Dhaka, March 18 -- Whether holidaymakers or homebound, passengers travelling in buses over the Eid ul Fitr holidays are slated to shell out an eye-watering Tk 1.48 billion (148 crore) in excess fares, despite the government's claims of strict monitoring, according to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (JKS), a passengers' safety advocacy group.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, JKS accused bus operators of 'holding passengers hostage' and charging inflated fares. It even observed that Bangladesh was on the verge of breaking a 20-year record of irregularities in Eid travel, UNB reports.

JKS said that although the government, in coordination with transport owners' associations, publicly claims that fares remain under control, the ground...