Sunday, 5th April 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 18th March 2026, 6:20 PM
As Eid-ul-Fitr approaches, thousands of working people are leaving their workplaces to return home for the festive holiday. However, this year, travellers are facing an extraordinary financial burden, with approximately Tk 1.48 billion expected to be collected in additional fares on buses and minibuses alone, according to the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association (BPWA).
In a press statement on Wednesday (18 March), BPWA General Secretary Md. Mozammel Haque Chowdhury highlighted widespread fare hikes across both inter-district and city routes.
The BPWA observed that on long-distance routes departing from Dhaka, around 4 million trip passengers on buses and minibuses are paying an average extra Tk 350 per ticket. This amounts to approximately Tk 1.218 billion in additional charges for long-distance travellers alone.
Additionally, on city bus routes across Dhaka and other urban centres, 6 million trip passengers are paying roughly Tk 50 extra per ticket, adding up to Tk 261 million. Combined, the total extra fare collection during this Eid travel period is estimated at Tk 1.479 billion (~Tk 148 crore).
| Route (Dhaka Departure) | Regular Fare (Tk) | Eid Fare (Tk) | Extra Per Ticket (Tk) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka → Pabna | 550–600 | 1200 | 600 |
| Dhaka → Natore | 550–580 | 1200 | 620 |
| Dhaka → Rangpur | 500 | 1500 | 1000 |
| Dhaka → Noakhali | 500 | 800 | 300 |
| Dhaka → Lakshmipur | 500 | 700 | 200 |
| Dhaka → Ramganj | 350 | 800 | 450 |
| Dhaka → Mymensingh (Local) | 250 | 600 | 350 |
| Dhaka → Khulna | 500 | 800 | 300 |
| Chattogram → Lakshmipur | 400 | 800 | 400 |
| Chattogram → Bhola | 450 | 900 | 450 |
| Dhaka → Mymensingh (Truck/Pickup) | 500 | 500–600 | 0–100 |
BPWA’s observations also indicate that the majority of buses (87%) are engaging in extra fare collection, often ignoring official capacity limits. For instance, a 52-seat bus is charging passengers the same rate as a 40-seat bus, while both CNG and diesel buses are applying uniform extra fares regardless of operational costs.
Some well-known transport companies are reportedly forcing travellers to buy tickets for unintended destinations, such as being compelled to purchase tickets for Satkania, Chakaria, or Bandarban when travelling from Dhaka to Chattogram, or buying tickets to Rangpur or Naogaon instead of Bogura in the north.
The BPWA report attributes these irregularities to lack of enforcement and oversight, the rising cost of goods, opportunistic fare hikes by transport owners, and failure to pay drivers and assistants their legally entitled wages and Eid bonuses.
| Issue | Potential Consequence |
|---|---|
| Excessive fare collection | Increased public expenses, hardship for low-income passengers |
| Unregulated ticketing | Forced travel to unintended destinations |
| Lack of monitoring | Rise in corruption, social unrest, road accidents |
| Fare hikes ignoring bus size/type | Inequitable treatment of passengers |
| Cash-only fare system | Encourages extortion and limits accountability |
BPWA has called for urgent measures to protect passengers, including the introduction of digital fare collection, prohibition of cash transactions, and CCTV-enabled monitoring on roads and highways to enforce fare regulations. The association warns that without these reforms, the ongoing fare chaos could exacerbate social unrest, increase traffic accidents, and place a disproportionate burden on low-income citizens during the holiday season.
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