Shohoz Sale Scrutiny: High Court Petition Challenges Bangladesh Railway Ticketing Deal

A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking the cancellation of the ticket sales agreement between Bangladesh Railway and Shohoz.com. On Tuesday, November 11, Advocate Miazi Alamgir Alam Chowdhury submitted the petition to the relevant branch of the High Court, requesting that the Railway–Sohaz contract be made public.

The petition also seeks a directive to explain why Bangladesh Railway tickets reportedly sell out within just two minutes of sales opening. Additionally, it calls for open discussions with stakeholders regarding the persistent shortage of train tickets.

Respondents named in the petition include the Secretary of the Railway Ministry, the Secretary of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the Secretary of the Planning Ministry, the Director General and Additional Director General (Operations) of Bangladesh Railway, and the Managing Director of Sohaz.com. The petitioner confirmed the filing of the writ to the media.

Earlier, on October 30, a legal notice was issued demanding the cancellation of the “questionable” agreement between Bangladesh Railway and Shohoz.com. The notice, sent via registered mail to the same officials and Shohoz.com’s Managing Director, stated that failure to take appropriate measures within seven days would result in legal action. The recent writ petition follows that notice.

Advocate Miazi Alamgir Alam Chowdhury stated that the railway ticketing website becomes overwhelmed with traffic almost immediately after tickets are released, causing popular routes to sell out instantly. This sudden ticket unavailability creates widespread frustration among travelers. He argued that the complete imposition of an e-ticketing system places unnecessary barriers on public mobility and infringes upon citizens’ fundamental right to free movement. He noted that the Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet recently commented, “Tickets selling out in two minutes cannot be considered a functional system.”

The earlier legal notice requested publication of the railway–Shohoz contract terms, suspension of the February 15, 2022 agreement, and cancellation of the fully digital ticketing system. It also called for reinstating a hybrid ticketing model that combines manual ticketing with a proportionate e-ticketing mechanism, based on Bangladesh Railway’s operational capacity.