Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, Advisor to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and the Ministry of Railways, has stated that the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) could face closure if it fails to improve its operations.
He made the remarks on Saturday (January 11) during a visit to the BRTA headquarters, following a road safety discussion with officials in the conference room. Responding to journalists’ questions, the advisor noted that BRTA has not reached an acceptable level of improvement despite previous warnings.
On December 19, at a meeting held in Dhaka’s Bidyut Bhaban, the advisor had set a one-month deadline for BRTA to enhance its services. As the deadline approaches, he acknowledged some progress but deemed it insufficient.
“The behavior exhibited by BRTA officials is unacceptable, and they have been clearly informed of this,” the advisor said. “I have also reminded them that several government departments have been dissolved in the past. If there is no significant improvement, we will consider shutting down BRTA.”
The advisor emphasized regular monitoring of BRTA operations, particularly campaigns against unfit vehicles, which he said would be intensified. He warned, “If an accident occurs due to an unfit vehicle, legal action will be taken against the responsible officials.”
Regarding the rise in road accidents, he admitted, “Road accidents have increased by 12% compared to last year. As an interim government, we take responsibility for not being able to reduce accidents.”
The advisor also instructed BRTA and related authorities to ensure compensation for victims of road accidents, stating, “Life has no price, but as part of acknowledging responsibility, we have directed steps to provide compensation to the injured and deceased as per the law.”
During the session, the advisor listened to the concerns of BRTA officials and employees from various districts. He directed the relevant authorities to resolve issues affecting service delivery.
The meeting was attended by prominent figures, including Lieutenant General (Retd.) Abdul Hafiz, NDC, PSC, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor (Defense and National Integrity Development), Mohammad Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor (Home Ministry), Md. Ehsanul Haque, Senior Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, and Baharul Alam, Inspector General of Bangladesh Police.
