There has been little initiative from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to collect taxes from commercial vehicles operating without valid fitness certificates, raising concerns over both revenue loss and road safety.

According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), commercial vehicles are required to pay advance income tax when renewing their fitness certificates. The BRTA collects this tax on behalf of the NBR. Only vehicles undergoing official fitness renewal are contributing to government revenue.

Currently, around 50,000 commercial vehicles—including buses, minibuses, and human haulers—lack updated fitness certificates. These vehicles are freely operating on roads, but the NBR’s Central Taxes Survey Zone has not taken steps to recover the lost revenue. Law enforcement and BRTA also show little initiative in enforcing fitness renewal requirements.

NBR Member (Tax Survey and Inspection), Md Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury, told Bonik Barta, “Collecting this revenue falls under the Central Taxes Survey Zone. We will investigate why no initiative has been taken. Action can be taken under the income tax law against these vehicles. If the designated tax is not paid, penalties and multiple fines can be imposed.”

BRTA data shows that there are 102,668 registered buses, minibuses, and human haulers used for public transport across Bangladesh. Most lack updated fitness certificates. Of these, 56,733 buses, 28,561 minibuses, and 17,374 human haulers are used as public transport. Specifically, 23,665 buses, 11,905 minibuses, and 14,510 human haulers operating on fixed routes for passenger transport do not have valid fitness certificates.

Under the Finance Ordinance 2025, advance tax on fitness renewal is BDT 20,000 per bus (under 52 seats), BDT 12,500 per minibus, and BDT 7,500 per human hauler. Previously, under the 2024 Finance Bill, the amounts were BDT 11,500 for buses, BDT 6,500 for minibuses, and BDT 4,000 for human haulers. Based on this, the government lost BDT 407.57 million in revenue in FY 2024–25 and is projected to lose over BDT 730.93 million in FY 2025–26 if these vehicles avoid fitness renewal.

Ganesh Chandra Mondal, Commissioner of Central Taxes Survey Zone, told Bonik Barta, “Monitoring is not solely our responsibility. All tax zones and their circles share accountability, as TINs are spread across the country.”

The Central Taxes Survey Zone has two tax inspectors monitoring revenue collection through the BRTA’s Computer Network Systems Limited (CNS), which tracks real-time revenue. They ensure the reported revenue aligns with the Integrated Bus Accounting System (iBAS). In March, a problem arose where revenue was being recorded under a different BRTA code. After notifying the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), approximately BDT 10.64 billion was recovered.

Transport sector insiders warn that unfit public transport vehicles pose serious risks to passenger safety. Besides potential accidents, they contribute to traffic congestion and disorder on roads.