Mobile courts crack down as passengers face billions in illegal Eid overcharges

Industry watchdog warns of widespread fare inflation draining passengers’ pockets

Thousands of passengers rushing home for Eid found themselves paying more than they should, as bus operators quietly hiked fares, prompting mobile courts to intervene and levy fines totalling Tk 76,000.

The festive journey, meant to be joyous, turned into a bitter reminder of the financial strain on holiday travellers.

The drives took place on Thursday at major transit points in Dhaka -- including Fulbaria, Gulistan, Jatrabari, Sayedabad, Gabtoli, and Abdullahpur -- as well as in Chattogram, Tangail, Barishal, and Khulna, according to an official statement.

The crackdown follows comments by Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam, who on Wednesday visited the Gabtoli Bus Terminal and insisted that operators were following government-fixed fares.

He even claimed some were charging Tk 20–30 less than the official rates.

But the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity painted a starkly different picture.

The association alleged that 87 percent of buses and minibuses have hiked fares for the Eid season, leaving passengers to shoulder a significant financial burden.

Its estimates suggest that homebound travellers are collectively being overcharged by nearly Tk 1.21 billion during the holiday rush.