Top officials of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority or BRTA have met leaders of transport owners’ associations to readjust fares after a fuel price hike.
The meeting started at the BRTA headquarters in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon. Its Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder was presiding over the meeting.
Road Transport and Highways Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association Secretary General Khandaker Enayet Ullah, representatives of transport workers and police officers were also present.
The highest ever fuel price hike in Bangladesh’s history has left passengers and coach operators equally frustrated as the former group is forced to pay higher fares, while transport owners have wound down service until a new fare structure is announced.
The prices of diesel and kerosene were increased by 42.5 per cent to Tk 114 per litre, petrol prices were fixed at Tk 130 a litre, a 51.16 per cent jump, while octane prices rose 51.68 per cent to Tk 135 on Friday.
Last November, the government raised the price of diesel and kerosene by Tk 15 to Tk 80 per litre. Afterwards, coach fares rose nearly 27 per cent, much higher than the corresponding jump in fuel prices.
Most of the fuel oil imported by Bangladesh is used in the transport sector. Hours before the announcement of the fuel oil price hike, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul said it would not affect the costs in the sector much.
Bus fares may increase by Tk 1 or 2 per kilometre after the fuel price rise, according to him.