Highlights
- Electric buses will be imported duty-free to reduce private car use among school students
- Policy aims to ease traffic congestion in cities
- Education Ministry to guide schools for implementation starting April 5, 2026
- Import duty for new electric buses for commercial use reduced to 20%
- Office hours and market timings adjusted to save electricity amid fuel supply uncertainty
To reduce the use of private cars by school-going students and ease traffic congestion, the government has decided to import electric buses duty-free. The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday (April 2) chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani confirmed to journalists around midnight that the plan has been approved.
Schools Will Receive Guidelines
The Education Ministry will issue separate instructions to schools to implement the initiative. These guidelines could take effect from Sunday, April 5, 2026. Schools that participate in this process will receive special benefits. For commercial purposes, import duty on new electric buses has been reduced to 20%. However, no old buses will be allowed for import.
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Fuel Supply Uncertainty Prompts Energy Initiatives
The Cabinet Secretary said that the ongoing war in the Middle East has created uncertainty in fuel supply. Since nearly 80% of the country’s fuel is imported, global market fluctuations directly affect Bangladesh. In this context, the government has sought alternative sources for fuel import. Discussions are already underway with Malaysia, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan for potential energy imports.
Electricity Conservation Measures
To save electricity, office hours have been adjusted:
- Government and private offices: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Banks: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
All markets and shopping malls must close by 6:00 pm. However, essential services like food and medicine are exempt from this rule.
Source: Daily Ittefaq
