In a bid to control fare irregularities and bring relief to passengers, the Ishwarganj upazila administration conducted mobile court drives across several locations in Mymensingh’s Ishwarganj on Sunday, April 6. The operation aimed to tackle overcharging and restore order in local and long-distance public transport, particularly in the run-up to the Eid holidays.

During the drives, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Executive Magistrate Md. Ershadul Ahmed led a mobile court in the Ishwarganj municipal area along the Mymensingh-Kishoreganj regional highway. The court dumped three CNG-run autorickshaws and imposed a total fine of Tk 5,000 on them for charging passengers more than the approved fare.

Simultaneously, another mobile court was carried out by Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Md. Iqbal Hossain in the Atharabari Union area of the upazila. That court also took action against unauthorized fare hikes, dumping two more CNG-run autorickshaws. In a broader operation throughout the day, a total of eight CNGs were dumped under the supervision of the assistant commissioner for collecting fares above the standard rate.

Altogether, both the UNO and AC (Land) dumped 13 CNG-run vehicles through mobile courts for their involvement in fare manipulation and irregularities. The local administration further took action against bus operators found to be overcharging passengers.

In one instance, a staff member at a ticket counter for the Ishwarganj-Dhaka route was fined Tk 20 for collecting extra fare from passengers. In a separate case, a staff member from the Ishwarganj-Chattogram bus service was handed a one-month simple imprisonment sentence for the same offense by the executive magistrate.

Md. Aminul Haque, a passenger heading toward Dhaka, expressed appreciation for the initiative, saying that transport operators often take advantage of holiday seasons like Eid to charge double the usual fare. He noted that such enforcement drives by the administration would help reduce public suffering.

Speaking on the issue, Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Md. Iqbal Hossain said that a total of eight CNGs were dumped during the drive, while one person was fined Tk 20,000 and another sentenced to a month in jail for their involvement in fare manipulation and creating transport chaos.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Executive Magistrate Md. Ershadul Ahmed added that the total number of dumped vehicles stood at 13 as part of the efforts to minimize passenger suffering and restore discipline on the regional highway. He assured that mobile court operations would continue in the public interest to ensure fair practices in public transportation and uphold the law.

The administration’s initiative reflects a growing focus on ensuring passengers are not exploited during peak travel seasons. With the Eid holiday approaching, such enforcement measures are expected to continue in a bid to maintain discipline and safeguard commuters' rights across the upazila.