Bus owners in Bangladesh have proposed charging an additional Tk 200 per passenger during Eid holidays to offset the losses incurred due to one-way passenger demand. The proposal, raised at a stakeholder meeting on Monday (May 12) in Dhaka, has sparked widespread criticism from passengers, passenger welfare groups, and officials of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges.
The Argument from Bus Owners
During the meeting held at the Bidyut Bhaban, the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association voiced its concern over the financial loss suffered on return trips after Eid. According to Saiful Alam, General Secretary of the Association, “During Eid, passenger flow is heavily one-sided. Buses leave the capital full, but often return almost empty, leading to operational losses.”
Alam stated that even though the ministry has instructed owners and workers at all terminals not to charge extra, the economic reality forces operators to do so. “If a bus runs with 75% occupancy, there’s about a 10% profit. But if only 25% seats are filled on return, we face losses,” he explained. He compared the situation to airlines, which adjust ticket prices based on demand during Eid. Alam said they have formally proposed to the Road Transport Ministry to allow a fixed temporary increase in fares during Eid to avoid unregulated overcharging.
Opposition from Intelligence
The proposal was met with resistance from National Security Intelligence (NSI), which presented data from last Eid. The agency informed the road transport advisor that they monitored fare collection and found non-AC buses charged 10–30% more than the official rates, while AC buses charged 50–100% more, partly because no fare regulations exist for AC services. Additionally, Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association, opposed the proposal, arguing that the fare hike is unjustified. “Even during Eid, routes like Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet, and Dhaka-Mymensingh have both-way passengers,” he said. He called for a detailed study or survey to assess actual demand and fare feasibility.
Passenger Frustration
Ordinary passengers also expressed their frustration. Md Ripon Mia, a traveler, said, “We are already held hostage during Eid by transport owners. If Tk 200 is added on top of existing high fares, it would be nothing short of extortion.” He emphasized that such decisions hurt middle- and low-income travelers the most. Linkon Md Lutforzaman Sarkar, an official at a private company, criticized the lack of government oversight. “Every Eid, transport owners demand additional fares. Once approved, they set arbitrary prices, and there’s no monitoring. This causes passengers to pay more than they should,” he said. He also urged the government to regulate AC bus fares, which currently lack a pricing guideline.
Read More: UGC Plans to Allow PhD Programs in Private Universities Soon
Government Officials Respond
Responding to the heated discussion, Muhammad Faozul Kabir Khan, Advisor to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, stated that the issue of fares will be reviewed later. Other senior officials present included Md. Ehchanul Haque, Senior Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division; Mohammad Abdur Rauf, Secretary of the Bridges Division; and Md. Fahimul Islam, Secretary of the Ministry of Railways. The session also included advisors from the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, including Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, as well as special assistant Sheikh Moin Uddin to the chief advisor of the transport ministry.
Train Ticket Sales Start May 21, 100% Online
To manage the Eid rush, Bangladesh Railway has announced that advance ticket sales for intercity trains will start from May 21. This was confirmed by Md. Fahimul Islam, Secretary of the Ministry of Railways, during the same meeting. Assuming Eid-ul-Azha will be observed on June 7, the Eid journey period will begin on May 31.
Tickets for each travel day will go on sale 10 days in advance. For example, tickets for May 31 will be available on May 21, for June 1 on May 22, and so on through May 27. In a move to reduce long lines and prevent ticket scalping, the government has decided that 100% of intercity train tickets will be sold online. Additionally, to prevent technical glitches and website crashes, ticket sale times will be staggered by region. Tickets for trains in the western zone will be available from 8:00 AM, while those in the eastern zone will go on sale from 2:00 PM.
The debate highlights a long-standing tension in Bangladesh’s public transport sector: the struggle between operational costs and passenger affordability. While transport owners cite economic necessity, passengers demand accountability and fairness. As Eid approaches, all eyes will be on the government’s next move—whether it formalizes the proposed fare hike or enforces stricter monitoring to protect travelers from exploitation.
Reference: Ittefaq
