Bangladesh Railway today began selling advance train tickets for Eid-ul-Azha from five different places in Dhaka.

Station Manager of Kamalapur Railway Station Aminul Haque said the authorities started the sale of tickets for August 7 from nine counters at the station around 9:00am.

Among the nine counters, one is for female ticket buyers, he said.

The station manager told The Daily Star around 10:30am that the station was less crowded during the early hours of the day.

Online sale of tickets started at 6:00am, he added.

Fifty per cent of tickets will be sold online through the BR app, SMS and railway website, according to railway authorities.

Advance tickets for intercity trains for August 8, 9, 10, and 11 would be sold on July 30 and 31 and August 1 and 2 respectively.

Since last Eid-ul-Fitr, advance tickets are being sold at different locations in the capital for the first time -- breaking the tradition of sales only at Kamalapur Railway Station -- to ease ticket-buying process and prevent excruciatingly long queues oh holidaymakers.

Tickets for intercity trains will be sold in rail stations at Kamalapur, Airport, Tejgaon, Banani and old Rail Bhaban in Fulbaria.

BR will operate eight special trains from August 8 till July 19, carrying 3,000 passengers. No tickets of these special trains will be sold through the app.