Rafiqur Rahman, a 32-year-extinct bike fanatic, stood exterior the Dhaka BRTA place of job, proudly conserving his newly printed licence. The total route of—from applying on-line to taking pictures biometrics and no longer as we stammer collecting the doc—became completed in no longer as a lot as a month.
For Rahman, it felt almost unreal. “Closing year, I handled agents for months, facing endless delays and demands for bribes,” he recalled. “This time, all the pieces became aloof, distress-free, and, honestly, a enjoyable shock.”
His story highlights a unprecedented transformation on the Bangladesh Avenue Transport Authority (BRTA), once notorious for inefficiency and corruption. In recent months, the agency has earned frequent praise, particularly on social media, the achieve customers part definite experiences.
This implies that of the intervening time government assumed place of job, the impact of middleman syndicates has a good deal declined.
Hakim Ahmed, but any other biker, echoed identical sentiments in a Facebook put up: “The enchancment is unprecedented. Middlemen are almost nonexistent now, and the work will get refrained from any distress.”
Busting the middleman racket
For a protracted time, BRTA became stricken by an entrenched network of middlemen who preyed on voters determined to carry out licences, registrations, and health certificates. These intermediaries grew to change into compulsory services and products into a nightmare for quite lots of—unless, of route, you were though-provoking to pay moderately of extra. With their “abet,” the route of grew to change into suspiciously like a flash and uncomplicated.
One of many first actions by the intervening time government became a centered crackdown on this network. In the final couple of months, over 50 arrests had been made.
“Even two were arrested the day long gone by (Nov 20),” remarked an Ansar guard stationed at BRTA, hinting on the ongoing crackdown.
“These americans operated brazenly, taking cuts from each and every voters and staff. We are dismantling the intention brick by brick,” mentioned a senior legit at BRTA, who requested anonymity.
The federal government’s means has been each and every surgical and complete. Investigations revealed how sure BRTA staff colluded with middlemen. Sweeping transfers and suspensions adopted.
Lately, original guidelines be sure transparency, with all transactions now conducted in easy note and recorded digitally.
Digital transformation: A game changer
On the coronary heart of BRTA’s newfound effectivity is its digital transformation. Transferring key services and products esteem licence applications and tax token renewals on-line has drastically lowered the paperwork and face-to-face interactions that when fuelled corruption.
Grab Nasima Begum, a forty five-year-extinct homemaker from Gazipur, to illustrate. She no longer too lengthy ago utilized for her automobile’s health certificate and became pleasantly drastically a good deal surprised by the expertise. “I became worried originally, attempting forward to the same outdated distress. But my son stuffed out the types on-line, and we simplest had to chat over with once for verification. No bribes, no harassment,” she mentioned, smiling.
“It feeble to take a large range of time to switch the licence. Now it takes spherical per week, with many of the route of completed on-line,” mentioned Morsalin Shikder, who no longer too lengthy ago transferred possession of a bike.
BRTA’s web area now capabilities obvious, step-by-step guides for every carrier, making the route of more straightforward for everyone. For those much less accustomed to expertise, carrier centres are geared up with kiosks to recordsdata them thru the steps. This focal level on inclusivity has been a important ingredient in incomes public belief.
“For a health test, a automobile can complete its route of in 12-quarter-hour, stop to complete,” mentioned Moniruzzaman Raji, director of Automobile Successfully being, BRTA. He showed the digital show veil that displays the area of the autos and the autos lunge to the designated slot of a extremely geared up Automobile Inspection Centre (VIC), that will perchance test 40 autos at a time.
New government, renewed spirit
With a trade in the federal government, issues had to trade. Enhanced bodily monitoring and upgraded on-line programs had been presented. Administrative adjustments, pushed by the intervening time government’s mandate for accountability, accept as true with cultivated a custom of effectivity.
The better authorities actively music CCTV feeds and promptly ask with field officers about any suspicious americans spotted. Raids are then conducted to apprehend such americans. As successfully as to these measures, routine transfers had been no longer too lengthy ago completed.
“Since October, 54 personnel had been transferred across departments. This has helped shut the gaps that middlemen exploited,” mentioned Mohammad Kamrul Islam Chowdhury, Director (Admin) of BRTA.
Verbal exchange has also improved a good deal. “I continuously verify my email, and if we receive complaints or emergency requests, I be sure they’re addressed promptly,” Kamrul Islam added.
He acknowledged the institution’s past shortcomings: “We knew the public had lost faith in us. Our purpose became to prove that a public institution can assist voters honestly and successfully. We’re no longer supreme but, nonetheless we’re on the authorized music.”
“There are aloof some concerns we are engaged on,” he mentioned. “As an illustration, we are striving to be definite that folk come all over their designated time slots.”
He added, “We are also upgrading programs to forestall misuse. As an illustration, a single address will no longer be in a space to receive more than 5 riding licences. This step is important because of the brokers generally employ their very indulge in addresses to accept as true with licences for his or her purchasers.”
Experiences of trade
The trade at BRTA has rippled across society. Habib Ullah, a well informed truck driver, recounted how he became once compelled to pay bribes authorized to win his automobile’s health certificate renewed on time.
“This time, it became assorted,” he mentioned. “I utilized on-line, paid the fees, and my work became refrained from any ‘extra costs.’ I would possibly well no longer factor in it.”
In the period in-between, the middlemen who once thrived accept as true with frail into obscurity. One worn middleman, Kamal (no longer his real name), who now drives Uber bikes for a living, shared his standpoint.
“Change at BRTA is moderately refined now. Each the military and police habits raids. Issues were getting execrable with half of of the issues getting digital. Now with the raids, or no longer it is basically unhealthy,” he mentioned. “If issues give a enhance to and americans assist, I’m chuffed that procedure too,” he added.
Challenges forward
Despite essential development, challenges persist. Long queues and low server outages aloof test voters’ patience. “Many americans ignore their disbursed time slots and all show up in the morning, so we accept as true with to assist them on a first-attain, first-served foundation,” explained Raji, a BRTA legit.
Critics, on the different hand, caution that whereas corruption has been lowered, it hasn’t been eliminated. “There are aloof loopholes in the intention, and some dishonest officials adapt rapid,” mentioned Rafiq Ahmed, an analyst at Transparency Global Bangladesh (TIB). “Sustained vigilance is compulsory to kind these reforms permanent.”
Even with these hurdles, BRTA’s development presentations that government institutions can transform when pushed by solid management, innovative expertise, and public accountability. Attempting forward, the agency plans to elongate its digital services and products and introduce AI-powered tools to enhance effectivity and be sure compliance.
The road to reform has been bumpy, nonetheless BRTA’s roam is proof that trade is attainable. For now, it appears to be just like the days of middlemen and rampant corruption are firmly in the rearview assume.
