Launch fare on Dhaka-Char Fasson route rises sharply

CHAR FASSON, BHOLA, Sept 29: Launch operators on the Dhaka-Betua (Char Fasson) route are allegedly charging passengers unusually high fares, citing the recent increase in diesel prices.

Passengers alleged that launch owners and operators are charging fares at their discretion, disregarding government-fixed rates. The sudden fare hike has triggered widespread anger and frustration among regular passengers on the route.

The launch route is the only means of transport to the capital for more than 500,000 people of Char Fasson Upazila in Bhola.

Several passengers said the deck fare from Dhaka to Betua was Tk 400 before the fuel price hike, while a single cabin cost Tk 1,200. The deck fare has now been increased to Tk 600 and the single cabin fare to Tk 1,500, they said.

The fare for a double cabin has also been raised to Tk 2,800.

Several passengers waiting at the launch terminal expressed their anger over the increase.

“If fuel prices rise, fares may also go up to some extent. But increasing the deck fare by Tk 200 and the cabin fare by Tk 300 at once is clearly unfair,” one passenger said.

They said the increase was not reasonable and amounted to putting an extra burden on ordinary passengers, particularly those from low- and middle-income groups who regularly travel on the route.

Although the Ministry of Shipping and relevant authorities have fixed specific rates for launch fares, passengers said there was little reflection of those rates at the local level.

They blamed inadequate monitoring by the administration and what they described as arbitrary decisions by launch operators for the situation.

Passengers demanded immediate action to stop what they called excessive fares on the Dhaka-Betua route. They also urged the authorities to enforce fares according to the government-approved chart and take legal action against operators charging extra.

Mazharul Islam Sohag, local manager of MV Tasrif operating on the route, said the fare increase was determined by the owners and that local staff had no role in the decision.

He said the government had issued a notification increasing launch fares by an average of 7.54 percent following the rise in fuel prices.

“The increase in fuel prices has affected fares on launches operating from Dhaka to Char Fasson (Betua), and higher fares are currently being charged,” he said.

Char Fasson Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rumana Afroze said a fare increase in line with the rise in fuel prices was reasonable.

“But increasing fares by nearly one and a half times is arbitrary,” she said.