Dhaka: The authorities of Bangladesh Railway have decided to start the sale of train tickets on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on June 1, a day ahead of its earlier announced date.

Railways Minister M Mazibul Hoque came up with the announcement at a press briefing at his Railway Bhaban office in the city on Thursday.

Tickets for June 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 will be available on June 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively, the minister said.

Besides, the return tickets for the journey of June 19 will be available on June 10 and that for June 20 on June 11, for June 21 on June 12, for June 22 on June 13 and for June 23 on June 14 and for June 24 on June 15.

The sale of tickets will begin at 8 am and each passenger will be able to buy maximum four tickets.

There will be 26 tickets counters and two of them will be kept aside for female commuters at Kamalapur Railway Station, Mazibul Hoque said.

During the briefing, the Railways Minister also said five pairs of special trains will run on several routes from June 13 to June 15 and June 18 to June 24.

These trains are: Dewanganj Special (Dhaka-Dewanganj-Dhaka), Chandpur Special-1 and Chandpur Special-2 (ChattogramChandpur-Chattogram),

Parbatipur Special (Parbatipur-Dhaka-Parbatipur), Rajshahi special (Rajshahi-Dhaka-Rajshahi).

Besides, two more trains—Sholakia Special-1 (Bhairab-Kishoreganj-Bhairab) and Sholakia special-2 (MymensinghKishoreganj-Mymensingh) will run on the Eid day to carry commuters interested to join  Sholakia Eid jamaat, said the minister.

The inter-city trains will remain in operation from June 11 till the day before Eid-ul-Fitr while plying of goods-laden train will remained suspended three days before Eid.

There will be 1405 coaches with 229 locomotives, according to the minister.

The leave of railways staff and employees has been cancelled from June 10 to June 15, he said.

Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB), Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will be deployed at all big stations for preventing black market sales while the deputy commissioners concerned will conduct mobile courts.

Meanwhile, plying of Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka Moitree Train will remain suspended from June 15 to June 18.

Earlier on May 21, Bangladesh Railway Director General Md Amzad Hossain told UNB that they have primarily decided to start the ticket sales on June 2.