Bangladesh’s 5-8 million battery rickshaws consume 5% of daily electricity, minister says

Bangladesh’s battery-powered rickshaws have become an essential source of transport and income, but the scale of the sector is placing new pressure on the country’s electricity system, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament.

He estimated that 5-8 million auto-rickshaws, easy bikes and similar electric three-wheelers consume about 5% of Bangladesh’s total electricity generation each day. The minister said their low fares, availability and suitability for short trips have made them popular in both urban and rural areas. They also support drivers, owners, garage operators, mechanics, parts traders, charging providers and other small businesses.

The charging network, however, remains largely informal. Bangladesh has about 3,300 legal charging points, while Dhaka alone has more than 48,000 informal or illegal points. Many use unauthorised or residential electricity connections for commercial charging. Salahuddin said simultaneous charging increases pressure on local distribution systems, strains transformers, raises peak demand and disrupts supply.

He said the sector also creates environmental and health risks through unsafe handling and informal recycling of lead-acid batteries. These practices can contaminate soil and water, endanger children and workers, and pollute the air near poultry industries.

Salahuddin also raised road-safety concerns, citing unregistered vehicles, untrained drivers, faulty designs, weak brakes and lighting, excessive speed and slow-moving vehicles on highways. He said 6,729 road accidents in 2025 killed 911 people and injured 14,812. Battery-powered auto-rickshaws were involved in 13.4% of those crashes. Authorities have consequently banned unauthorised battery-powered auto-rickshaws from major roads in the capital.

“

This results in significant pressure on the national grid and causes annual revenue losses of nearly Tk 4,000 crore.