Bus owners hike fare on Dhaka-Narayanganj route

Owners have increased fare for all buses plying on Dhaka-Naryanganj route without any prior notice on Thursday.

One-way fare of Himachal, Utshab and Bandhan transportation service buses on this route has jumped to Tk 50 from Tk 36.

Meanwhile AC bus service Shital transportation’s fare has been increased to Tk 65 from Tk 55.

Just within 24 hours of increasing the fuel prices in Bangladesh, increasing the fare of buses which are means of transportation for low- and middle-income earners have agitated the passengers.

Service holder Ali Hasan said he became shocked with the sudden hike of Tk 14 just within a day when he went to collect a ticket this morning on the way to office.

“There is no regularity in hiking the price of any goods in the country anymore,” he said.

Meanwhile, president of Bandhan bus owners’ association Jewel Hossain said the cost for fuel, tax, tolls has increased and so “we have fixed the price accordingly to run the service.”

On Wednesday, the government raised the prices of diesel and kerosene at the retail level.

As per the new price, the diesel and kerosene will be selling at Tk 80 per litre instead of Tk 65 with effect from zero hour on Thursday, said a press release of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

It said the prices of other petroleum products will remain unchanged.

It clarified that the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has been incurring a loss of Tk 200 million per day as it is selling diesel at Tk 13.01 lower per litre and furnace oil at Tk 6.21 per litre, lower than their imported prices.

It said the petroleum prices have been readjusted against the backdrop of price hike of petroleum on the international market.

Meanwhile, bus, truck and covered van owners called an indefinite nationwide strike from Friday in protest against fuel price hike.