BPL tickets are like golden deer in Sylhet phase. The fans of cricket are having to fight for tickets. This is what the pictures of the ticket booths of Sylhet International Cricket Stadium and Rikabibazar district stadium of the city are saying on Thursday (January 25). Because even after standing in line for hours, you can't get the tickets on the demand list at the ticket booth. Therefore, many people are buying tickets from black marketers for more than double the money.
Around 1:15 pm, it can be seen on the ground at the district stadium in Rikabibazar, Sylhet city, many people are not able to collect tickets by standing in a long line. However, 9 tickets for the January 27 match can be seen being given to a young man from the booth. Many questions have arisen in the mind of the general audience about giving that ticket. In an angry response, they are saying that how did the young man get tickets two days ago where the tickets were supposed to be sold the day before the match.
Immediately local media personnel tried to speak to the ticket sales officer of that booth but he was silenced by the camera. Despite repeated attempts to find out about these issues, no one's statement was available.
It is known that the 10th season of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 cricket tournament will start on January 26 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. After Dhaka, 12 matches will be held in Sylhet from January 26 to February 3. The sale of tickets for the Sylhet phase of BPL has started from 9:30 am on Wednesday. Tickets are also being sold at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Lakkatura and Sylhet District Stadium in Rikabibazar in the city. Although tickets are supposed to go on sale a day before each match, the picture of the booth says otherwise.
According to BCB, viewers have to spend at least Tk. 200 to watch the daily game. Both matches of the day can be enjoyed in one ticket. Apart from the Western gallery for Tk. 200, the game can also be seen sitting in the beautiful green gallery. Apart from this, visitors can buy tickets for Eastern gallery for Tk. 400, Club House for Tk. 800 and Grand Stand for Tk. 2500. But in reality, the cricket fans standing in the queue to buy the tickets at a higher price. Besides, it was informed that match tickets will be sold on the day of the match and the day before that.
Visitors complained that they are not getting tickets despite standing in line for a long time. But some unscrupulous men and women are openly selling tickets at exorbitant prices. Also black marketers are collecting tickets by making women stand in line with money. Which are being watched by BCB officials and law and order forces?
This reporter spoke to a woman who collected tickets anonymously. On condition of anonymity, the woman said that she collected 10 tickets for five people. In this he received Tk. 200-300 as gratuity from each of them. Similarly, when I spoke to a black market ticket seller, he said that he was selling a ticket of Tk. 200 for Tk. 500 and Tk. 400 for Tk. 700.
A young man named Saju, who collected 9 tickets, said that he has collected 9 tickets for the Saturday match worth Tk. 400. Two days ago and in reply to the question that how did one collect 9 tickets, he said that he bought them with money from the booth and there were 3 others with him. But Barta24.com has a video of him alone collecting tickets from the booth.
In this regard, the venue manager of Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Joydeep Das, did not receive calls on his mobile phone several times.
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium media in-charge Farhad Qureshi told Barta24.com, "I don't know who or who is selling the tickets."