Dhaka: The government is taking steps to introduce a unified regulatory policy for battery-run rickshaws (e-rickshaws) across city corporations, municipalities, upazilas, and union parishads nationwide, announced State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Mir Shahe Alam on Thursday. He disclosed the initiative during an inter-ministerial meeting at the conference room of the Local Government Ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the State Minister presided over the meeting, which was aimed at formulating a policy for managing e-rickshaws in alignment with the Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009 and the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Act 2026. Alam emphasized the importance of updating existing regulations and establishing a unified licensing authority for local government bodies.
He highlighted that the new policy’s implementation would significantly contribute to managing urban traffic, enhancing traffic discipline, and improving road safety. Furthermore, a systematic licensing and registration process conducted through local government bodies is expected to generate revenue for the state exchequer.
To support the initiative, the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Act, 2026, has already been revised to facilitate the registration of e-rickshaws and licensing of drivers. This amendment follows the Local Government Division’s gazette notification of the E-Rickshaw Operation Rules in December 2025.
The meeting included an in-depth discussion on measures for urban management, traffic discipline, road safety, and managing battery-operated e-rickshaws, taking into account current challenges. Various stakeholders shared their opinions and recommendations on the matter.
Notably, BUET civil engineering professor Dr. Md. Hadiuzzaman provided expert insights on the subject. The meeting also included the participation of DNCC administrator Safiqul Islam Khan and DSCC administrator Md. Abdus Salam, among others.