Government to introduce e-rickshaws in Dhaka in August

“E-rickshaws and their drivers must be registered,” Advisor Asif Mahmud says

Battery-powered three-wheeled rickshaws, or e-rickshaws, are set to begin operating in two separate zones under Dhaka's two city corporations during the first week of August.

Once these e-rickshaws are introduced, unauthorised battery-powered rickshaws will be phased out from the streets.

Making the announcement on Saturday at the inauguration of a training programme for e-rickshaw trainers held at Nagar Bhaban, DNCC Administrator Mohammad Ejaz said the operation of the vehicles will start in Dhaka North City Corporation Zone-1 and Dhaka South City Corporation Zone-2.

“We will begin this transition gradually. Initially, we will remove unauthorised rickshaws operating in those zones.”

He highlighted that this would not be a heavy eviction drive. As new e-rickshaws enter the roads, the old, unauthorised ones will be phased out.

“We will follow a scientific and gradual procedure—there will be no forceful action.”

Ejaz added that there was no deadline for completing the transition. The process will be slow and incremental to allow rickshaw owners and drivers time to prepare.

“Setting a hard deadline could stir unnecessary controversy. Our target is to begin introducing e-rickshaws to the market in the first week of August.”

According to Ejaz, existing rickshaw drivers in the designated zones will receive training and be prioritised in the distribution of the new e-rickshaws.

“We are also working on setting up charging points. We’ll coordinate with DESCO to establish those.”

Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, also present at the event, emphasised that both e-rickshaws and their drivers must be registered. “The entire registration process will be carried out online to prevent corruption,” he said.

“We want a touch-free system because when in-person handling and licensing are involved, it creates opportunities for illegal transactions. We must ensure that the burden doesn’t fall unfairly on rickshaw drivers during this transition.”

The advisor noted that each zone will have a fixed number of rickshaws, and each e-rickshaw will be equipped with a QR code to aid in regulation.

“The QR-coded rickshaws will help traffic police monitor and regulate their movement,” he added.