Bangladesh government increases travel tax 500 taka to 1,000 taka

By  Firstdespatch Desk   Jun 03, 2023

Agartala, Jun 3 (FD) The Bangladeshi governments has recently announced an increase in the travel tax imposed on passengers traveling to and from Bangladesh, effective from July 1 next.

The decision, passed by the National Parliament of Bangladesh last Thursday, states that passengers will now have to pay 1,000 taka instead of the previous 500 taka. However, the implementation of this decision has faced immediate backlash due to allegations of corruption within the Bangladesh customs authorities.

Since last Friday, several passengers traveling between Bangladesh and India have been required to pay the increased travel tax of 1,000 taka. Disturbingly, these passengers are not being provided with valid receipts by the Bangladesh customs officials, raising concerns about the transparency and accountability of the process. It has been alleged that these officials are pocketing the additional funds for personal gain.

The Ministry of Revenue of Bangladesh has also come under scrutiny, as its officials have reportedly begun collecting the increased travel tax from June 2nd, prior to the official implementation date. This has further fueled suspicions of corruption, as it is believed that these officials may be embezzling the collected money.

The situation has caused widespread anger among the public, particularly at the Indo-Bangladesh land port located in Muhurighat, Belonia, which serves as the headquarters of the south district of Tripura. The harassment of passengers and tourists at border land ports is unfortunately not a new phenomenon, and this recent incident has only amplified the grievances of the people. The public is outraged by the increasing innovative methods employed to exploit travelers and demands immediate action to address the issue.

The government of Bangladesh now faces the critical task of restoring public trust and ensuring transparency in the collection of travel taxes. Swift investigations into the alleged corruption and appropriate measures to prevent further abuse are imperative to alleviate the concerns of passengers and restore confidence in the authorities. FD PD