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Drive needed to drive out fake driving licences

Rizanuzzaman Laskar
A few months ago Radya Yousuf was in desperate need of a driving licence. She did not know driving well. However, she soon found the 'easiest solution' to get the licence.
The undergraduate student from Gulshan contacted some of her friends and their chauffeurs. After a few phone calls she went to Sayedabad and found a 'driving school' in a small, run-down building with a large signboard.
As Radya appeared at the so-called driving school, a shabby looking person sitting behind the desk asked her to take a seat.
"He asked whether I could really drive a car. I replied with an 'yes', trying to be as convincing as I could," said Radya, "and that was it for my driving test. I filled out a form and gave him the money for a driving licence.”
"I got my licence around two weeks later. It looked absolutely perfect!" she said.
"I never actually planned to drive around Dhaka with my fake licence. But the whole incident made me think about what is happening here. Is it really so easy for people to get a driving licence? Can anyone with a little amount of money, the right contacts and a couple of stamp-size photographs get a permit this easily?" she said.
"Driving in Dhaka is a frightening experience. It almost feels like a jungle where animals are fighting to defend their territory -- a place where only the strongest will survive," she said. "I low many of these drivers have learnt the rules of driving? How long will it be before someone makes a fatal mistake? How many of them have proper licence?"
This correspondent tried to dig deep into the trend. And sources at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) say they found one out of every two licences fake a year ago.
"But the situation has improved thanks to the regular drives against counterfeited driving licences," said an offi-cial at the BRTA. "More importantly, people are now more wary of fake driving licences. They are keener on getting authentic licences."
Sources said organised gangs issue fake licences in exchange for money.
The BRTA-issued driving licence is a basic identification document and gives people access to other forms of identification. Driving licences are often used as proof of identity for everything from welfare applications to opening bank accounts.
The BRTA licence incorporate? numerous anticounterfeit safeguards, including holographic images, ultra violet ray layering and optical coding.
"The hologram featured plastic licence cards were introduced in 1999 for better security over the paperback ones. But counterfeiters started to duplicate the plastic cards too," said S S Biswas, deputy director of BRTA. "So we introduced the high-
security Optical Variable Device (OPD) licence card in 2006 for superior security."
The OPD technology provides the card with optical properties. This renders a change in the image, colour and luminosity of the card depending on different view-angles. This provides extra security to the card, making it all but impossible to duplicate, sources said.
"This technology would make it easier for on-duty traffic officers to verify the legality of licence card with more ease," he said.
Despite the introduction of the high-security cards, the paperback and plastic cards have also been valid over the years. But they would not be for long.
"BRTA has finally decided to revoke the paperback licence cards due to its poor security features," said Biswas. "We have asked motorists with the paperback cards to upgrade to the high-security cards by October 16. Or else their licence will be
considered invalid."
"We have also requested the plastic licence holders to upgrade their cards. But the upgrade is not mandatory for h them like the paperback card holders," he said.
Soon after the deadline in October, the BRTA will initiate a drive against the counterfeit diving licence holders and their makers, sources said.
However, concerns remain elsewhere. Increased difficulty of counterfeiting licences means that people unable to obtain them may try to buy them by bribing clerks.
"There are numerous gangs who, in association with a section of unscrupulous BRTA officers can provide an authentic driving licence in a mere few days without any tests," said Tarek Hossain, driving instructor and owner of a driving school in Khilgaon.
"The BRTA should take a good look inside its own office and smoke out the anomalies and corruption by its staffs," he said.