The High Court has turned down an application by the Bus Owners' Association seeking permission to operate sleeper buses on highways, stating that only buses permitted by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) will be allowed on the roads.

The High Court bench led by Justice KM Hafizul Alam issued the order on Wednesday (September 9).

Lawyer Md. Rafiulislam represented the BRTA in court. Speaking afterward, he said, "The Sleeper Bus Owners' Association submitted an application stating they want to run sleeper buses on the roads. I told the court that Section 40A of the Road Transport Act, 2018 outlines technical specifications. If anyone violates these technical specifications, it constitutes an offense under Sections 80 and 84, which is a punishable offense carrying a maximum penalty of three years' imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 taka. Furthermore, Section 28 of the Road Transport Act explicitly states that no vehicle can be operated on the road without a route permit."

"The court has stated that only the buses for which BRTA has granted operation permission will ply the roads. There is no permission to operate sleeper buses, and the High Court has not granted permission either," the lawyer added.