Upazila chairmen will only be allowed to use their official transports inside their respective areas and would require authorisation to use the vehicles outside their districts.
The local government division (LGD) imposed the restrictions recently through a circular sent to the chairmen.
The elected local representatives will have the authority to use the vehicles provided by the government to travel to district headquarters for meetings or other important work. However, they will need prior approval of the local government division to use the transports outside their districts.
The circular, signed by deputy secretary Sobur Hossain, also asked the chairmen to refrain from using the vehicles for private errands. It further said that fuel supply would be stopped and legal steps would be taken against anyone violating the directives.
The LGD also sent letters to the newly-elected chairmen with several other instructions, including preparing budgets for the new fiscal year to get government allocations and creating funds from different sources to prevent misuse of public money.
Citing decisions taken by the cabinet committee on law and order, one letter ordered the chairmen to prevent slow modes of transport, like “easy-bikes” and “nosimons”, from plying on highways and remove roadside bazaars to avoid accidents and traffic congestion.
The chairmen would have to inform the local government division about the progress of stopping the illegal local transports, and the steps taken against setting up bazaars along highways, the letter said.
They were also asked to protect state-owned assets, including trees planted along highways and railway lines and forest areas.
The letters, issued on April 24 and signed by LGD joint secretary Akram Al Hossain and deputy secretary Sobur Hossain, also said tough measures would be taken against those who do not comply with the orders.
According to LGD officials, the instructions were given to make the new chairmen, who assumed office after the recently held local elections, aware about their duties and responsibilities.
