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From today, half of the student rent is applicable for Dhaka city

  • National
  • 01 December, 2021 11:01:59

Photo: Collected

News Desk: At the head of the movement for 20 days in a row, half fare for students has been announced. On Wednesday (December 1), private bus owners announced the conditional half fare for students only in Dhaka.

Earlier, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader announced half fare for students across the country on public transport (BRTC) buses. Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTA) will issue a notification regarding half fare on government buses. But no notification will be issued regarding the announcement of half fare for private bus owners. As a result, the agitating students are not convinced.

They demanded that half of the rent should be confirmed in the notification. Students protested in front of the BRTA office on Tuesday (November 30th) demanding notification. At a press conference held at the office of Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association at 11:30 am on Tuesday, the general secretary of the association Khandaker Enayet Ullah announced to take half fare from students in Dhaka subject to conditions. This decision will be effective from today. However, nowhere outside the Dhaka metropolitan area will half the rent be charged.

The owners' association has given some conditions for half rent. Students will have to show a photo ID of their educational institution. Half rent will be provided from 8 am to 8 pm. Half the rent will not be effective during the seasonal holidays of government, weekly, educational institutions.

According to the Ministry of Education's annual leave list, there are 75 days of school-college leave per year except weekly leave. There are 52 Fridays in the year. As such, schools and colleges are closed for 136 days out of 365 days. There is a time limit of 36 days for three examinations in a year. At that time the students get a few more days off in class.

However, the country's largest private schools and colleges, including the capital, have a two-day weekly holiday. In that case they have a total of 169 days of annual leave including 75 days of government leave. These schools and colleges are open for 16 days out of 365 days.

The academic councils of the respective universities list the university holidays. In that case, there may be some differences in individual university holidays. However, on an average, the university is closed for at least 138 days out of 365 days of the year, including weekly holidays.

Asked why half the rent would not be charged for students outside Dhaka, Enayet Ullah said, "We have decided that half the rent is applicable for Dhaka city. Because it was the students here who agitated for their demands. ‘

Regarding the non-issuance of notification, Enayet Ullah said, "We do not have the power to issue notification. After our announcement, BRTA may issue a notification in this regard. ‘

BRTA chairman Noor Mohammad Majumder said, "There is no opportunity for the government to issue a circular on half-rent in the private sector." Apart from that, the transport owners' association has announced in front of the media that they will take half the fare. Everyone knows this. ‘

Asked about the rationale behind the BRTA's interpretation, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua said, "Under the Competition Act of 2012, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that consumers are not overcharged." Therefore, BRTA may compel the Transport Owners' Association to submit their declaration in writing to the Ministry. Then they can take action. ‘

One of the agitating students said, "What is the guarantee that this rent will be effective after two months?" So notification has to be issued. And our demand was to take half rent from 8 am to 10 pm. Not only in Dhaka, we want half pass for students all over the country. ‘

In this regard, the communication expert Professor Shamsul Haque said, who has given the authority to announce the decision to take half the fare to the transport association? BRTA is the authority. The announcement should come from BRTA.

He said there could be a separate fare list for students if needed. If there is a problem in hanging two lists on the bus, the problem can be solved only by mentioning a separate column for the students in the same list.

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