Election travel rush: Passengers allege overcharging, transport operators deny
Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said he personally witnessed overcharging on multiple routes.
Amid the travel rush ahead of the 13th national election, passengers have alleged that transport owners and workers are charging extra fares as hundreds of thousands of people leave Dhaka to return to their villages.
However, transport operators have denied the allegations of overcharging.
An Eid-like rush was observed on the Dhaka-Aricha, Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways, with many travellers struggling to secure bus tickets. Unable to find seats, some passengers were seen boarding trucks and pickup vans to reach their destinations.
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A visit to the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar today (10 February) found heavy crowds at bus stops in Hemayetpur, Fulbaria, Genda, Pakija Mor, Radio Colony, Nabinagar and Baipail, where hundreds of people were waiting for long-distance buses.
Long queues of vehicles were also seen in the Chandura, Safipur, Mouchak, and Konabari areas of Gazipur.
Jewel Mia, a garment worker waiting at Savar's Ulail bus stand with his wife and child, said, "I have been waiting since 10am to go to my village in Sirajganj. I have not been able to get a bus yet. A few buses came, but there were no seats."
Arafat, waiting at Radio Colony to go to Kushtia, said, "I have been waiting here for over an hour. The buses I can find are charging more than usual. Some are asking for higher fares than the counter rates."
Tarikul Islam at Nabinagar bus terminal, travelling to Barisal with his family, said, "I arrived in the morning and managed to get a ticket for the afternoon. I saw many passengers struggling to get tickets, and some counters were charging higher fares. The roads were jammed too; it took two hours to reach the terminal from the export area."
Sohel Rana added, "I moved from counter to counter for two hours, but I still have not found a ticket. Fares of Tk500 are being demanded at Tk900–1,000."
Ismail, a passenger at Baipail travelling to Chapainawabganj, said, "TV says it will be safe to return home, but the roads are jammed and fares are higher. There is no order."
Speaking to The Business Standard, Shahidul Islam, counter master of Druti Paribahan at Nabinagar bus terminal, said the number of available buses had dropped sharply due to election requisitions.
"On a normal day, we can operate four vehicles. Today, we have only one. Most buses have been requisitioned for election purposes," he added. "Naturally, passengers are facing difficulties, and many are returning without tickets."
Denying allegations of overcharging, he said, "It is not true that we are taking extra fares."
Royal Express counter master Mizan said passenger pressure remained high throughout the day.
"Since morning, 11 trips have departed, all with full seating capacity. There is a huge rush at the terminal," he said.
Ohid, counter master for Jnoni, FK, and NR Transport, said, "Tickets are sold at normal fares. Some short-distance passengers may feel fares are high, but no extra fares are collected."
In Dhaka, the manager of Shyamoli Paribahan's Kallyanpur counter told TBS that there was no scope for charging extra fares from their end.
"The regular fare to Barishal is Tk550, and we are charging exactly that," he said. "All tickets have already been sold out. Even after adding extra trips, we are struggling to cope with the passenger pressure."
On allegations of fare hikes, Savar Highway Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sheikh Shahjahan said, "We have not received any formal complaints yet. If complaints are received, action will be taken."
He further said, "Traffic pressure was unusually high as most police personnel were engaged in election duties. There is congestion, especially towards Chandra, but vehicles are moving. We are facing manpower shortages."
Backing the allegations of fare hikes, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said he personally witnessed overcharging on multiple routes.
"Yesterday, I was dropping off a few office volunteers. Two of them were travelling to Chattogram and were charged Tk800 each, while the regular fare is Tk680," he said. "Even during Eid, higher fares are not charged on the Chattogram route."
He further alleged that excessive fares were also being charged on Sunamganj-bound routes.
"I have seen double fares being taken on the Sunamganj road. Higher fares are being charged especially on remote routes," he said, adding that a shortage of vehicles could be one of the reasons behind the situation.
"Many buses have been given on government requisition for election duties, creating a transport shortage. At the same time, passenger demand is very high," he said.
Mozammel also criticised the government's inaction, saying, "We regularly raise these issues with the government, but no effective steps are taken. We hope the next government will take these matters seriously."
Meanwhile, passengers also complained of overcharging at several points along the Dhaka–Mawa Expressway, despite no major traffic congestion being reported.
Commuters alleged that buses were refusing to pick up passengers and demanding extra fares at Nimtal, Hasara, Sholaghar and Srinagar Sawani areas. Since morning, many said they had waited for long periods without securing transport, even as buses passed by with vacant seats.
According to passengers, several buses avoided stopping at local pick-up points, while those that did stop demanded fares higher than the officially fixed rates.
A jobholder waiting at Nimtal said, "I have been standing here for more than one and a half hours since morning. Several buses passed but none stopped. When they do agree to take passengers, they ask for higher fares."
Despite the complaints, traffic movement on the expressway appeared largely normal. Officials concerned said that while passenger numbers have increased due to the election holidays, overall vehicle movement remains smooth.
However, no immediate response was available from the local administration or transport authorities. Passengers have called for urgent intervention to stop overcharging and ensure smoother travel during the election holidays.
The Dhaka–Mawa Expressway, which serves as the main gateway to 21 districts of southern Bangladesh, has seen a noticeable rise in vehicular movement compared to normal days. Alongside long-distance buses and private vehicles, a sharp increase in motorcycle traffic has added to the pressure.
Due to the surge, long queues of motorcycles were observed at the Padma Bridge toll plaza on the Munshiganj end, particularly in the southbound lanes. Thousands of people are travelling to their destinations on personal motorcycles to avoid transport shortages and delays.
Bridge authorities said vehicle crossings at the toll plaza have been higher than usual since Tuesday morning, with motorcycle traffic increasing significantly after noon.
However, they added that vehicles, including motorcycles, are crossing the bridge smoothly after paying tolls, with no major congestion reported.
