Millions of bus passengers in Dhaka are being routinely overcharged, often paying up to double the government-approved fares, as weak enforcement and controversial ticketing practices fuel what critics describe as “fare anarchy” across the capital’s transport network.
Sajib Sheikh, a resident of Pallabi in Mirpur, travels around nine kilometres daily to Farmgate for work. According to official rates, the fare for his journey should be Tk21.60. Instead, he pays Tk30 every day on buses operated by Rajdhani and Alif Paribahan.
After years of paying inflated fares, Sajib says he has come to believe that the higher amount is the official rate.
“I thought this was the government fare,” he said.
His experience reflects that of countless commuters in the capital, many of whom have grown accustomed to paying more than they should. While fare hikes often trigger public debate—especially when fuel prices rise—and prompt stern warnings from authorities, commuters say the situation quickly returns to what they describe as “business as usual”.
Passengers allege that transport operators use a range of tactics to extract higher fares. On some routes, commuters pay one-and-a-half times the official rate, while on others, fares are effectively doubled depending on distance.
Although some passengers initially protest, many eventually give up, exhausted by repeated disputes with bus staff.
Fuel price hikes and fare disputes
Following a surge in global fuel prices after the Iran war, the government increased domestic fuel prices, raising diesel by Tk15 per litre, petrol by Tk19, and octane by Tk20.
Bus owners, whose vehicles largely run on diesel, responded by proposing fare increases of more than double. However, analysts point out that current diesel prices are roughly in line with those set on 6 August 2022, when fares were last significantly adjusted.
At that time, the government fixed inter-district bus fares at Tk2.20 per kilometre, while fares in Dhaka and Chattogram were set at Tk2.50 per kilometre for large buses and Tk2.40 for minibuses.
Subsequent reductions in diesel prices led to minor downward adjustments in fares on paper—by two or three paisa per kilometre—but these were never effectively implemented. Even after diesel prices dropped to Tk100 per litre and fares were officially revised on 1 April 2024, passengers continued paying the previous, higher rates.
Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, secretary general of the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, said fares could now return to August 2022 levels given the current diesel price of Tk115 per litre.
“Fare reductions have existed only on paper,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh. “In reality, passengers continue to be charged more than the official rate. Even with a Tk15 increase in fuel price, fares should rise by only about 15 paisa per kilometre under the policy. That would still keep fares close to current levels.”
‘Overcharging on every route’
Journalist Anirban Biswas said he paid Tk40 to travel 12 kilometres from Shishu Mela in Shyamoli to Bishwaroad on Airport Road—despite the official fare being Tk29—on a bus run by Bhuiyan Paribahan.
“Helpers say the owners have fixed the rates through the waybill system, and they have no control,” he said.
The so-called “waybill system”, introduced by bus owners in recent years, has become a central point of controversy. Under this method, ticket checkers stationed along routes count passengers and sign a document after each segment. Passengers must pay fares up to the next checkpoint, even if they get off earlier.
For example, if a checkpoint is at Karwan Bazar and the bus continues to Gulistan, a passenger alighting at Banglamotor must still pay the full fare to Gulistan—even though new passengers are picked up along the way.
Despite repeated announcements by the Dhaka Road Transport Owners’ Association to scrap the system following public criticism, it remains in place.
On many routes, the discrepancies are stark. A journey of about five kilometres from Moghbazar to Asad Gate should cost no more than Tk13 under official rates, yet buses operated by Labbayk, Lovely and Ayat Paribahan charge Tk20. On the Mohammadpur to Mirpur ECB Square route—around 12.4 kilometres—fares are Tk40, compared with an official rate of Tk30.
Similarly, the 19-kilometre stretch from Jahangirnagar University to Karwan Bazar should cost roughly Tk46, but passengers report being charged Tk60 by operators including Welcome, Labbayk and Savar Paribahan.
Lack of transparency
Regulations require buses to display fare charts based on route permits in visible locations. However, passengers say such charts are rarely seen. When new rates are announced, charts may briefly appear in obscure places before being removed.
