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A Narayanganj-based citizens' group named the Passenger Rights Protection Forum has announced a general strike along with eight other programmes to demand reduced bus fares on the Dhaka-Narayanganj route.
At a press conference at the Narayanganj Press Club on Saturday morning, the organisation’s Convener Rafiur Rabbi outlined the programmes.
The group demanded that the maximum fare for non-AC buses be set at Tk 45 and Tk 65 for airconditioned -AC buses.
In addition, they urged for student fares to be halved.
To push their demands, the forum plans to distribute leaflets, conduct awareness campaigns at educational institutions, engage in discussions with citizens, and hold processions, rallies, and torchlight marches from October 29 to November 16, reports bdnews24.com.
They have also called for a half-day general strike on November 17 if their demands are not met.
Currently, several transport services, including Bandhan, Utsob, Green Dhaka, and Asean Paribahan, operate AC and non-AC buses on this route, with AC bus fares set at Tk 80 and non-AC fares at Tk 55.
Rabbi said, “For years, there has been chaos in public transport across the country. Despite changes in government, the disorder persists. The government has created a syndicate in this sector to provide unethical advantages to its party members. This chaos has severely worsened under the previous government of Sheikh Hasina.”
He continued, “The chaos in the transport sector in Narayanganj has been ongoing for a long time. Under the Awami League government, this sector has been one of the sources of extortion by the Osman family. The local BRTA [Bangladesh Road Transport Authority] and administration have always assisted them in raising fares excessively, causing hardship for the public.”
“In June 2011, a fare hike from Tk 22 to Tk 32 on the Dhaka-Narayanganj route sparked protests. After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime on the 5th of August, several mafia members and godfathers associated with the Narayanganj transport syndicate either fled or went into hiding.
“We want to ensure that this transport sector does not fall into the hands of any extortionist godfathers again. No godfather should be able to exploit the public’s finances,” he added.