Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and transport leaders are holding a meeting over refixation of fare against the backdrop of fuel price hike.
The meeting started around 11:30am on Sunday at the BRTA office in the capital amid the countrywide strike that rolled into the third day, inflicting immense sufferings to people.
Thousands of travellers and tourists got stranded at places due to the strike enforced since Friday morning over the recent spike of fuel price.
Public transports along with vehicles carrying goods stayed off the roads as the owners and workers were adamant about continuing the strike.
They said public transports would not be resumed unless the government raised fares or rescinded the fuel price hike.
Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Saturday hinted at a transport fare hike saying the fare would remain tolerable even if the government decided to increase it due to the strike.
The strike hit hard businesses along with export and import activities.
Business-related people said they incurred huge losses due to the strike while the fuel price hike already had them worried as it would also raise the production cost.
On November 3, the government raised the prices of diesel and kerosene to Tk 80 from Tk 65 at the retail level.
The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources said petroleum prices have been readjusted against the backdrop of the price hike of petroleum in the international market.
In another development, launch owners joined the ongoing transport strike against the fuel price hike and stopped operating their vessels from Saturday evening, adding misery to the travellers.
The government is set to hold a meeting with the launch owners at the office of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) in the city this afternoon.
The vessel owners earlier urged the government to double the fares due to fuel price hike.
