The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has decided to collect four additional pieces of information from applicants seeking registration for battery-powered rickshaws (e-rickshaws).
Applicants will have to state which area they live in, their occupation, their monthly income and whether they will drive the e-rickshaw themselves. The corporation plans to incorporate these four information into the application form, in addition to the information stipulated in the original regulations.
Meanwhile, before launching the registration process, the DNCC is working to determine the number of auto-rickshaws, approve manufacturers and coordinate area boundaries with the traffic division. These details were obtained through conversations with officials of the DNCC's revenue department.
Speaking about this, DNCC Chief Revenue Officer Muhammad Habibul Alam told Prothom Alo that approval had been sought from the Ministry of Local Government to include the four additional items in the application form. Printing will begin once the ministry grants its approval, after which the forms will be distributed.
The official informed Prothom Alo that approval had also been sought from the ministry regarding the price of the application form. This is because the E-rickshaw Operation Regulations do not specify a price for the form. The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has fixed the price at Tk 100.
Plans to sell 100,000 application forms
The DNCC plans to sell 100,000 e-rickshaw registration forms, with 10,000 allocated to each of the 10 zones under its jurisdiction. These zones will be coordinated with the four divisions of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Traffic Department. Four different colours of application forms will be introduced for the four traffic zones. The name of the relevant DNCC zone will also appear in brackets alongside the name of the traffic zone on each form.
Sources in the revenue department said the number of e-rickshaws to be registered had not yet been finalised. The DMP Traffic Department is conducting a survey on the matter.
The sources also said the number of auto-rickshaws permitted to operate in each zone will be determined following discussions with the department and on the basis of its recommendations. Consequently, the initial plan for distributing the forms may also be revised.
Vehicle first, application later
Under the DNCC's plan, interested applicants will be able to collect application forms in advance. However, they will not be allowed to submit an application without first purchasing the vehicle, which must be purchased from an approved manufacturer.
The application form will require the auto-rickshaw's registration number, engine number, chassis number, motor number and battery number. These details will be used to verify the vehicle's identity and technical specifications.
7 manufacturers authorised to produce vehicles
One of the significant conditions for registering a battery-powered auto-rickshaw is that it must be manufactured in accordance with the design and technical standards prescribed by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). To this end, manufacturers must first obtain permission from the Ministry of Local Government and subsequently secure technical approval from BUET.
The DNCC revenue department official said seven companies had so far received permission from the Ministry of Local Government to manufacture auto-rickshaws across the country in accordance with the prescribed design.
Five of them have begun production, while the remaining two have yet to start despite receiving approval, the official added.
The companies that have started production include New Grameen Motors, Dynamic Motors, Diastar (Hitech Power), Monir Auto and Akij Motors.
Any new company interested in manufacturing auto-rickshaws in accordance with BUET-approved designs may also apply for production approval. In this case, the company must first submit an application to the ministry. Once the ministry grants permission, the company may apply to BUET for technical approval.
Operations only in designated areas
On 29 October, the Local Government Division issued the Three-Wheeled Low-Speed Battery-Powered Rickshaw (E-rickshaw) Operation Regulations, 2026, aimed at bringing battery-powered auto-rickshaws under control. The regulations will apply to all city corporation areas across the country.
Under the regulations, no e-rickshaw will be allowed to operate without registration. Each registered auto-rickshaw will have a unique number and number plate featuring a QR code.
It said that an individual may register up to five e-rickshaws through one or more city corporations against a single national identity card. However, an auto-rickshaw registered with one city corporation will not be permitted to operate commercially in another city corporation.
The regulations prohibit e-rickshaws from operating on national highways, expressways, elevated expressways, major bus routes and roads designated by the relevant authorities. They will also be barred from footpaths. The roads on which they will be permitted to operate will be jointly determined by the respective city corporation and the traffic department.
At a press conference at the Secretariat on 1 November, State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam said four zones would be established in each of the DNCC and DSCC, making eight zones in total.
According to him, auto-rickshaws in each zone would have a distinct colour. Vehicles registered in one zone would not be allowed to operate in another. However, separate driving licences for drivers would not be made mandatory for the time being. Arrangements would be made to issue licences to drivers in phases as the registration process progressed.
Although the DSCC has already begun selling application forms, it has made it clear that collecting a form does not automatically grant permission to operate an auto-rickshaw. The vehicle must be manufactured in accordance with the prescribed design and technical standards. Applicants must submit their applications after fulfilling the other requirements of the regulations, including obtaining BUET clearance. Registrations will be granted in phases following scrutiny and verification.
The DSCC has initially decided to register 150,000 auto-rickshaws, allocating 15,000 to each of the 10 zones under its jurisdiction. This means that, according to the plan, at least 250,000 new battery-powered auto-rickshaws will initially take to the streets of Dhaka under the two city corporations.
There are currently two types of ownership arrangements among the battery-powered rickshaws operating in Dhaka. In some cases, the drivers own the vehicles themselves, allowing them to keep whatever they earn. However, they still have to pay for battery charging and garage space.
In other cases, relatively affluent and politically influential individuals own fleets of 50 or even 100 rickshaws. The owners provide garages and charging facilities, then rent out the vehicles to drivers in return for a fixed daily payment, commonly known as “joma” (deposit).