No one is above the law: HC

Issuing a stern warning against the operation of unfit vehicles on roads, the High Court yesterday said vehicles without valid fitness documents will not be allowed to run in Bangladesh.

"No one is above the law and compliance of law is the precondition for a country's development," the HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam said while hearing on a suo moto rule on this issue. 

The bench had issued the rule on March 27 last year following a report published on The Daily Star on March 23 under the headline "No fitness docs, yet running". 

In the rule, it asked the authorities concerned of the government to explain why their inaction to bar unfit vehicles and unlicensed drivers should not be declared illegal and why directives should not be given to implement the relevant laws, including the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1983. 

Yesterday, the HC bench also wanted to know from the authorities concerned of the government how the unfit vehicles were still operating. 

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) have been asked to inform the court on February 16 about their action in this regard. 

The court fixed February 16 to pass further orders on this issue. 

Earlier in the day, BRTA submitted a report before the HC bench saying that only 1,65,764 vehicles renewed their fitness certificates till December 30 last year among 4,58,359 that the BRTA had identified to be without valid documents. 

Therefore, 2,92,595 vehicles without valid fitness documents are plying the roads since December 30 last year, according to the BRTA report. 

Advocate Rafiul Islam submitted the report on behalf of BRTA to the HC as per its earlier order. 

Meanwhile, the office of the inspector general of police submitted another report to the HC saying that notices have been sent to filing stations so that fuel is not sold to vehicles without valid fitness documents. 

Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik placed the report on behalf of the IGP office. 

While hearing the same rule, the HC bench on October 23 last year directed the authorities concerned to take necessary steps so that vehicles without valid fitness documents do not get fuel from any filling station. 

It also ordered law enforcers to strictly monitor filling stations across the country so that they do not supply fuel to those vehicles.