BRTA trashes TIB graft report

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has strongly refuted the findings of a Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report, alleging that it is based on "imagination, false information and ill motive".
BRTA Chairman Nur Muhammad Mazumder, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, a day after the report's release, dismissed the claims as "totally false, imaginary, beyond reality, fabricated and prepared based on ill motives".
"It is an absolute lie," he said after reading a prepared statement.
The TIB report, titled 'Integrity in the Business of Private Bus Owners', alleges illegal transactions of at least Tk 9 billion annually during the legalisation process of bus transport documents and certifications.
It further claims the involvement of individuals and groups affiliated with the ruling party, traffic police, highway police, transport workers and owners' associations in illegal activities worth another Tk 1 billion, given the sector's dominance by political figures.
The report, based on a survey conducted from September to October 2023, estimates total illegal transactions, including tolls from roads, illegal parking, avoiding police cases, and obtaining fitness certificates, registrations and vehicle document updates from BRTA, at Tk 10.59 billion.
However, Mr Mazumder countered that the BRTA's digitalisation efforts since 2020 have eliminated the need for physical presence when applying for driving licences, fitness certificates and route permits, which are now available online.
He contested the report's timeframe for obtaining BRTA services. Mr. Mazumder also said that the TIB did not seek any information from the BRTA, either verbally or in writing, nor did they contact any BRTA officials to verify the data used in the report.
Being a service provider, he said BRTA welcomes constructive recommendations from TIB that could help improve the services at all levels.
Responding to questions, the chairman said the BRTA would send a written response to the TIB regarding the report's findings.
He, however, commented that they do not intend to "challenge the TIB's integrity entirely".
The BRTA has been working to improve its services based on public needs, the chairman added. They are organising public hearings to gather feedback from service seekers and address issues of irregularities and harassment.
When asked about the TIB report's claim of 90 per cent influence from political leaders, with 80 per cent dominance by the ruling party, the chairman admitted the difficulty of completely disregarding public influence in the sector, given the country's context.
However, he elaborated on BRTA's efforts to address the issue. He disclosed that, in the past three years, four officials have been removed from their assignments, 24 have been punished and departmental actions have been taken against 15 others based on various allegations.
The chairman also criticised the TIB for not acknowledging these efforts, despite the report suggesting the BRTA's inaction on service seeker complaints.

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