Dhaka divided into 8 color-coded zones; solar charging and manufacturing plants brought under regulation
BUET Clearance and Geo-Fencing in E-Rickshaw Policy
- Mandatory BUET or Polytechnic automobile certification and traffic fitness required for e-rickshaw licensing.
- Dhaka split into 8 color-coded zones backed by geo-fencing; operations barred on main arterial roads.
- Dhaka permits 2 and 4-passenger configurations while barring 6-seaters; QR code tracking and solar charging mandated
The government is instituting a stringent regulatory and engineering framework for battery-powered electric rickshaws (e-rickshaws), making structural certifications from BUET and dynamic traffic fitness mandatory. State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam outlined the policy parameters at the Secretariat 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.
Detailing the technical compliance standards, the State Minister stated that no registration will be issued without automobile engineering certification from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), engineering universities, or district-level government polytechnic institutes, alongside official fitness clearance from the traffic division. Registrations will be administered via city corporations and municipalities. To curb unregulated workshops, manufacturing units must also register with municipal authorities and produce chassis strictly compliant with BUET-certified blueprints.
To prevent urban traffic congestion, Dhaka will be divided into eight operational zones—four in Dhaka North and four in Dhaka South—distinguished by eight distinct vehicle color codes to prevent inter-zone overflow. Dedicated routes will be co-designated by city corporations and the traffic police, supported by digital geo-fencing frameworks to monitor operational perimeters. E-rickshaws will be strictly prohibited from arterial thoroughfares and restricted entirely to secondary neighborhood connector roads.
Regarding vehicle capacity parameters, Dhaka city registrations will strictly cover 2-passenger and 4-passenger variants, entirely disqualifying 6-passenger vehicles within metropolitan limits. The 6-seater models will be confined to rural roads and district-level municipal routes. Additionally, the government plans to enforce mandatory solar-powered charging infrastructure across authorized garages and charging stations in a phased manner.
Earlier on 16 August, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Md. Abdus Salam announced at a Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) forum that uncertified rickshaws would be prohibited, with QR code tracking systems being integrated to verify licensing data. Concurrently, civic platforms such as the Gulshan Society organized public rallies on 28 October advocating for formal registration regimes and driver technical training. Authorities anticipate that enforcing these synchronized engineering standards will restore order to urban transit corridors.
//DBTech/GNO/NEP/MIST//
