Half bus fare: Students postpone demo after assurance from state minister Murad

College students in Dhaka, who were demonstrating for half fare on bus, postponed their protests following the assurance of State Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Dr Md Murad Hassan.

Expressing solidarity with the protestors, the state minister said, "The ongoing demonstration is logical. I will talk to the authorities concerned about the students' demands."

The students later postponed the demonstration after they got assurance from the state minister, said a press release issued by the ministry today.

Meanwhile, college students in Dhaka this afternoon gave a 48-hour ultimatum to meet their two-point demand, including half fare for bus rides for them.

The ultimatum came from a sit-in protest held in Bakshibazar intersection of the capital today -- demanding half fare on buses and ensuring safety of female students.

They also demanded that government implement the half bus fare through issuing gazette notification immediately.

The government on November 3 raised prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk 15 per liter and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) increased the fares for intra-city and inter-district buses by 26.5% and 27% respectively following an indefinite strike by transport owners on November 7.