Md Shubho, 22, drives an electric three-wheeler taxi, known locally as an "easy bike", in Dhaka. He said the work brings in enough to cover his living expenses.
"(It) allows me to earn quick cash every day, unlike in my earlier job at my father's tailor's shop," he said.
The battery-run taxis, which can carry four to eight passengers, are a cheap form of public transport, commonly used in both urban and rural parts of the country.
Rough estimates put the number of easy bikes at between 1 million and 4 million, making up an industry worth about $2 billion.
Yet despite being popular, the rudimentary vehicles operate illegally.
Police sometimes go on drives to seize easy bikes - and it takes a hefty sum to get them back. “It would be better if I could drive the vehicle without fear and risks,” said Shubho.
Sayed Uzzal, a leader of the Rickshaw-Van-Easy Bike Rights Protection Committee, said drivers of electric three-wheelers also face extortion because of their illegal status.
Earlier in April, the Supreme Court overturned a December decision by the High Court to ban electric three-wheeler vehicles.
The apex court ruling paves the way for legalisation of easy bikes, something the government has prevaricated over for the last decade.
A circular issued in 2020 by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) allowed for their registration.
But BRTA Director Sk Md Mahbub-E-Rabbani said no vehicles had yet been registered because their designs were defective and would not meet requirements.
Existing vehicles use substandard materials and have low aerodynamic efficiency, said Kazi Zashimul Islam, president of Baagh Eco Motors Ltd, which plans to launch electric three-wheelers with a government-approved design.
The Easy Bike Action Committee is a platform that organises the sector's workers and advocates for bringing the vehicles into a legal framework.
"If there are any safety concerns about the designs of easy bikes, the government should help mitigate the concerns rather than taking drastic steps such as banning or seizing them, affecting millions of workers who depend on the sector for their livelihood," said Manisha Chakraborty, an advisor to the action committee.
Some officials and businesses, meanwhile, have championed electric vehicles for their lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology professor Md Ziaur Rahman Khan said electric taxis are better for the environment and people than their gasoline equivalents as they run on batteries and have no tailpipe pollution.
Guidelines for electric vehicles were drafted in 2018 and, after some revisions, are now being scrutinised by the government for finalisation and approval.
