Train ticket scalping under scrutiny
Two people, posing as Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) personnel, bought 115 train tickets on May 31, only to sell them on the black market, railway officials said.
The two are Rezaul Haq and Arif Hossain, said Chittagong Railway Station Manager AA Shamsul Alam.
Bangladesh Railway (east) formed a three-member committee yesterday to investigate the incident and submit a report in three days.
Primary investigation by the railway found two people, using air force's name, booked 55 air-conditioned compartment tickets of Turna Nishitha for June 7 and 60 Shovon chair tickets of Mahanagar Godhuli for June 8, ostensibly for 115 BAF members' trip to Dhaka.
To buy the tickets, the duo used the name and faked the signature of Wing Commander Monirul Islam in a letter dated May 31.
On suspicion, some railway officials led by Deputy Operating Superintendent of Bangladesh Railway (east), AMM Shahnewaz, went to the station to verify the booking on the night of June 7 and also the next morning. But he found general commuters, not BAF officials in those seats.
A number of the general commuters said they had bought those tickets from the black market at a high rate.
Belal Uddin, chief operating superintendent of the railway, said BAF was unaware of any booking.
Contacted by The Daily Star, Additional Director of Inter Service Public Relations Nurul Islam said, "We don't know anything about the incident."
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