Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have prosecuted 2,855 vehicles in a single day as part of a ongoing drive to curb persistent traffic violations across Bangladesh’s capital. The extensive operation, conducted on Sunday, 13 September, targeted major arterial routes and congested intersections to restore order to the city’s overburdened road network.
Deputy Commissioner of Police for DMP’s Media and Public Relations Division, Md. Akhtar Hossain, confirmed the operational details in an official statement issued on Monday, 14 September. Traffic officers caught a wide range of transport operators violating safety codes, ranging from public buses and heavy goods lorries to auto-rickshaws and private motorbikes. Alongside issuing cases, police seized and impounded 613 vehicles, sending them directly to dumping yards, whilst deploying breakdown lorries to tow away 368 illegally parked or unroadworthy units.
The crackdown spanned all eight traffic divisions of the metropolis, revealing sharp regional variations in non-compliance:
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Mirpur Division: Registered the highest number of infractions with 621 cases, including action against 293 motorbikes, 55 CNG auto-rickshaws, 53 covered vans, 50 buses, and 14 lorries.
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Uttara Division: Logged 615 cases, penalising 259 motorbikes, 51 CNG auto-rickshaws, 49 buses, 22 covered vans, and 13 lorries.
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Gulshan Division: Recorded 440 cases, involving 122 motorbikes, 55 buses, 46 CNG auto-rickshaws, 12 covered vans, and five lorries.
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Wari Division: Filed 386 prosecutions, which comprised 158 motorbikes, 44 CNG auto-rickshaws, 34 covered vans, 26 buses, and 25 lorries.
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Motijheel Division: Issued 285 cases, with motorbikes accounting for the vast majority at 170 offences.
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Tejgaon Division: Prosecuted 211 vehicles, including 98 motorbikes, 25 CNG auto-rickshaws, 10 buses, 10 covered vans, and two lorries.
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Lalbagh Division: Booked 160 cases, catching 83 motorbikes, 13 buses, 11 lorries, 10 CNG auto-rickshaws, and three covered vans.
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Ramna Division: Noted the lowest tally of the day with 137 cases, comprising 48 motorbikes, 18 buses, 14 CNG auto-rickshaws, four covered vans, and one lorry.
Across all sectors, motorbikes emerged as the primary source of traffic law violations, reflecting growing concerns over reckless riding, helmet omissions, and illegal lane filtering.
Managing traffic movement in Dhaka—a sprawling megacity home to over 20 million residents—remains an immense operational hurdle. Gridlock across key commercial and residential sectors regularly impairs mobility and causes substantial economic productivity losses each year. Police officials stressed that these targeted operations will continue indefinitely until road users adhere consistently to traffic regulations.
