June 27, 2025
Battery-powered rickshaws continue to operate unchecked on major roads and highways across Dhaka. Despite being illegal, they move at reckless speeds, frequently leading to both minor and fatal accidents.
Police’s experimental trapper in Dhaka, aimed at stopping paddle and battery-powered rickshaws from entering main roads, is not providing desired results.
Battery-run rickshaws can be seen going the wrong way on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. The three-wheelers are banned from the busy road, but they seem to be operating on it with impunity. Their tendency to use the high-speed lanes instead of the service lanes is also leading to accidents.
Battery-run rickshaws have taken to Dhaka’s streets in greater numbers since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. As the demand has gone up, workers at workshops in Dhaka’s Rayerbazar are busy churning out more of the vehicles.
Battery-powered rickshaws are plying on the main roads of Dhaka. Earlier, these e-rickshaws would only move around the alleyways of Dhaka City as the traffic police would prevent them from running on the main roads. However, since the Awami League government was toppled on Aug 5, these vehicles have been navigating through all the major roads of Dhaka City due to the lax law and order on the streets.
