The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) introduced online ticket sales for the first time for the upcoming Asia Cup qualifier between Bangladesh vs Singapore on June 10. However, fans faced significant difficulties after the website of BFF’s ticketing partner, Tikify, was hit by a cyberattack on Saturday night.
Tikify official Iftekhar Ifti stated, “We are currently performing maintenance work. Ticket sales will resume shortly. A substantial number of tickets were already sold yesterday.” However, Tikify could not provide specific figures on how many tickets had been purchased.
Many fans reported being unable to access the website, while others were stuck at the final stages of the booking process despite multiple attempts. Some complained that their tickets did not arrive via email even after payment. The BFF suspended sales at 11:20 PM following the cyberattack announcement, yet a large number of tickets were sold within three hours, adding to the confusion.
Bangladesh vs Singapore, 10 June 7:00 PM
Ifti assured, “We have complete records of all ticket purchases. If the BFF requests, we can provide the data. There is no possibility of tickets being sent to the wrong email our system prevents such errors.”
When Tikify was announced as the ticketing partner, journalists questioned its website’s capacity to handle traffic. Ifti had claimed the platform could support “10 million users.” However, his statement was contradicted by Saturday’s crash, as the site reportedly faced “20 million simultaneous users,” far beyond expectations.
The BFF’s decision to appoint Tikify a company with no prior experience in sports event ticketing has sparked debate. Tikify previously handled ticket sales for BPL concerts but lacks a track record in managing high-demand football matches.
BFF Procurement Committee Chairman Zakir Hossain Chowdhury defended the choice, stating, “They were selected based on the lowest bid and relevant capabilities, following procurement rules.”
Given Bangladesh’s history of irregularities in government tenders, concerns have arisen over whether Tikify’s appointment was based on merit or favoritism. As time passes, the truth behind this decision may come to light along with accountability for the ticketing chaos.
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