Unfit vehicles in Bangladesh: The number without certificates soars to 4,81,029

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said the number of vehicles without fitness certificates in Bangladesh is 4,81,029 as of December 2020.

He came up with the number while responding to a tabled question from ruling party MP, elected from Chattogram-11, M Abdul Latif.

The minister said steps like informing all concerned through SMS from circle offices to renew the fitness certificates have been taken.

Besides, he said, punitive actions such as imposing fine, jailing and dumping vehicles are going on against the vehicles without fitness certificates across the country.

Replying to Jatiya Party MP Liakat Hossain Khoka, he said the constriction work on Padma Bridge will be completed by June 2022.

The work on this mega project was hindered slightly due to the Covid-19 pandemic, said Obaidul Quader adding, "Though the pace of work had slowed down a bit, but it did not stop fully."

While replying to a question from Ayan Uddin from Rajshahi-3, Obaidul Quader said there are 3,943.69 kilometres of national highways, 4,882.94 kilometres of regional highways and 13,556.20 kilometres of district highways under the Roads and Highways Department.

In response to Jatiya Party MP Shamim Haider Patwary, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujon said the government has taken 89 projects since it was formed in 2009 the Awami League and 79 of the projects have been completed.

Responding to a question of AKM Rahmatullah, the minister said the government has taken a 'Land Use Plan' to utilise the unused lands of Bangladesh Railways.

Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, while answering to BNP MP Mosharrof Hossain, said a total of Tk 1559 crore has been given to jute workers as their dues.

Besides, around the same amount of money will be given to them in the form of savings certificates, he said.

The minister also said the government has decided to pay the dues of jute traders in the 2021-22 fiscal.