoarding may have taken place, the Senior Judicial Magistrate filed Miscellaneous Case No. 01/2026.
Trains operating from Sylhet include the Upaban, Kalni, Jayantika and Parabat Express services to Dhaka, and the Paharika and Udayan Express services to Chattogram.
Sylhet Railway Station Manager Nurul Islam said tickets must be purchased online, although some passengers also buy them directly from the counters.
“We have no involvement in ticket sales,” he said.