Dhaka, Sep 12 (V7N): The Socialist Students’ Front, a prominent leftist student organization in Bangladesh, has called for a reduction in Dhaka metro rail fares and the introduction of half fares for students, considering the financial limitations of the general population and comparing the fare structures in neighboring countries.

The demand was made during a rally held in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Thursday.

Speakers at the event expressed concerns about the "high fares" of the metro rail and the absence of a "half-pass" system for students, which they claimed was creating a form of financial discrimination.

They criticized the Awami League government, accusing it of fostering corruption, bribery, embezzlement, and money laundering, which they said had infiltrated every sector, including the bureaucracy and judiciary, turning them into tools serving the government.

This widespread corruption, they argued, had also impacted the transport sector, with the metro rail project being cited as a prime example. Initially budgeted at Tk22,000 crore, the cost of MRT Line 6, which runs from Uttara to Motijheel, had increased by 50% to Tk33,500 crore due to delays, according to the Socialist Students’ Front.

The organization also pointed out that the fares for Line 6, ranging from Tk20 to Tk100, were significantly higher than those of private buses in Dhaka and several times more than metro fares in neighboring India and Pakistan, making it unaffordable for many, particularly students and lower-income groups.

The speakers emphasized that if the metro rail is to effectively ease traffic congestion in Dhaka, the fare structure must be revised to make it more accessible.

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