Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and former MP Professor Mia Golam Porwar has issued the following statement on 31st May, 2020 protesting the government’s decision of increasing bus fare by 60 percent.

A circular issued by the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry disclosed the decision of increasing bus fare by 60 percent. The decision has been taken without any reason and it is absolutely illogical and unacceptable. Amid the pandemic situation, many people have become helpless already and they are leading a miserable life. People’s incomes have come down to big low as the offices and business institutions were shut down for long days. Many people have lost their jobs as well. It has become very tough for the people to manage the daily expense and other living costs.

Under the circumstances, the latest decision of increasing bus fare by 60 percent would cause more sufferings to the people. Government should not create mass sufferings, rather they should to try to ease the citizen’s lives. But instead of making people’s life easier and comfortable, government decided to cause more pains to the people. Government could avoid the situation by declaring some stimulus package for the transport sector.

I am urging the concerned authorities to consider the mass sufferings and also to withdraw the decision of increasing bus fare. I am also calling upon the authority to ensure proper health safety measures during the mass transportation.