Dhaka will be divided into eight zones for the operation of battery-powered rickshaws, with separate colours assigned to vehicles in each zone, as the government moves to regulate their movement in urban areas.
However, e-rickshaw drivers will not be required to obtain driving licences immediately. Instead, they will initially receive identification cards, with the government planning to introduce a licensing system gradually after registration gets underway.
State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam announced the decisions at a press conference at the Secretariat on Sunday, outlining key provisions of the newly issued Three-Wheeled Slow-Speed Battery-Operated Rickshaw (E-Rickshaw) Operation Rules, 2026.
The state minister said the 13 city corporations across the country would be able to begin registration from Monday, urging existing drivers not to panic over the new regulations.
Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations will each be divided into four zones. E-rickshaws operating in each zone will have a distinct colour and vehicles registered for one zone will not be allowed to operate in another.
The number of e-rickshaws permitted in each zone will be determined through discussions between the respective city corporations and traffic departments.
Shahe Alam said the government would not immediately remove all e-rickshaws currently operating on the roads. Instead, authorities would register eligible vehicles in phases while gradually removing unauthorised ones.
Registration fees and annual renewals
Under the new rules, the initial registration fee for an e-rickshaw designed to carry two passengers will be Tk8,000, with an annual renewal fee of Tk4,000.
For vehicles designed to carry four passengers, the registration fee will be Tk10,000, while the annual renewal fee will be Tk5,000.
Owners will also have to pay Tk1,000 for a number plate. The initial registration fee will be paid once, while the renewal fee will be payable annually.
The state minister said there would be no fixed limit on the number of e-rickshaws that could initially be registered.
However, existing vehicles must be structurally modified to comply with designs approved by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) before receiving registration.
Each registered vehicle will receive a unique number plate with a QR code, which must be displayed prominently. The code will contain information about the registration number, owner, driver, registering city corporation and designated operating zone, according to the minister.
A single national identity card will be eligible for the registration of a maximum of five e-rickshaws across one or more city corporations.
Each vehicle will have an economic lifespan of 12 years from its registration date. Its registration and number plate must be cancelled after that period expires.
Driving licences to be introduced later
Although the new regulations provide for driver licensing, the government will not implement the requirement immediately, the state minister said.
He cited the administrative challenge of processing licence applications for hundreds of thousands of drivers at once.
“We should first start the registration process. Once it has progressed to some extent, we will issue a separate notification and move to driving licences,” Shahe Alam said.
In the meantime, vehicle owners will issue identification cards to their drivers. The government plans to bring drivers under a formal licensing system in phases.
Existing vehicles must meet Buet standards
Existing e-rickshaws will be eligible for registration after necessary structural modifications to meet Buet's prescribed technical standards and safety specifications.
They will also need fitness certificates countersigned by the relevant traffic department.
Asked whether Buet had the capacity to oversee structural modifications to hundreds of thousands of vehicles, the state minister said the university would not carry out the modifications itself.
Buet had provided the designs, he said, adding that manufacturers would modify the vehicles in accordance with those specifications after obtaining permission from the relevant city corporations.
Newly registered vehicles and those seeking renewal must also meet the prescribed technical and safety requirements and obtain fitness certificates.
No e-rickshaw will be permitted to operate without registration or the required renewal.
Speed limit set at 25kmph
Under the regulations, e-rickshaws will have a maximum speed limit of 25 kilometres per hour. The limit will be reduced to 15kmph around schools, hospitals, religious institutions and crowded public places.
Each vehicle must be equipped with a speedometer or odometer, while passenger capacity will be limited to two or four people, depending on the vehicle's design, excluding the driver.
E-rickshaws will be prohibited from operating on national highways, expressways, elevated expressways, major bus routes, footpaths and roads designated as restricted by the authorities.
City corporations, in consultation with traffic departments, will designate parking areas.
Violations involving unregistered vehicles, excessive speed or passenger loads, unauthorised batteries, modifications to motors or vehicle structures without approval, and operation on prohibited roads will be subject to legal action.
Authorities may also take action against drivers for carrying commercial goods instead of passengers, violating traffic signals or fleeing after an accident.
Per-kilometre fares to be determined
The government will determine e-rickshaw fares after the registration process begins, the state minister said.
Vehicle owners' representatives, traffic departments and city corporations will jointly discuss and set fares on a per-kilometre basis, taking operating costs into account while ensuring that charges remain affordable for passengers.
Asked whether drivers would participate in the fare-setting discussions, Shahe Alam said the owners' representatives would be involved, but drivers would not have a role in determining fares.
Charging stations to require approval
Battery-charging facilities will also be brought under a regulatory framework.
According to the state minister, city corporations will approve or issue trade licences to charging stations capable of providing solar-powered charging facilities.
The government plans to encourage a combination of solar power and grid electricity at charging stations. Under a net-metering arrangement, facilities will be able to supply surplus solar-generated electricity to the grid during the day and use grid electricity to charge batteries at night.
Legal action will be taken against operators using unauthorised electricity connections for charging. City corporation magistrates will oversee enforcement, he said.
The rules also prohibit dumping or burning old or unusable batteries in open spaces, on land, in water bodies or in ordinary waste streams.
Battery sellers will be required to collect old batteries when selling new ones and send them to recycling facilities. Batteries cannot be broken down or smelted without clearance from the Department of Environment, the state minister said.
Government to review progress after a month
The state minister did not provide an estimate of the number of e-rickshaws currently operating in Dhaka or a specific deadline for completing the modification of existing vehicles.
He said the government would hold another briefing with journalists after a month to report on the number of vehicles registered, measures taken and plans to remove unauthorised e-rickshaws.
The rules will initially apply to the country's 13 city corporations. Extending the system to municipalities will require amendments to the relevant laws, after which separate regulations will be developed for other urban areas.
Reassuring existing drivers, Shahe Alam said: “For now, they can continue operating as they are. We will gradually register vehicles in compliance with the rules and take steps to remove illegal battery-powered e-rickshaws in phases.”