The Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity has proposed increasing bus fares by 15 paisa per kilometre following the recent hike in fuel prices, while alleging that influential leaders of transport owners’ associations are attempting to push through a higher fare increase in coordination with the government.
In a statement on Sunday night (19 April), the organisation’s Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury claimed that a “secret meeting” was held at the BRTA headquarters, avoiding key stakeholders and the media, to discuss raising fares.
Referring to previous adjustments, Mozammel said that when fuel prices were reduced by Tk3 in three phases, bus fares were lowered by 3 paisa per kilometre, and similarly reduced by 2 paisa when prices dropped by Tk2. In line with this precedent, he said, the latest Tk15 per litre increase in diesel prices justifies a proportional hike of 15 paisa per kilometre.
He warned that any fare increase beyond this level, facilitated through bureaucratic influence, could trigger public backlash and erode the government’s popularity.
He also urged the prime minister to intervene to prevent what he described as attempts to grant undue advantage to transport owners’ associations.
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