As a result, commuters often have no way of verifying the correct fare for their journey.
E-ticketing rollout stalls
Efforts to introduce electronic ticketing systems to curb overcharging have repeatedly stalled.
In October 2022, amid widespread criticism over inflated fares, authorities launched e-ticketing on several routes. Conductors were equipped with point-of-sale machines, allowing passengers to pay precisely for the distance travelled.
The system initially proved popular, with fares dropping significantly in some cases—for instance, from Tk20 to Tk13 for certain journeys.
However, bus owners soon withdrew support, reportedly because revenues declined. Although there were plans to expand the system to 30 companies operating from Mirpur, the rollout was halted. Machines were no longer supplied, and even existing ones fell out of use.
On 19 January this year, Dhaka Road Transport Owners’ Association and Dhaka Metropolitan Police traffic division announced that counter-based e-ticketing would be introduced within seven days. More than three months later, the plan has yet to materialise.
Anisur Rahman, additional commissioner (traffic) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said the initiative is currently “on hold”.
“It is a large-scale plan involving significant financial arrangements,” he said. “It cannot be implemented without proper management.”
A similar system had been introduced under the Dhaka Nagar Paribahan service, overseen by the city corporations, but that service has since been discontinued.
Sparsha Khan, a university student who regularly used the service, said the system had reduced disputes.
“We used to buy tickets from booths and simply show them when boarding,” he said. “There were no arguments with helpers. We want e-ticketing back—it would reduce both waiting time and harassment.”
Confusion on long-distance routes
Fare inconsistencies are also reported on inter-district routes.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) calculates fares based on a standard 52-seat bus. If operators reduce seating for passenger comfort, they are permitted to increase fares proportionately.
However, Saimum Sabbir Shovon, a journalist from Jamalpur, said buses on the Jamalpur–Dhaka route vary widely in seating capacity—from 55 seats to as few as 42—yet all charge the same fare.
The 173-kilometre journey from Jamalpur town to Mohakhali in Dhaka should cost Tk 414 if seats are reduced by seven, based on a per-kilometre rate of Tk2.40. In reality, passengers are charged Tk450.
There are also discrepancies in distance calculations, with fares often based on outdated routes even after new bypasses reduce travel distances.
Questions over fare-setting policy
Critics have also raised concerns about the assumptions underlying fare calculations.
According to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, fares are set on the assumption that 20% of seats in city buses and 10% on long-distance routes remain vacant. By law, minibuses have 30 seats and large buses 51.
In practice, however, minibuses often carry 44 to 45 passengers, and buses frequently exceed capacity, sometimes transporting 65 or more passengers at a time.
SM Nazer Hossain, vice-president of the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said fare calculations also factor in operational costs such as garages, maintenance, worker salaries and festival bonuses.
“But in reality, these standards are not followed,” he said.
He also alleged collusion between transport owners and government officials in setting fares, with no meaningful representation of passengers.
“There is usually only one passenger representative, and when they oppose fare hikes, they face hostility from owners and workers,” he said. “These meetings are often held just to legitimise decisions already made in the owners’ interest.”
Transport expert M Shamsul Haque said that fare-setting cannot rely solely on consultations with bus owners. He said passenger representatives, transport workers, urban planners and other stakeholders must also be included, warning that decisions would otherwise be one-sided.
He added that passengers are being subjected to sustained exploitation, with extra fares routinely charged on various pretexts. This practice, he said, is effectively slipping beyond control, and the lack of effective intervention by the regulatory authorities is allowing it to become increasingly institutionalised.
No response from authorities
Repeated attempts to contact Md Saiful Alam, secretary general of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association and general secretary of Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association, were unsuccessful. He briefly answered one call but disconnected before responding to questions, and did not reply to follow-up messages.
The chairman of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Meer Ahemed Tariqul Omar, also did not respond to multiple calls seeking comment.
