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Dhaka sees Eid exodus on final workday
Passengers allege bus fare hikes as minister denies overcharging
Hundreds of thousands of homebound people leaving Dhaka for Eid-ul-Fitr faced a mix of crowded terminals, delayed departures and complaints of inflated bus fares on Monday, even as the road transport minister insisted that transport operators were charging “below” the officially approved rates.
The conflicting accounts – from passengers, transport officials and the government – surfaced on the final working day before a seven-day Eid holiday, when homebound travellers thronged the capital’s main transport hubs.
While many passengers alleged that ticket prices had surged far beyond the government-fixed fares, Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam said he had found no evidence of overcharging during inspections.
Large crowds were seen throughout the day at major departure points including Mohakhali and Gabtoli bus terminals, Kamalapur railway station and the Sadarghat launch terminal as travellers attempted to begin their journeys early to avoid the usual pre-Eid rush.
During a visit to Mohakhali bus terminal on Monday morning, Rabiul said transport operators were in fact charging less than the approved fares to attract passengers.
“If the approved fare is Tk700, some operators are charging Tk600 by reducing Tk100. Others are charging Tk680 by reducing Tk20,” he told reporters, adding, “In the past seven days I have not found any instance where the fare exceeded the approved rate.”
The minister said mobile courts, vigilance teams and a police control room had been deployed to monitor fares and prevent irregularities.
“There is no opportunity for operators to charge even a single taka above the fixed fare,” he said, urging passengers to file complaints if they encountered overcharging.
Rabiul also addressed congestion around terminals, where buses were seen parked outside desig-nated areas. He said the number of vehicles currently exceeded available parking space, forcing authorities to allow buses to enter terminals in phases.
“As one bus leaves, another enters,” he explained. “This has created some inconvenience, but it cannot be solved in a single day.”
Officials from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), law enforcement agencies and transport owners’ and workers’ associations were working together to manage traffic and ensure order at terminals, he added.
The minister also sought to ease concerns over fuel supply after operators reported difficulties refuelling buses.
“There may be some management-related issues due to global circumstances, but adequate fuel supply has been ensured for public transport,” he said. “Fuel prices will not increase.”
His remarks quickly triggered strong reactions on social media, where many travellers shared ex-periences of paying significantly higher fares than usual. Some responded with sarcasm while others accused authorities of ignoring the realities faced by passengers.
Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare organisation, said he himself had been charged above the regular fare.
“I bought two tickets for the Abdullahpur–Kaptai route on an S Alam Service bus, though I will travel to Chattogram,” he said. “Each ticket cost Tk800 while the usual fare is Tk650.”
He criticised the minister’s comments, saying they did not reflect the situation faced by travel-lers.
“Passengers are suffering, yet the minister says operators are charging less out of joy. This sounds like making fun of people’s pain,” he said.
Other travellers also reported paying higher-than-normal prices.
Suraiya Begum said she paid Tk1,900 for two tickets with Shyamoli NR Travels on the Dhaka-Patuakhali route, or Tk950 per seat compared with the regular Tk650 fare. She said the compa-ny’s website showed no available tickets and she was advised to purchase them directly from the counter.
Md Sujon Mia, a private sector employee, said he paid Tk1,800 for a ticket to Rangpur booked through an online platform, although the regular fare is Tk1,200. When his family travelled a few days earlier, he said, they were charged Tk1,500 per seat.
At Gabtoli bus terminal – the main gateway for routes to the country’s south-west – the situation reflected a mix of slower passenger flow and operational disruptions linked to fuel shortages.
While the terminal was less crowded than expected on Monday afternoon, several buses were running late after waiting in long queues at nearby fuel pumps.
Shumon Kanti Sheikh, a counter staff member at Shyamoli Travels, said ticket sales were strong but bus departures were frequently delayed.
“Our buses are getting stuck in long lines to refuel,” he said, pointing to passengers waiting for a delayed service. “A bus scheduled to leave at 4pm is still at the fuel pump.”
Smaller transport operators appeared to be particularly affected. Companies including Dhaka Ex-press, TR Travels, Ahnaf Transport, Sarkar Travels and VIP Travels reported delays caused by the refuelling bottleneck.
Long lines of buses were visible at Raihan Enterprise, a petrol pump located next to several coun-ters at the terminal.
Larger operators, however, said they had largely avoided the disruption.
Hanif Enterprise, one of the biggest transport companies at Gabtoli, said its services were running normally because it operates its own fuel stations.
“All our buses are running,” said Sakib, a staff member at the Hanif counter. “We have five pumps of our own, so we do not face these problems.”
Police officers were also present at the terminal to monitor fare compliance and manage the growing number of travellers.
Around 2pm, Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Anisul Islam visited the terminal and inspected ticket counters to ensure operators were charging regulated fares.
“No one is permitted to increase fares,” he said, encouraging passengers to approach police if they encountered irregularities.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Hasibul Islam, who was overseeing security arrangements, said a large number of police personnel had been deployed to maintain order and ensure smooth traffic movement.
He acknowledged, however, that some irregularities had been reported.
“I have heard that a few counters are charging slightly higher fares under the name of an ‘Eid bonus’,” he said, although he added that most counters appeared to be operating within the per-mitted limits.
Passenger numbers at Gabtoli were still moderate on Monday but authorities expect the flow of travellers to rise sharply in the coming days as Eid approaches.
For some passengers, however, the cost of travelling home has already doubled.
Hasanullah, travelling to Gaibandha with Orin Travels, said he paid Tk1,600 for a ticket – twice the standard fare of Tk800 for the route. Staff at the counter declined to comment when asked about the allegation.
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