Bangladesh’s Road Transport Act sets fines of up to Tk 25,000 and six months in prison for driving without a valid licence, up to Tk 1 lakh and one year for overloading a goods vehicle, and up to Tk 5 lakh and five years for reckless driving that kills or seriously injures someone. Since June 2026, BRTA has also been deducting demerit points from licences, and a driver who loses all 12 loses the licence.
This guide sets out the penalties drivers, truck owners and shippers need to know in 2026, how they are enforced and what may change.
Are the penalties still the same in 2026?
Yes. The Road Transport Act took effect on 1 November 2019, according to the official text on bdlaws, and its penalties have not been reduced since. In March 2024, the cabinet approved in principle a draft amendment that would have cut several fines, for example the signal violation fine from Tk 10,000 to Tk 2,000, as Prothom Alo reported. We found no record that it was passed.
BRTA notices since then still apply the original amounts. In February 2025, BRTA warned CNG autorickshaw drivers that overcharging or tampering with meters carries a Tk 50,000 fine and six months in prison, as the Dhaka Tribune reported. In April 2026, it repeated that driving without a valid licence, or outside the category on your licence, carries up to six months, Tk 25,000 or both, according to Dhaka Times.
The fines below are the maximums the law allows. Courts and mobile courts can impose less, and many offences carry prison, a fine or both.
Licence and vehicle document offences
| Offence | Maximum prison | Maximum fine | Demerit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving without a valid licence, or outside your licence category | 6 months | Tk 25,000 | None listed |
| Driving on a suspended or cancelled licence | 3 months | Tk 25,000 | None listed |
| Using or making a fake licence | 6 months to 2 years | Tk 1 lakh to 5 lakh | None listed |
| Driving an unregistered vehicle | 6 months | Tk 50,000 | None listed |
| Fake number plate | 6 months to 2 years | Tk 1 lakh to 5 lakh | None listed |
| No fitness certificate | 6 months | Tk 25,000 | None listed |
| No route permit | 6 months | Tk 20,000 | None listed |
| Tax token not renewed | None reported | Tk 10,000 | None listed |
| Conductor or helper working without a licence | 1 month | Tk 5,000 | None listed |
Sources: Prothom Alo and TBS summaries of the penalty schedule, and the BRTA notice reported by Dhaka Times.
For truck owners, the document offences add up quickly. A truck stopped without a valid fitness certificate and route permit can face fines of up to Tk 45,000 before anyone checks the driver’s licence. Our guides to driving licence types and the heavy driving licence explain which licence each vehicle needs.
Driving offences on the road
| Offence | Maximum prison | Maximum fine | Demerit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ignoring a traffic signal or sign | 1 month | Tk 10,000 | 1 |
| Speeding | 1 month | Tk 10,000 | 1 |
| Driving on the wrong side | 3 months | Tk 10,000 | None listed |
| Drunk driving | 3 months | Tk 10,000 | None listed |
| No helmet, or more than two people on a motorcycle | 3 months | Tk 10,000 | None listed |
| Not wearing a seat belt | None reported | Tk 5,000 | None listed |
| Using a mobile phone while driving | None reported | Tk 5,000 | None listed |
| Hydraulic horn or excessive horn use | 3 months | Tk 10,000 | 1 |
| Vehicle emitting black smoke | 3 months | Tk 25,000 | 1 |
| Illegal parking | None reported | Tk 5,000 | 1 |
| Charging more than the fare chart | 1 month | Tk 10,000 | 1 |
| Meter tampering or overcharging (CNG autorickshaws) | 6 months | Tk 50,000 | 1 |
| Not helping an accident victim or informing police | 1 month | Tk 20,000 | 1 |
Sources: Prothom Alo, TBS, Dhaka Times and the Dhaka Tribune report on meter offences. Demerit points are from BRTA’s May 2026 notice.
News summaries of the penalty schedule list a fine of up to Tk 5,000 for using a phone while driving. In Dhaka, many violations are now recorded by cameras, as the enforcement section below explains.
Overloading and goods vehicles
Overloading carries one of the heavier penalties for everyday trucking: up to one year in prison, a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh, or both, and since 2026 a two-point deduction from the driver’s licence. Unauthorised changes to a vehicle’s body or structure can bring a fine of up to Tk 3 lakh.
If an overloaded or uncontrolled vehicle causes damage or loss, the penalty under section 98 rises to three years in prison and Tk 3 lakh, as TBS reported.
Legal weight is set by axle count. A 2016 government office order allows 22 tons gross for a two-axle truck, rising to 52 tons for seven axles, according to the Financial Express. For shippers, the safe rule is to stay within the truck’s rated payload. Our guide to truck sizes in Bangladesh lists the payload for each size, from a 1 ton pickup to a 25 ton truck.
