The government has taken an initiative to formulate a policy for managing battery-operated rickshaws in city corporation, municipality, upazila and union parishad areas.
A discussion on the operation of three-wheeled low-speed battery-run rickshaws, commonly known as e-rickshaws, was held at the conference room of the Local Government Ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat here on Thursday.
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam presided over the meeting.
The meeting discussed the measures to effectively manage the battery-run rickshaws in light of urban management, traffic discipline, road safety and existing realities. Representatives of relevant stakeholders also presented various opinions and recommendations.
Mir Shahe Alam said a policy for managing e-rickshaws is being formulated in accordance with the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009 and the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Act,20 26.
He said effective implementation of the policy would play an important role in controlling traffic congestion, maintaining traffic discipline and ensuring road safety in the cities.
The government authorities would generate revenue for the government exchequer.
The minister further said that, to achieve these objectives, steps would be taken to amend existing regulations and make them time-befitting with a view to establishing a coordinated licensing authority for city corporations, municipalities, upazilas and union councils.
It may be mentioned that relevant provisions and schedules of the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Act, 2026 have already been amended to create scope for registering battery-operated rickshaws and issuing licenses to their drivers in city corporation areas.
Earlier, on December 14, 2025, the local government division issued the “Rules on the Operation of Three-Wheeled Low-Speed Battery-Operated Rickshaws (E-Rickshaws) in City Corporation areas, 2025” to regulate e-rickshaw operations in city corporation areas. The rules were published in the gazette on December 17, 2025.
At the meeting, Prof Dr Md Hadiuzzaman of the Department of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Burt) provided expert opinions on the issue.
Among others, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator freedom fighter Md Abdus Salam, Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan, Local Government Division Secretary Md Shahidul Hasan, DNCC Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Asaduzzaman, DSCC Chief Executive Officer Md Khaibar Rahman and Additional Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Traffic) Md Anisur Rahman attended the meeting.
Senior officials from the ministry and the city corporations concerned were also present.