The government is formulating a comprehensive national policy to regulate battery-powered three-wheeled rickshaws (e-rickshaws) across city corporations, pourashavas, upazilas, and union parishads.
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam announced the initiative whilst presiding over a crucial discussion meeting on e-rickshaw operations held in Local Government Division (LGD) conference room at Secretariat.
According to the state minister, the proper and effective implementation of this forthcoming policy will play a vital role in controlling urban traffic congestion, restoring traffic discipline, and securing road safety.
He also highlighted that establishing systematic registration and licensing processes through local government bodies will generate revenue for the government treasury.
To support these objectives, the government is taking initiatives to modernise and amend prevailing regulations to set up an integrated licensing authority across all local government tiers, including city corporations, pourashavas, upazilas, and union parishads.
Significant legislative groundwork has already been laid for this transition. Relevant sections and schedules of Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Act, 2026, have been amended to allow for the registration of battery-powered rickshaws and the issuance of driver’s licences within City Corporation areas.
This builds on “City Corporation Area Three-Wheeled Low-Speed Battery-Powered Rickshaw (E-Rickshaw) Movement Rules, 2025,” which the LGD issued on 14 December 2025 and subsequently published in the official gazette on 17 December 2025.
The high-level meeting featured extensive discussions on urban management, traffic safety, and implementing practical measures tailored to current realities on the ground.
Professor Dr Md Hadiuzzaman from Department of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) attended the meeting to offer expert recommendations on the regulatory framework.
Other key officials in attendance included Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Md Abdus Salam, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan, and Local Government Division Secretary Md Shahidul Hassan.
They were joined by DNCC Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Asaduzzaman, DSCC Chief Executive Officer Md Khaibor Rahman, and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) Md Anisur Rahman, alongside senior representatives from the ministry and municipal corporations.
