The government has reduced launch fare by 15 paisa per kilometre after fuel prices were lowered by Tk 5 per litre. The Ministry of Shipping issued a notification in this regard today (September 1, 2022). The new fares will be effective from tomorrow, it added. Fares have been reduced to Tk 2.85 per km for the first 100 kms from the existing Tk 3 per km. Beyond the first 100 kms, the fare has been decreased to Tk 2.45 per km from the existing Tk 2.60. The minimum fare has also been fixed at Tk 30 -- Tk 3 reduced from the existing Tk 33, according to the government notification. Read: Government cuts fuel prices by Tk5 per litre On Monday, the government lowered fuel prices by Tk 5 per litre, 23 days after raising them by up to 51.68 per cent. Prices of diesel and kerosene are now Tk 109, petrol Tk 125, and octane Tk 130 per litre at the filling stations, State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told UNB. On August 16, the government increased launch fares in view of a 42.5% hike -- from Tk 80 to Tk 114 a litre -- in the diesel price. In 2021, the launch fare was fixed at Tk 2.30 per km for a distance for the first 100 km while the fares beyond the first 100 km Tk 2.00 per km. The minimum fare was Tk 25.

The government Monday rejected the launch owners' proposal to double the existing launch fare amid the recent 42.5 percent hike, from Tk 80 to Tk 114 a litre, in diesel price. Launch owners are seeking a 100 percent increase in fares in response to the new fuel oil prices set by the government. "The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Passenger Carriers Association, an organisation of the launch owners, proposed to double the current fare. If their proposal is accepted, the fare will be Tk4.60 and Tk4 from the existing Tk2.30 and Tk2 per kilometre, respectively," Shipping Secretary Md Mostafa Kamal said. Against the backdrop of launch owners' proposal for a steep fare hike, the shipping ministry formed a working committee to recommend new rates by taking into account the potential implications for all stakeholders. The committee will submit its report within this evening, Mostafa said after a meeting with the launch owners in Dhaka. Read: Students stage protest against fuel price hike at Nilkhet "Launch fares will be increased reasonably through discussion. We hope to publish a gazette within August 10," he added. In November 2021, after a 23 percent hike in diesel price, launch fares were increased by more than 35 percent. The minimum launch fare was raised to Tk25 from Tk18.

Launch owners have called off their strike, part of the wider transport strike protesting a 23 percent hike in the price of diesel, following a decision to increase fares by upto 42 percent. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has increased the fares for short distance-journeys by 35.3 percent, and for long distances by 42 percent. Read:Striking association unveils 3-pt charter of demands The decision was made at a meeting between the BIWTA authorities and launch owners in the capital on Sunday. Launch fare has been fixed at Tk 2.30 per kilometre for the first 100 km (from Tk 1.70/km), and then Tk 2/km beyond the first 100 km, which used to be Tk 1.40 . The minimum fare has also been fixed at Tk 30, a two-thirds increase or 66.7 percent up from the existing Tk 18. BIWTA Chairman Commodore Golam Sadeq said the new fares will be effective from today (Sunday). A notification will be issued regarding the increased fare soon. Moreover, each launch dock will have the new fare list. The BIWTA chairman said, “The launch fares were last increased in 2013. After that the fare was not adjusted." Read:Strike called off as bus fares raised Meanwhile, the chairman said a committee was working anyway to increase the fares in response to the demands of the owners, before the fuel price hike came in. "In the meantime, the price of fuel has been increased. Then the owners urgently demanded a fare adjustment." "We have taken everything into consideration while fixing the new fares so that the passengers do not suffer, nor the owners face losses," he added. Earlier, the launch owners suspended their services on Saturday, demanding that the fares be doubled.   A section of leaders of transport workers and owners met Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal but the meeting made no headway.