Frequent load-shedding, industrial power shortages, and the mounting pressure of subsidies are well-documented challenges for Bangladesh’s electricity generation capacity.
However, a massive but often overlooked factor is the rapid, unregulated expansion of battery-run rickshaws and vans.
From bustling city alleys to remote village roads, these vehicles have become an indispensable part of the transport landscape, yet their unplanned growth—fueled by inefficient technology and illegal connections—is transforming them into a multi-billion Taka burden on national energy security.
The lack of reliable government statistics makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact scale of this consumption, but research suggests there are now over 10 million such vehicles operating across the country, the vast majority of which remain unregistered.
With each vehicle using an average of 4 to 6 units of electricity per day, the national load for these 10 million vehicles approaches 40 to 50 million units daily.
This translates to an estimated daily expenditure of approximately Tk28 to Tk30 crore, totaling more than Tk10,000 crore annually.
Experts warn that a significant portion of this electricity is "invisible" to the national grid because it is drawn through domestic connections at residential rates or, in many cases, through direct illegal hooking.
In the capital, these vehicles—locally dubbed "Bangla Teslas"—have created a crisis in both urban management and power distribution.
In Dhaka alone, an estimated 1 million battery-powered rickshaws are in operation, and while the Ministry of Power has authorized roughly 3,300 legal charging stations, a vast shadow network has emerged to fill the gap.
According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, while legal stations exist, there are over 48,000 illegal charging points and roughly a thousand garages operating off the books.
In areas like Mirpur, Tejgaon, and Khilgaon, unauthorized centers often draw power directly from streetlights or main lines overnight, allowing garage owners to pay a fraction of the cost for stolen power while charging drivers Tk100 to Tk150 per session.
The inefficiency trap
Most of these vehicles rely on low-grade lead-acid batteries which are heavy and inefficient, paired with cheap chargers that generate excessive heat and waste a large percentage of the electricity drawn.
Furthermore, inefficient motors require more power to cover the same distance than modern alternatives.
Technological upgrades, such as shifting to Lithium-ion batteries, could save 30% to 40% of the electricity currently being consumed.
Since much of Bangladesh's power is generated from oil-based plants, using expensive fuel to produce electricity that is then wasted by inefficient batteries creates a double blow to the national economy.
The impact of this unregulated sector extends far beyond the power bill, affecting system losses and national subsidies while creating severe grid instability.
Towfiqul Islam Khan of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) notes that illegal connections drain the national exchequer and force the government to provide higher subsidies.
Because most charging occurs at night, this "secret load" puts immense pressure on local transformers, leading to voltage drops and localized blackouts.
Additionally, the informal recycling of lead-acid batteries poses a severe health risk, with rising lead levels found in the blood of children living near industrial hubs.
Analysts suggest a transition toward a disciplined system beginning with mandatory registration to create a database for policy and revenue tracking.
Establishing a separate power tariff would prevent the commercial use of subsidized residential power, while providing incentives for Lithium-ion technology would reduce energy waste and lead pollution.
The development of authorized charging hubs would eliminate illegal hooking and stabilize the grid, allowing these vehicles to become a pillar of a green, efficient transport network rather than a threat to the nation's energy future.
