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Sleeper bus ban could put Tk 2,000cr investment at risk
Published : Sunday, 23 August, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Observer Online Report
A possible shutdown of sleeper buses could put around Tk 2,000 crore in investment and the jobs of up to 250,000 people at risk, according to the Bangladesh Sleeper AC Bus Owners’ Association.
The association also alleged that sleeper buses were facing enforcement drives due to the influence of an interest group.
Association General Secretary Touhidul Islam Babu made the claims while speaking to journalists outside the office of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) chairman at its headquarters in Banani, Dhaka, on Sunday.
He said sleeper buses had been operating on the country’s highways since 2010. Around 1,000 such buses are currently in operation, with about Tk 2,000 crore invested in the sector. He said some 200,000 to 250,000 people, including drivers, helpers and supervisors, depend on the sector for employment.
According to Babu, sleeper buses are popular on long-distance routes and to tourist destinations as they offer passengers comfortable and safe travel. He also claimed that sleeper buses have a comparatively lower accident rate on highways.
He alleged that an organised group was spreading misinformation about sleeper buses for business interests and influencing the administration to conduct enforcement drives against them.
He said the government regularly earns revenue from the sector through ticket sales, VAT, taxes and other charges.
Babu said a writ petition concerning the legality of sleeper buses is pending with the High Court. The association has also submitted necessary documents to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, BRTA and other relevant agencies, he said.
He added that Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) had also submitted an assessment report on the design and safety of sleeper buses.
The association alleged that owners were being harassed and fined heavily through sudden enforcement drives before a court verdict or government policy decision on the issue.
Instead of shutting down the service, Babu called for a specific policy for sleeper buses.
“If there are shortcomings, the government should issue guidelines and we will comply with them,” he said.
He also rejected the description of sleeper buses as double-deckers, saying they have a single-storey structure with specially designed interiors and are similar in size to other long-distance buses.
Association leaders invited journalists to travel on sleeper buses to assess their safety and comfort firsthand.
SKS
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
