BRTA Chairman Discloses Driving License Issuance Was Managed from India

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Chairman Abu Mumtaz Saad Uddin has finally disclosed with confirmation that the country’s driving licences were previously issued through a company based in Madras, India, and announced that the process will now be brought under local control.

Speaking on Monday evening, December 22, at a cheque distribution ceremony for road accident victims in Narayanganj, the BRTA chief said the authority’s licence issuance work had been handled by an Indian company operating from Madras. He noted that the contract with the firm expired in July this year.

“The company applied for a two-year extension, but we did not respond,” he said. “We want our sovereignty to remain in our own hands. The work will now be assigned to a locally owned company.”

The remarks came nearly two months after an investigative report by DigiBanglaTech.news raised questions over whether BRTA smart cards were being printed following instructions from Madras.

The cheque distribution programme was organised by the Narayanganj District Administration and the BRTA Narayanganj Circle at the district Shilpakala Academy.

Presided over by Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Md Rayhan Kabir, the event was also attended by BRTA Director Rubaiyat-e-Ashik, Additional District Magistrate Naima Islam, Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Md Sohel Rana, and Assistant Director of the BRTA Narayanganj Region Mahbubur Rahman, among others.

During the programme, cheques worth Tk 13 million were distributed among 30 beneficiaries. Families of those killed in road accidents received Tk 500,000 each, seriously injured victims received Tk 300,000, and injured victims received Tk 100,000. The guests also distributed uniforms among drivers at the event.

DBTech/JNO/IK/OR