This is the scene at long distance bus terminals in Rajshahi city for the last couple of days.

Tickets are not available even in counters for advance ticket at bus terminals and at the railway station.

Yesterday, bus tickets for Dhaka were sold openly by touts at Tk 250 to 300 against the actual fares of Tk 120 to 200.

Queues are not seen in front of counters for bus tickets. Instead, worried passengers are seen looking for or negotiating with touts.

All these are happening at the very nose of the law enforcers, who are unmoved even after complaints from passengers.

At railway booking counters, clerks say there is no ticket. They issue "extra tickets" without seat. But tickets with seats are available in the black market, many passengers told this correspondent.

In regional routes also, passengers have to pay Tk 30 to 50 more per ticket. If any one refuses, he is forced to get down from the bus on way.

Such insult to passengers is common in Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi-Rangpur routes.

Sometimes, transport workers assault passengers to realise the enhanced fare.

Shahidur Rashid Montu, secretary of Rajshahi Transport Owners Association, however denied that extra fares were realised.