Nearly 750,000 smart driving licence cards are pending production, leaving many applicants in difficulty.

 

The backlog began after the contract with the previous service provider expired in July, and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has yet to launch a new tender process to appoint a replacement company.

 

For now, BRTA is issuing cards only on a priority basis. The agency plans to publish a fresh newspaper notice reminding the public that e-driving licences are valid equivalents of physical smart cards. Two earlier circulars carried the same message, as this shortage is not a new problem.

 

The delay is causing headaches for a range of people, including students who need the cards for visa applications and job seekers requiring them for employment.

 

Back in January, the road transport ministry’s interim government adviser, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, announced that licence and vehicle fitness processes would be streamlined. At that time, 450,000 licences were pending, with a pledge to clear them by March. Instead, the number has since grown by about 300,000.

 

The BRTA’s last contract was with Madras Security Printers Pvt Ltd of Chennai, signed on July 29, 2020, for a five-year term. Procurement and printing delays under this agreement created the initial backlog. In September 2022, a parliamentary committee expressed frustration at the slow pace and urged quicker distribution. The contract expired on July 28 this year, but no new vendor has yet been selected.

 

Officials say a public tender will be called soon. In the meantime, licence tests were suspended for two days after the contract ended but have since resumed, with priority given to students, expatriates, and job applicants.

 

On July 29, students seeking foreign university admission were seen at the BRTA chairman’s office hoping to get their cards in time for visa processing. Drivers have also complained of being fined by police for not carrying the physical card, despite having an e-licence.

 

BRTA issued a notice in August 2023 allowing e-licences, viewable on smartphones and verifiable by QR code, to be used in place of the physical cards. In March 2024, the directive was updated to confirm that both formats carry equal legal weight.

 

At an inter-ministerial meeting on Sunday, senior road transport officials urged Dhaka Metropolitan Police not to penalize drivers who present e-driving licences. BRTA Chairman Abu Momtaz Saad Uddin Ahmed said a new public reminder will be issued and that an open tender for a new contractor is expected to be announced next week.