Staff Reporter:
Road Transport, Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has warned that the government will take strict action against any attempt to increase transport fares ahead of Eid al‑Fitr, stating that no instability in the transport sector will be tolerated.
The minister said that adequate fuel supply would be ensured from 15 March and that there would be no increase in fuel prices, removing any justification for raising transport fares.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists after inspecting Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital on Friday and exchanging views with passengers.
Addressing transport owners, the minister said the fuel minister had assured him that sufficient fuel would be available for public transport from 15 March.
He emphasised that transport operators must not charge fares beyond the government-fixed rates and urged passengers to report any violations, promising action against offenders.
He also mentioned that some attempts had been made to return advance tickets amid speculation about a possible fuel price hike, but those efforts were stopped following government intervention.
Expressing satisfaction over the start of Eid train services, the minister said 21 trains had departed since morning and all were operating on schedule. Although two trains had experienced delays of about three hours in recent days due to an accident, the delays had now been reduced to around 40 minutes, and schedules were expected to return to normal within the next two days.
Regarding online ticket sales, he said around 3.7 million people had attempted to purchase tickets, while about 33,000 tickets were issued based on the system’s capacity.
He added that the process was fully transparent and tickets were distributed fairly.
The minister further noted that between 12.5 million and 15 million people are expected to leave Dhaka within just two to three days for Eid, describing it as an unprecedented movement of people within such a short time.
He said additional coaches and locomotives had been arranged within the available capacity to manage the rush.
On security measures, he said special volunteers wearing identifiable jackets had been deployed at 500-metre intervals at stations to maintain order. Railway Police, district police, Ansar and Highway Police are also working together to ensure safety.
To prevent dangerous travel on train rooftops, the minister said the government had imposed strict measures and was closing access points to train roofs.
However, he acknowledged that the strong desire of people to return home sometimes makes the situation difficult to control. He urged passengers not to risk their lives by travelling on train roofs.
State Minister for Railways Habibur Rashid, Secretary Md Fahimul Islam, Director General of Bangladesh Railway Md Afzal Hossain and other senior officials were present during the inspection.
