Staff Correspondent:

At least 700,000 people have been waiting for more than three months to receive their driving licence cards, as the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has suspended printing and delivery, citing not only a shortage but also serious quality concerns with supplied smart cards.

The crisis stems from the failure of Indian contractor Madras Security Printers to deliver the required number—and quality—of smart cards under a five-year contract that expires next month.

The disruption has caused immense suffering for service seekers, many of whom are facing regular questioning by traffic police despite having completed all official procedures.

Wishing anonymity, a top BRTA official revealed that printing was suspended after the latest batch of 3.5 lakh cards delivered by the Indian company was found to be substandard.

“When the smart card is printed, photographs, signatures and other things are found obscure. The overlook of the card is also bad and thin. We are receiving huge complaints regarding the cards,” the official said.

Though BRTA had initially cited a global shortage of semiconductor ICs used in smart cards, the situation appears to have been worsened by dissatisfaction with card quality.

In response, Ashraf Uddin, Human Resources Manager of Madras Security Printers Pvt Ltd, denied the allegations.

“Before, we supplied 3.5 lakh smart cards to BRTA but the higher officials did not allow us to print more, except for emergencies. I don’t know why they’re not permitting further printing.”

While admitting that there were some complaints about picture distortion, Ashraf Uddin claimed those were isolated cases, and insisted the cards met contract specifications.

However, BRTA officials said that, at present, only emergency cases—such as individuals travelling abroad—are being issued printed cards.

According to official documents, BRTA Director Sitangshu Shekhar Biswas awarded a Tk120.26 crore contract to Madras Security Printers for the supply of 40 lakh smart driving licence cards over a five-year period from August 2020 to July 2025. However, the company has so far supplied only 24 lakh cards in nearly five years.

Sitangshu Shekhar Biswas said the company has consistently failed to meet its obligations. “At least 7 lakh cards are still pending for printing, but the company has failed to deliver the required number of cards. They are now claiming that the contract was signed when the exchange rate was Tk80 per US dollar, and since it has crossed Tk120, they are incurring losses. There is only one month left in the contract, so we are not considering punitive action at this stage,” he said.

He added that no company representatives are currently present in Bangladesh, and communication has become difficult. “They were supposed to deliver 40 lakh cards but have fallen far short.”

BRTA Director (Operation) Meer Ahemed Tariqul Omar told journalist that they are printing only emergency cards, especially for people travelling abroad. “We print and deliver only for outbound travellers, like those attending UN peacekeeping missions. The rest is outside my responsibility,” he said.

Officials of the Directorate of Posts, which handles card deliveries, confirmed that they have not received any driving licence cards from BRTA since March. Md Karamat Ali, Postmaster of Narayanganj Head Office, said none of the offices under his jurisdiction have received cards in the last three months. Noor-E-Alam, a postal delivery man under the Vatara Post Office in Dhaka North City Corporation, said they have not received any cards since April.

An employee of Madras Security Printers, requesting anonymity, said the company is still supplying a limited number of cards for emergency use. Several people who received their licences earlier this year have complained about poor card quality, and BRTA has received numerous complaints in this regard.

Despite being just a month away from completing the five-year contract, BRTA has yet to float a new tender for selecting a replacement vendor. Officials warned that the procurement process typically takes at least three months, which could prolong the suffering of licence applicants.

When asked about the delay, BRTA Director Sitangshu said that internal indecision over technical features—such as whether to retain the semiconductor IC—had held up the tender process. “We have decided to replace the chip with a QR code, but procedural delays have pushed back the timeline,” he said.

When contacted, Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan told journalist that the government is aware of the issue and will take necessary steps to address it.