Mid-aged Parvin Begum embarked on her journey to Gazipur from the Signboard area in Narayanganj, boarding an Anabil Paribahan bus on Tuesday afternoon. As the rain began, Parvin, along with her belongings, was soaked by the time the bus reached Uttar Badda as there was no window glass beside her seat, nor beside the seats directly in front of her. So, the condition forced her and other female passengers to leave the seats and keep standing to avoid the rainwater.

The correspondent, who was also a passenger on the bus, witnessed the plight of the passengers first-hand. A total of three windows lacked glass, and the roof was riddled with holes, allowing rainwater to pour in.

Parvin said, “I called the bus assistant several times to tell them I was getting drenched, but they did not respond.” She added that passengers are made to pay full fares despite these conditions, suffering in both rain and sun as many buses do not have window glasses or fans.

Another passenger, Mahin, tried in vain to block the rainwater with his hands. He expressed his frustration, saying, “We are helpless. To whom do we complain about this harassment and suffering? We have protested many times, but nothing has changed.”

He also said that the dilapidated bus continues to operate without intervention from traffic police or the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).

When questioned, the bus driver’s assistant, Sujon, said that the window glasses were broken a few days ago and had not been replaced due to Eid vacation closures. “Right now, we have nothing to do.”

Many buses in Dhaka operate in similarly poor condition, with missing fans, lights, windows, roofs, and broken seats, while authorities remain inactive.

Secretary General of the Bangladesh Passengers Welfare Association, Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, criticised the BRTA and police for failing to maintain a disciplined bus service, allowing unfit buses to ply the roads.

“How can these buses operate? The BRTA is supposed to inspect these  buses and issue fitness certificates annually. What are the BRTA’s executive magistrates doing? The government wants to turn Bangladesh into a smart country. Does public transport reflect this vision?” he asked.

Regarding the matter, BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Majumder said they would conduct drives against unfit buses from 1 July, with magistrates taking action.

Attempts to contact Dhaka’s additional commissioner for traffic, Munibur Rahman, were unsuccessful as he was in a meeting.