Kamalapur railway station today witnessed long queues of holidaymakers as Bangladesh Railway began its sale of advance train tickets to ensure a hassle-free journey ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

Railway Minister Mujibul Haque visited Kamalapur Railway Station around 10:15am to witness the starting of the ticket sale.

He warned of stern actions if train schedules were to fall apart because of negligence of any railway employee.

The station was thronged with holidaymakers, some of whom have been waiting since last night to buy tickets, according to a report by Bangla daily Prothom Alo.

Train tickets for September 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 would be available on September 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 respectively. Eid will be celebrated on September 25.

The sale will continue till September 19 at Kamalapur in Dhaka and Chittagong railway stations. A person would be able to buy maximum four tickets.

Return tickets for September 27, 28, 29, 30 and October 1 will be sold on September 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 respectively at Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Lalmonirhat railway stations.

The railway authorities will operate seven pairs of special trains on September 22 to October 3 to cope with the passengers rush during the festival.

Meanwhile, the state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) will begin selling advance bus tickets on September 16.

The tickets would be sold at Kamalapur, Kallyanpur, Gabtoli, Joarshahara and Mirpur bus depots, the BRTC chairman told The Daily Star yesterday.