Over 600,000 driving licences held up

Money has been deposited, and the driving test is over. The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has only one task left: to print the driving licence smart cards and hand them over to the applicants.

However, this government organization has been unable to complete this seemingly simple work, leaving over 625,000 people suffering. Some have been waiting for three years.

This situation arose during the tenure of Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader in the previous Awami League government. Allegations suggest that complications emerged from attempts to award the contract to a favoured contractor, resulting in public suffering.

On 5 August, the Awami League government collapsed following a student uprising, and an interim government took over on 8 August. The new administration has decided to abolish the smart card system for driving licences, replacing it with standard plastic (PVC) cards.

According to BRTA sources, PVC cards will be issued to new applicants, while existing applicants will receive their previous smart cards. However, there is no guarantee regarding when they will receive these cards.

Senior secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Department, Ehsanul Haque, told Prothom Alo that the old contractor already brought the cards, and he believes that the complications will gradually ease. He stated that the main goal of returning to PVC cards is to enable quicker printing, which will reduce public suffering. Notably, these cards will also feature a QR code that can be used to verify the validity of the licence.

BRTA issues a paper licence to customers whose smart cards are not issued on time. This allows the traffic police to refrain from taking legal action. However, those who need a licence to work abroad are the ones who suffer the most, as they cannot go overseas without a smart card.

Abdul Matin from Cumilla is waiting for his visa to Saudi Arabia. He told Prothom Alo that he needs to correct his licence and applied for this through a broker at a cost of Tk 13,000.

He mentioned that his card is pending printing, and two months have already passed. Once he receives his licence, he plans to submit his passport to the embassy.

Sources indicate that only a few cards are currently being issued, primarily to influential bureaucrats and foreign travellers. Those traveling abroad must show their visas and register at the BRTA chairman's office to receive their cards.

However, many people are unaware of this process. Allegations have emerged that those who do know must pay significant sums of money. Additionally, it is reported that a 'syndicate' has formed, comprising workers from Madras Printers and some BRTA officials, who are exploiting the situation by printing a limited number of licences for an extra fee.

Fujayel Ahmed, the owner of a visa processing service in Dhaka's Paltan area, told Prothom Alo that many of his clients are still waiting for their licences. Some have resorted to obtaining licences through brokers, spending as much as Tk 50,000.

BRTA is responsible for issuing driver's licences in the country and maintains a database of all licenced drivers. However, since 2019, the organisation has struggled to provide licences and manage the database effectively.

According to BRTA sources, the crisis began when the card printing contract was awarded to a favoured contractor, Madras Security Printers of India. Key officials from the Ministry of Roads and BRTA were actively involved in this decision.

Nazrul Islam was the Secretary of the Road Transport Department at the time the job was awarded to Madras Printers. When contacted for comment, two of his mobile numbers were found to be switched off. Nur Mohammad Mazumder served as the chairman of BRTA from 2020 until June of this year. Despite repeated attempts, he could not be reached for comment.

In 2019, the BRTA invited fresh tenders for the supply of 3.5 million smart card licences over the next five years, following the expiration of the contract with the previous contractor. After changing the tender conditions and extending the deadline several times, three companies were eventually shortlisted: Selp Card Solutions from France, Madras Security Printers from India, and Percetakan Keselamatan Nasional from Malaysia. According to BRTA sources, Selp Solutions was the lowest bidder, followed by Madras Printers and then Percetakan Keselamatan Nasional.

At various stages of the tender evaluation, Madras Printers lodged three complaints with the BRTA and the Ministry of Roads, arguing that Selp Solutions was the lowest taxpayer and that its ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certificate had expired. Subsequently, the Ministry of Roads cancelled the tender.

In 2020, tenders were invited again, increasing the number of licenses to be supplied to 4 million. The previous three contractors were shortlisted once more, with Madras Printers emerging as the lowest bidder this time, proposing a price of Tk 300.66 for each smart card, while Selp Solutions quoted Tk 331.15.

According to relevant sources, the BRTA signed an agreement with Madras Printers on 29 July, 2021. The company received its work order in September of that year and was supposed to start supplying licenses within three months. However, they began issuing cards six months later. Delays in hiring contractors and starting the supply of new cards led to a backlog of customer applications.

Madras Printers, which had received the contract of the work, could not supply cards as per demand. As an excuse, sometimes they have brought forward the issue of Covid pandemic, sometimes the complexity of opening letter of credit. On the other hand, the suffering of the applicants has increased.

Madras Printers is expected to deliver 4 million cards by July 2026 from the date of the agreement. But so far they have provided around 2 million cards. They could not issue cards even with the information of 625,000 customers. New applications are added every day. This includes new, old license renewal and amendment.

Madras Printers manager Ahmed Kani claimed to Prothom Alo that BRTA is not paying bills on time. This makes it difficult to import cards. That is why many people don't get the license on time.

BRTA officials have raised concerns about the capacity of Madras Printers. According to the contract terms, the contractor is required to make payments after delivering the cards and to employ the necessary machinery, facilities, and manpower. However, Madras Printers has not fulfilled these requirements adequately, and they are being billed only for the amount of work they have completed.

Sources from the Ministry of Road Transport indicate that in all developed countries, driver's licenses are issued as smart cards. Even neighbouring countries have moved away from issuing PVC cards. The smart card system was launched in 2011, but now there is a shift back to plastic cards.

Allegations of corruption against BRTA officials are widespread. A survey conducted by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) in 2021 revealed that 83.1 per cent of families were victims of corruption while obtaining a driving license, and 83.7 per cent sought services through brokers or other means.

Road Transport Advisor Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan told reporters at the secretariat on 18 August that he is also a victim in the licencing process, having taken seven days off to secure his driver's licence.

Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB, commented to Prothom Alo that the inability to issue a simple card is indicative of a deeper issue. This issue was caused due to awarding contracts to incompetent institutions through collusion, and those responsible should be held accountable—a form of accountability that has been lacking during authoritarian rule.

Iftekharuzzaman highlighted that the BRTA is a major case of mismanagement in the road sector in Bangladesh, emphasising the need for reform within the organisation. He warned that if the new government does not take action against service institutions, the popular uprising will be seen merely as a political change rather than a meaningful reform.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat