Battery rickshaws barred from main roads with 8 zones; Malaysia takes 200,000 workers
Govt Sets E-Rickshaw Policy and Zero-Cost Migration
- Regulatory policy for battery-powered e-rickshaws to be published within one week
- Mandatory BUET or Polytechnic engineering blueprints required for licenses; Dhaka divided into 8 zones
- Malaysia to recruit 200,000 workers from late September, including 10,000 on zero-cost terms, alongside $2B FDI
The government is finalizing a comprehensive regulatory and technical policy within the next week to formalize battery-powered electric rickshaws (e-rickshaws), prohibiting them from operating on arterial main roads in Dhaka. Concurrently, Malaysia will begin recruiting 200,000 Bangladeshi personnel starting late September over a six-month timeline, including 10,000 workers on a zero-cost migration model. State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam announced the outcomes on Sunday, 30 August 2026, following a bilateral meeting between Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan and High Commissioner of Malaysia to Bangladesh Mohammad Shuhada Othman at the Secretariat.
Local Government Secretary Md. Shahidul Hassan and senior ministerial officials were present during the briefing. Outlining the technical and traffic control framework for electric three-wheelers, the State Minister stated, "No e-rickshaws will be permitted to ply primary urban transit corridors or main roads in Dhaka. A comprehensive policy detailing registration fees, operational boundaries, and speed limits will be published within a week to ensure regulatory enforcement."
He emphasized that structural compliance will be strictly enforced: e-rickshaw licenses will only be granted if built according to safety and engineering blueprints certified by BUET or government polytechnic institutes. To prevent traffic saturation, the capital will be divided into eight operational zones, restricting registered vehicles to their assigned zones. Electric vehicle charging stations will be brought under formal municipal licensing managed by city corporations and municipalities.
Highlighting economic and labor cooperation, the State Minister revealed that Malaysia plans to invest approximately $2 billion in Bangladesh's infrastructure and industrial sectors. Out of the 200,000 workforce deployment commencing in late September, a dedicated batch of 10,000 workers will migrate under a complete 'zero-cost' framework, exempting them from airfare and recruitment charges. During the diplomatic dialogue, Minister Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan underscored deepening bilateral collaboration across renewable energy, urban infrastructure development, education, health technology, and bilateral commerce.
//DBTech/HMC/MIST//
