The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Chittagong

A total of 1, 19,031, out of 1,56,023, different registered vehicles are plying greater Chittagong region without valid documents particularly fitness.

Officials of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) said, of those, about 35 thousand are running in the Chittagong city while rest in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Khagrachhari and Rangamati districts.

Sources said police and BRTA officials seized over 3000 fake licenses in the year 2007 during routine drives. They observed that there are huge quantity of fake licenses in the hands of a section of drivers and vehicle owners.

Apart from causing frequent accidents due to plying of unfit vehicles by unskilled drivers, the government has been depriving from huge chunk of revenues from the sector every year.

On the other hand, vehicle owners and drivers on condition of anonymity told BSS that obtaining or renewing licenses or regularising the other documents are not an easy task as people often face untold sufferings by a section of BRTA officials even submission of all valid papers to this effect. They also alleged that concerned officials do not complete the process timely even after fulfillment all preconditions for obtaining fresh licenses or renewing necessary documents showing various faults for having money as bribe for the job.

Talking to BSS, drivers and owners of vehicles complaint that a gang of brokers are involved in processing fake driving license, fitness certificates, tax-tokens and other documents in cooperation with some dishonest BRTA officials.

"Drivers and owners are compelled to take help of the brokers in obtaining driving licenses and having renewal of other documents due to harassment by the BRTA officials" a number of the sufferers alleged.

Sagir Ahmed, a businessman alleged that he went to BRTA officer directly with all necessary valid papers required for updating fitness certificates of his car and his driving license in February last but he failed to complete the process after repeated attempts due to non-cooperative attitude from the officials concerned who showed him various frail reasons.

Finding no ways, he sought help from a broker who assured him of doing the job within short time on condition of paying some extra money. "I agreed with his proposal and surprisingly the things were done within couple of days by the broker" he said.