The High Court on Thursday asked the government to explain the legality of taking Tk10 as entry fee from each passenger at Sadarghat and other launch terminals across the country.
Secretaries of the shipping and the Local Government Division, and the chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority were asked to reply to the rule in four weeks.
A bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Showkat Ali Chowdhury issued the rule after hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Jahangir Hossain on June 25.
BIWTA, on September 30, 2019, doubled the entry fees of Sadarghat and other launch terminals across country to increase revenue.
As per the new rate, a passenger has to pay Tk10 instead of Tk5, to enter the launch terminals in Barishal, Chandpur, Narayanganj, Patuakhali and Barguna to board a launch on different routes or any kind of activities.
Petitioner’s lawyer Md Mokshed Ali told the court that taking Tk10 as entry fee from each passenger at launch terminals were illegal and irrational as there were no entry fees to the airports and railway stations.
