Amid rising road crashes, the Police Headquarters has instructed all its field-level units not to allow any vehicles without fitness clearances to operate.

The instruction came at the March 2024 crime review meeting, presided over by Md Atiqul Islam, additional inspector general (crime and operations), said a press release yesterday.

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"Vehicles without fitness clearances should not be permitted to run under any circumstances," he told the meeting, participated online by all metropolitan police commissioners, deputy inspector generals of all ranges and superintendents of police of all districts.

Around 6.17 lakh vehicles did not go through the mandatory fitness tests till April 15 this year, according to the data of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority.

Operations of unfit vehicles are considered one of the major reasons behind the road crashes, which saw a sharp rise in the first three months of this year.

Road crashes and deaths saw a 60.28 percent and a 40.33 percent rise in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year, according to BRTA.

At least 1,477 people were killed and 1,920 others injured in 1,630 road crashes between January and March this year.

In the first three months of last year, at least 1,051 people were killed and 1,440 wounded in 1,017 crashes.

In the meeting held at the PHQ, the additional IGP asked police officials to ensure that no one can destroy communal harmony by spreading rumours. He stressed the need for increasing surveillance activities to prevent rumours.

Atiqul also asked to investigate robbery cases seriously and ensure punishment of the offenders. Instructions were also given to the officials concerned for the speedy completion of investigations of cases filed over the killings of police personnel.

DIG (crime management) Jaydev Kumar Bhadra and other officials were present at the meeting, added the press release.