Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader urged transport owners and workers to consider the plight of ordinary people and call off a strike over a hike in fuel prices.
He made the call during a media briefing at his residence in Dhaka on Friday, reports bdnews24.com.
A nationwide transport strike began on Friday in protest against the government's decision to raise the price of diesel and kerosene by Tk 15 to Tk 80 per litre.
Transport owners' and workers' groups have stood firm on their decision to halt services indefinitely and said they would not return to work unless the government either raises fares or reverses the price hike.
A decision on the issue of fares is set to be taken on Sunday, leaving travellers to suffer for at least three days.
On Friday, commuters were left stranded in most parts of the capital in the absence of buses. They had little choice but to pay the pay extra fares to get to their destinations on rickshaws, CNG autorickshaws and motorcycles. Passengers hoping to catch long-haul buses also faced disappointment at the terminals.
The strike also took a heavy toll on thousands of exam candidates, who struggled to get to the centres on time for the admission test of the seven Dhaka University-affiliated colleges and the recruitment tests of two dozen government institutions.
"BRTA's rent rescheduling committee will meet on Sunday. We will meet the stakeholders and try to make a realistic price adjustment that won't put any extra burden on the people,” said Quader.
Along with the increase in fuel prices, tolls on the Bangabandhu Bridge and Muktarpur Bridge have also been raised. Addressing the matter, Quader said the rates have been increased to cover the increased management and maintenance costs.
He added that the toll at Bangabandhu Bridge was last raised in 2011, and it was the first time the rate has been changed for the Muktarpur Bridge since its inauguration in 2008.
The minister the tolls have been set at a "realistic and reasonable rate" and urged everyone to accept it.
