The cost, fall-out of battery-run auto boom (Part II)

A capital is more than a city; it is a nation's face, conscience and the clearest expression of its identity. Dhaka, the heart of Bangladesh, now bears the scars of mounting disorder. Nothing illustrates this more starkly than the unchecked spread of battery-powered auto-rickshaws, which project a poor image of the country while choking the capital's roads with chronic congestion. Once confined to narrow lanes, these locally assembled vehicles, built from imported motors and heavy batteries, have increasingly occupied Dhaka's main roads during the last two years. Although prohibited under the Road Transport Act, 2018, millions of unregistered battery-powered rickshaws now operate across the country, underscoring the need for the government to enforce the law and restore order on the capital's streets.


Behind the growing presence of battery-powered auto-rickshaws lies an alarming human cost that rarely receives public attention.

According to the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association, 870 crashes involving battery-powered auto-rickshaws were recorded in 2024, leaving 875 people dead and 1,779 injured. Yet, Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury believes these figures represent only a fraction of the actual toll, saying only around 10 per cent of such incidents are reported in the media because most crashes claim too few lives to attract widespread coverage.

The Road Safety Foundation reported 1,376 deaths in auto-rickshaw crashes in 2025, accounting for 18.69 per cent of all road fatalities that year. By June 2026, the Passenger Welfare Association found the vehicles were involved in nearly 15 per cent of the month's 532 recorded road accidents.

Beyond the official figures is an even larger, undocumented problem. 

The association estimates that between 50 and 100 minor crashes occur every day, with around 80 per cent settled informally on the roadside, leaving no official record.

Researchers say the danger begins with the vehicles themselves.

The Accident Research Institute (ARI) at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) identifies battery-powered auto-rickshaws as the riskiest among 18 categories of vehicles operating on Dhaka's roads. The institute attributes the high risk to poor design and the absence of minimum safety standards, making even minor collisions more likely to cause serious injuries.

Former BUET professor Ijaz Hossain points to a basic mechanical flaw. According to him, the motor does not fully disengage when the brakes are applied, a defect that could be corrected easily but remains largely ignored.

ARI Assistant Professor Kazi Saifun Newaz says the problem is compounded by the vehicles' legal status. Without registration or documentation, many drivers ignore traffic rules and signals, undermining Dhaka's AI-based traffic management system and weakening compliance among other road users.

For commuters, the consequences are experienced every day.

A motorcyclist said battery-powered autos "turn left and right at lightning speed without any signal", while a bus passenger blamed them for worsening traffic congestion and causing major accidents. Mohammadpur resident Faisal Ahmed said the vehicles "respect no lane" and frequently travel against the flow of traffic.

Sohel, who was injured while riding with his wife, described an even harsher reality.

"If it is their fault, they grab you by the hands and feet. If you are even slightly at fault, they beat you. They can even kill you," he said.

Transport expert Dr Md Hadiuzzaman summed up the situation with a stark comparison: "These auto-rickshaws are spreading like locusts. There is no control over them."

Experts say the design of the vehicles further increases the risks. Conventional pedal rickshaw frames were never engineered to carry heavy batteries. Adding two or four batteries shifts the centre of gravity, making the vehicles more prone to overturning, particularly while negotiating bends.

An estimated 70 to 80 per cent of battery-powered auto-rickshaws operate without valid registration, making crash investigations difficult and often allowing drivers to disappear after accidents. Reports also indicate that an increasing number of untrained children and teenagers are operating the vehicles.

The impact extends well beyond road safety.

Public health expert Dr Lenin Chowdhury warned that constant vibration from the vehicles can strain the spine, posing particular risks for pregnant women, although he said improved suspension systems could reduce the problem.

Even greater concern surrounds lead pollution from the batteries.

An ICDDR,B study found that 98 per cent of children tested in Dhaka had blood-lead levels above the World Health Organization limit of 3.5 micrograms per decilitre. The median level was 6.7 micrograms per decilitre, while one child recorded 46 micrograms per decilitre.

Researcher Dr Mahbubur Rahman estimated that, assuming each battery-powered rickshaw contains about 20 kilograms of lead, the country's estimated four million vehicles release around 80 million kilograms of lead into the environment.

"Lead is not destroyed," he warned. "Think about where lead pollution will take us in the next 10 years."

Environmental concerns extend beyond lead contamination.

Battery-powered rickshaws, vans and auto-rickshaws generate an estimated 480,000 tonnes of lead, acid and battery waste annually. Around 70 per cent of used batteries are dismantled in unsafe and unhygienic conditions, often by children in informal recycling yards in rural areas, before the recovered lead re-enters the market.

Meanwhile, fuel wasted in traffic congestion continues to worsen air pollution. In 2024, Dhaka ranked as the world's third most polluted city. In the EIU Liveability Index 2026, the capital scored only 42 out of 100, placing it among the world's least liveable cities, ahead of only Tripoli and Damascus.

Successive government attempts to regulate battery-powered auto-rickshaws have repeatedly stalled.

The 2015 ban on the vehicles on Dhaka's main roads and national highways was followed by another ban in 2024, but that decision was withdrawn within five days after protests by drivers before becoming entangled in conflicting court orders.

The draft Electric Three-Wheeler Management Policy, 2025 proposed vehicle registration, fitness certificates, tax tokens and BRTA-approved standards. It also proposed speed limits of 50 km/h for medium-speed and 30 km/h for slow-speed vehicles while restricting them from highways except service lanes.

A presidential ordinance issued in August 2025 authorised city corporations to register electric three-wheelers.

More recently, the 2026-27 national budget proposed advance income tax on battery-powered auto-rickshaws, estimating that even Tk 1,000 per vehicle from millions of currently untaxed autos could generate substantial revenue. However, the proposal was later withdrawn, leaving the sector once again in legal uncertainty.

Officials themselves remain divided over the way forward.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has proposed relocating the vehicles outside metropolitan areas, while Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam has argued against a ban, favouring licensing instead.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali has acknowledged that an overnight ban is no longer practical because battery-powered auto-rickshaws have become deeply embedded in the city's transport system and the livelihoods of thousands of people.

Despite differing approaches, most experts agree that neither a blanket ban nor continued inaction offers a sustainable solution.

Dr M. Shamsul Haque advocates retraining drivers, introducing a phased transition, expanding franchised bus services and replicating disciplined traffic management models such as Hatirjheel.

Kazi Saifun Newaz recommends limiting vehicle numbers, standardising designs, replacing lead-acid batteries, imposing a 15 km/h speed limit and tightening oversight of manufacturing workshops.

The Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association has proposed BUET-approved body standards, mandatory one-week driver training, GPS-based speed monitoring and a ban on importing easy bikes and rickshaw parts.

The National Institute of Safety Affairs (NISA), meanwhile, calls for a complete ban on the import, manufacture and sale of parts, prohibition of the vehicles on highways and major roads nationwide, and a phased transition of drivers into skilled public transport jobs, rejecting the registration or licensing of the existing fleet.

What unites policymakers, engineers, researchers, drivers and commuters is the recognition that livelihoods cannot simply be taken away. At the same time, vehicles with ineffective braking systems, no legal status and lead-laden batteries cannot continue multiplying unchecked.

Professor M. Shamsul Haque summed up the challenge with a simple analogy.

"To control floodwater, you first close the floodgate. Likewise, to control auto-rickshaws, we must first stop the import of auto-rickshaws and their batteries."

Whether policymakers finally act on that advice, or once again retreat in the face of protests, may determine the future of Dhaka's roads, environment and urban mobility.