Published: 09:56 AM, 20 April 2026
BPWA submits memorandum demanding restructuring of bus and launch fares
The Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association submitted a memorandum this afternoon to the Minister of Road Transport and Bridges and Shipping, Sheikh Robiul Alam, demanding the restructuring of the committees responsible for determining bus and launch fares.
The organization called for the inclusion of passenger and consumer representatives in proportion to the representation of owners’ associations and workers’ federations. In the memorandum, the association stated that for more than a decade, the previous fascist government made key decisions regarding fare fixation, facilities, policies, and strategies in the road and water transport sectors in collaboration with influential leaders of private bus and launch owners’ associations and labor federations. As a result, passenger suffering in these sectors has now reached an alarming level, according to a press release.
The memorandum further alleged that even after the BNP government, known as the party of the common people, assumed power, it continued to follow the same policies and practices of the previous administration, causing widespread disappointment among the public.
Against this backdrop, fuel prices were reportedly increased by 15 percent at midnight today, equivalent to Tk 15 per litre in a single adjustment. According to past observations by the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association, the Road Transport and Shipping Ministries lacked qualified experts or professional panels to deal with crucial public-interest matters such as fare determination, and this situation still remains unchanged.
The association claimed that under such circumstances, influential leaders of owners’ associations and workers’ federations arbitrarily prepare fare proposals and present them before the ministries, thereby exerting monopolistic influence and securing excessive fare increases. This, they argued, severely undermines public interest and passengers’ rights, while increasing the hardship faced by ordinary commuters.
The organization expressed hope that the BNP government, as a party representing the masses, would abandon the policies and strategies of the previous fascist regime and prioritize public welfare. It urged the government to follow international consumer rights principles in determining transport fares and to reconstitute the bus and launch fare-setting committees by including representatives from passenger and consumer organizations in proportion to the representation of owners’ associations. The association also called for a fresh revision of fares and effective measures to safeguard passenger interests.
