Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader announced that motorcycles without riders wearing helmets would be denied fuel.
He made this announcement during the inaugural session of the advisory council established under the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority Act 2017 on Wednesday morning.
Quader said: "We've witnessed numerous accidents before and after Eid. These incidents afflict the entire population. Motorcycles and autorickshaws are major contributors to road fatalities in our nation. Autorickshaws often carry seven to eight passengers, leading to mass casualties in accidents while motorcycles pose significant dangers as well."
"When accidents occur, everyone blames me, regardless of the circumstances. There's little scrutiny of the actions taken by the BRTA chairman; instead, all concerns are directed towards me," he added.
Expressing frustration, he continued: "How can 20-year-old buses still operate on our roads? Unless we restore discipline on our roads, accidents will continue unabated."
The minister pointed out: "Despite having well-constructed roads spanning from plains to mountains, chaos still persists. This raises questions about the effectiveness of teamwork among relevant authorities."
During the session, Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation President Shahjahan Khan suggested that instead of simply discarding out of date and dilapidated vehicles, they should be completely destroyed.
