Railway instructed measures against web bots blocking tickets online

Bangladesh Railway (BR) instructed its ticket-selling vendor to take measures against the black-market sale of train tickets through an unauthorised website that has been using automated bots to block a large number of tickets and resell them at inflated prices, said a press release.
The press release from the BR authorities said that bookmyrailbd.com has been illegally accessing the railway’s e-ticketing system through automated bots, artificially blocking tickets and subsequently selling them on the black market at higher prices. 
The cybercrime is depriving ordinary passengers of tickets at government-fixed prices and damaging the image of the government, the authorities said.
To protect passengers’ interests, Bangladesh Railway has already taken three measures against the illegal operation. It has instructed its e-ticketing vendor, Shohoz-Synesis-Vincen JV, to immediately strengthen the security of the e-ticketing system and take urgent technical measures to prevent automated bots from blocking tickets.
The railway authorities have also written to the inspector general of police (IGP), seeking action to identify and arrest those involved in the illegal syndicate and bring them to justice.
Besides, Bangladesh Railway has requested the chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to block the website, its IP addresses and mobile application from Bangladesh. 
The railway authorities urged passengers to purchase tickets only through the official e-ticketing website, eticket.railway.gov.bd, and the Rail Sheba app.
Passengers have also been advised not to purchase tickets through unauthorised platforms and to inform the railway authorities if they have information about ticket black-marketing.