Mahbub Kabir requests 1-month power from PM to fix train tickets

Former Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Railways, Mahbub Kabir Milon, has appealed to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for administrative authority for one month to completely eliminate train ticket black-marketing on key routes.

The former civil servant made the request through a post on his verified Facebook account on Friday, expressing confidence that he could resolve the long-standing crisis on the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar and Dhaka-Chittagong routes without drawing a salary or demanding official perks.

"Honourable Prime Minister, give me power for just one month. In this single month, I will completely eradicate ticket black-marketing on the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar and Dhaka-Chittagong routes, Insha'Allah. I need no designation, separate chair, or table. I will serve without pay—only transport for official travel is needed," Milon wrote.

Under his proposed framework, railway departmental personnel would be bound to follow his directives for 30 days. His strategy involves deploying a temporary team of contracted retired ticket examiners working alongside select serving and retired officers without remuneration.

The initiative would also require executive magistrates and specialized police protection to enforce compliance. Instead of checking every passenger, inspectors equipped with body-worn cameras would conduct random National Identification (NID) checks across coaches, imposing double fines on violators to strictly enforce the "ticket holder must travel" policy.

Furthermore, Milon proposed placing the Railway Security Force (RNB) directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Railways rather than the Railway Directorate, bringing its administrative structure in line with other law enforcement agencies under the Home Ministry.

Pledging full transparency directly to the public and the Prime Minister, Milan stated he is willing to accept any punishment if the trial fails, provided he is granted full operational independence for the one-month duration.

-SA