Accidents causing injury or death
Reckless or negligent driving that causes death or serious injury carries up to five years in prison, a fine of up to Tk 5 lakh, or both, under section 105. The offence is non-bailable, as Prothom Alo reported. Reckless driving or racing that injures someone carries up to three years and Tk 3 lakh.
After any accident, the driver must inform the police and help the injured reach a hospital. Failing to do so is a separate offence, with up to one month in prison and a Tk 20,000 fine, and it costs one demerit point.
The 12-point demerit system
Every licence other than a learner licence carries 12 points under section 11 of the Act. BRTA set out the point cost of each offence in a notice on 5 May 2026, reported by Bangla Tribune.
Most listed offences cost one point. They include ignoring signals, speeding, horn misuse, illegal parking, overcharging, running a polluting vehicle, breaking highway rules and failing to help accident victims. Overloading and deliberately blocking a road cost two points each.
BRTA began deducting points automatically through its Road Safety Penalty System (RSPS) app in June 2026. That month it took 78 points from 75 drivers, the Daily Star Bangla reported. A BRTA deputy director told the paper that deducted points cannot be restored, and that a driver who loses all 12 has the licence cancelled and cannot renew it or apply for a new one.
For a truck driver, six overloading deductions would use up all 12 points and end the licence, even if every fine was paid.
How traffic laws are enforced in 2026
Since 3 May 2026, Dhaka Metropolitan Police has been filing cases automatically from CCTV and AI-enabled cameras. Its e-traffic prosecution system sends a notice to the vehicle’s registered address, and the owner pays the fine by bank or mobile banking after visiting DMP’s traffic division, as TBS reported. Ignoring the notice can lead to a court summons or warrant.
Police also run regular drives. In two days in early September 2026, DMP filed 3,206 cases for traffic violations, 1,315 of them against motorcycles, and dumped 878 vehicles, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
Keep the address on your vehicle registration up to date. If a camera notice goes to an old address, you may not learn about the case until a summons arrives.
Road safety in numbers
Road deaths remain high. The Road Safety Foundation counted 7,584 road accidents in 2025, with 7,359 people killed and 16,476 injured, as Prothom Alo reported. Motorcycles were involved in about 40% of those accidents.
BRTA’s own count for 2025 was lower, at 5,490 deaths, but still the highest in its records, according to Bonik Barta. Monthly figures for 2026 are lower so far: the Road Safety Foundation recorded 438 deaths in June and 423 in September, as the Financial Express and bdnews24 reported. Two months are too few to call a trend.
What may change
Three changes have been proposed. The March 2024 draft amendment would lower several fines and make some offences bailable, but we found no record that it was passed. In February 2025, the government said it would bring in a separate road safety law by 2027. And in October 2025, it announced plans for 60 hours of mandatory training before a licence is issued; we found no gazette notice making it a formal requirement yet.
Until any of these is enacted, the fines in this guide apply.
A checklist for truck owners and drivers
- Keep the driver’s licence, registration, fitness certificate, route permit and tax token valid and in the vehicle.
- Make sure the driver’s licence category matches the truck: a heavy licence for large trucks, and the special-type category for prime movers.
- Load within the truck’s rated payload. Overloading costs two points as well as a fine.
- Do not use a phone while driving, and keep horn use to a minimum.
- Keep the registered address up to date so camera notices reach you.
- After an accident, stop, inform the police and get the injured to hospital.
Truck owners who drive with Truck Lagbe can find trips through the Truck Lagbe Owner app, and shippers can book correctly sized trucks through the Truck Lagbe app.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fine for driving without a licence in Bangladesh?
Up to Tk 25,000, up to six months in prison, or both. The same penalty applies to driving a vehicle outside the category on your licence.
What is the fine for using a mobile phone while driving?
News summaries of the penalty schedule list a fine of up to Tk 5,000. In Dhaka, camera-based cases are sent to the vehicle’s registered address.
What is the penalty for overloading a truck?
Up to one year in prison, a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh, or both, plus two demerit points on the driver’s licence. If the overloaded vehicle causes damage, the penalty rises to three years and Tk 3 lakh.
What happens when a driver loses all 12 points?
The licence is cancelled, and BRTA says the driver cannot renew it or apply for a new one. Deducted points cannot be restored.
Have the traffic fines been reduced?
No. A 2024 draft amendment proposed lower fines, but we found no record that it was passed, and BRTA notices in 2025 and 2026 still apply the original amounts.
How do I pay a traffic fine in Dhaka?
If you receive a camera notice from DMP, visit the DMP traffic division named on it and pay by bank or mobile banking. Fines imposed on the spot by police or a mobile court are paid as directed at the time. Do not ignore a notice, because unpaid cases can lead to a court summons.
Where can I read the full law?
The official text is on the government’s legal database, bdlaws.
