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Govt to ban 'Tesla' on main roads in Dhaka
Published : Sunday, 30 August, 2026 at 11:56 AM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
The government is planning to ban battery-run and electric auto-rickshaws on main roads in the capital.
However, auto-rickshaws carrying a maximum number of four passengers will be registered for movement on the inner roads. Six-seater rickshaws will not be registered under Dhaka.
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Meer Shahe Alam shared the information with journalists on Sunday (August 30) at the Secretariat. The briefing followed a meeting between Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Mohammad Suhada Osman and LGRD Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan.
"The policy is at the final stage. We will send it to the Law Ministry for vetting. As soon as the vetting is done, we will release it within a week or the following week," he said.
According to the draft policy, certifications from BUET, engineering universities, or automobile departments of government polytechnic institutes at the district level will be mandatory for registering e-rickshaws. Fitness certificates from the traffic department will also be compulsory.
"We will not allow registration without certification from BUET, engineering universities, or automobile departments of government polytechnics, alongside fitness clearance from the traffic department. The city corporations and municipalities will issue the registrations," the State Minister explained.
The policy will also enforce specific conditions for e-rickshaw charging points. Charging facilities will be required to transition to solar power gradually, which will eventually become mandatory. Charging stations must obtain licenses from the relevant city corporation or municipality.
Addressing unauthorized manufacturing, the State Minister noted that numerous factories across the country produce e-rickshaws without government oversight. The new policy will bring manufacturers under control. Only factories producing vehicles based on BUET-approved designs will receive licenses from city corporations or municipalities.
To manage traffic, the government plans to divide Dhaka into eight zones - four in the North and four in the South - based on traffic department recommendations.
Registered e-rickshaws will operate within designated zones, distinguished by specific colors, and will be restricted from moving to another zone. Route designations and geo-fencing will be jointly managed by the city corporations and the traffic department.
The State Minister clarified that main roads will remain off-limits to e-rickshaws, restricting their movement strictly to internal neighborhood roads.
-SA
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
