Published : 09 Sep 2026, 08:54 PM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:49 AM
The High Court has turned down a plea seeking protection from enforcement action against sleeper buses, saying only vehicles approved under existing road transport laws can operate on the roads.
The bench of Justice KM Hafizul Alam and Justice Murad-A-Mowla Sohel issued the order on Wednesday.
The court said buses must comply with the Road Transport Act 2018 and the Road Transport Rules 2022 and have the necessary approval from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).
It also said there was no bar to taking legal action against unapproved buses or vehicles operating outside the law.
The case followed a writ petition filed on Jan 23, 2025, by lawyer Muhammad Huzzatul Islam Khan seeking directives to stop unauthorised sleeper buses in the interest of passenger safety.
The Bangladesh Sleeper AC Bus Owners Association later filed a separate petition seeking protection against mobile court drives, seizure, dumping and other enforcement action against buses already in operation.
The association said around 1,000 sleeper AC buses were being run by 89 transport companies, with the livelihoods of about 218,950 people directly or indirectly linked to the sector.
It argued that existing road transport laws and rules did not set specific technical standards for the structure and design of sleeper buses.
According to the petition, BRTA has formed a technical committee to consider approval of the buses, while BUET is assessing their structural safety and compliance with AIS-119 standards.
The association sought a stay on a BRTA order issued on Aug 11 until that policy and technical review was completed.
It argued that buses with valid registration, fitness certificates and route permits should be allowed to continue operating in the meantime.
The High Court, however, did not issue a stay.
BRTA lawyer Rafiul Islam said the authority had not registered any sleeper buses and the court had therefore not granted permission for them to operate.
“Since BRTA has not issued any registration for sleeper buses, the court has not passed any order allowing them to operate,” he said.
Rafiul said Section 28 of the Road Transport Act bars vehicles from operating without a route permit, while Section 84 provides for punishment and fines of up to Tk 300,000 for violations.
He said mobile courts were already taking action against illegal sleeper buses, including seizure, dumping and fines.
Huzzatul said he had previously sought information from BRTA under the Right to Information Act on whether sleeper buses had permission to operate.
BRTA replied that no such permission had been granted, he said.
Huzzatul said he went to court after noticing irregularities while travelling on sleeper buses and raised the issue over concerns about passenger safety.
He added that the High Court would ultimately decide whether sleeper bus operations should be stopped.
