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The government has taken an initiative to formulate a unified policy to regulate battery-powered rickshaws, or e-rickshaws, in city corporations, municipalities, upazilas and union parishads across Bangladesh.
Under the proposed policy, e-rickshaws will be registered, drivers will be issued licences, and their operation and management will be regulated. The initiative will also introduce a system for local government bodies to collect revenue from the sector.
The information was disclosed at a meeting on e-rickshaw operations held at the Local Government Division’s conference room at the Secretariat on Thursday (August 13). State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam chaired the meeting.
The meeting discussed measures to ensure orderly urban management, traffic discipline and road safety while taking into account the current realities surrounding battery-powered e-rickshaws. Relevant stakeholders also presented their views and recommendations.
State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said the policy was being formulated in line with the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009 and the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Act, 2026.
“If implemented properly and effectively, the policy will play an important role in reducing traffic congestion, maintaining traffic discipline and ensuring road safety,” he said.
He added that introducing a systematic licensing and registration system through local government bodies would also generate revenue for the government.
The state minister said existing regulations would be updated and an integrated licensing authority would be established for city corporations, municipalities, upazilas and union parishads. Necessary steps would be taken to amend the existing rules accordingly.
The meeting was informed that relevant provisions and schedules of the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Act, 2026 had already been amended to facilitate registration of battery-powered rickshaws and licensing of their drivers in city corporation areas.
Earlier, the Local Government Division issued the “Rules for the Operation of Three-Wheeled Low-Speed Battery-Powered Rickshaws (E-Rickshaws) in City Corporation Areas, 2025” on December 14, 2025. The rules were published in the official gazette on December 17.
BUET Civil Engineering Department Professor Dr Md Hadiuzzaman provided expert opinions on e-rickshaw management at the meeting.
Administrators of Dhaka South and Dhaka North city corporations, senior officials of the Local Government Division, chief executive officers of the two city corporations and Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Additional Commissioner (Traffic), among other senior officials from the ministry and city corporations, attended the meeting.