After Eid celebrations, many people were heading back to Dhaka. To help stop bus overcharging, the Bangladesh Army set up a checkpoint at Abdullahpur Bridge late Friday (13 June) night.
Captain Morshed was in charge of the effort, working with the team from the Army’s Uttara Camp.
Starting around 10 PM, soldiers began stopping Dhaka-bound buses and checking them, after hearing complaints from passengers about being charged too much.
Nearly all long-distance buses were checked during the operation. In several cases, passengers were found to have paid more than the normal fare.
Where this happened, the army arranged for the excess money to be returned.
Garment worker Shuli Akter, traveling from Mymensingh, said she and three others were each charged an extra 200 taka. “The army helped us get that money back,” she said. “It made our Eid journey feel much better.”
Mujibul Haque, a schoolteacher from Brahmanbaria, said he ran into the same thing. “I was charged 70 taka more than the regular fare. The army ensured I got it back,” he said. “I think these checkpoints really help ordinary people. I hope they continue.”
During the inspection, the army also detained one individual after recovering a quantity of cannabis.
According to Uttara Camp officials, similar operations will continue as needed to support public safety and maintain order.
If you are planning to travel in or out of Dhaka during busy times, you might encounter these checkpoints. For many passengers this Eid, it meant some welcome fairness on an otherwise expensive road home.
