DHAKA — Bangladesh raised bus fares by 11 paisa per kilometer Thursday following an increase in fuel prices, with the new fares taking effect immediately, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam said.
Alam announced the change after a meeting with transport workers and owners at the Secretariat on Thursday afternoon to discuss raising transport fares.
“It has been decided to raise long-distance bus fares between Dhaka and Chattogram by 11 paisa per kilometer,” he said. “Inter-district fares will also be raised by 11 paisa per kilometer.”
“The government-set fare for long-distance routes is currently 2 taka 12 paisa per kilometer,” Alam said. “Bus fares in the Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan areas are currently 2 taka 42 paisa per kilometer.”
Alam said the new fares take effect immediately and would apply to diesel buses. Bus fares would be reduced again if fuel prices fall, he said.
The transport minister said no decision had yet been made on raising rail and water transport fares.
The government announced the fuel-price hike on April 18. Prices rose 15 taka per liter for diesel, 20 taka for octane, 19 taka for petrol and 18 taka for kerosene. The new fuel prices took effect at midnight on April 19.
Owners and workers immediately began pushing for higher public-transport fares. Bus fares were last raised in 2022 amid a similar fuel-price hike.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report