'Bangla Tesla' boom drains nearly Tk4,000 crore in power theft a year in Dhaka

Highlights

• Govt approved 3,300 charging stations in Dhaka
• Price of electricity:
  •  Tk10 for battery-charging station
  • Above Tk14 for domestic consumption
• 48,136 illegal charging points in Dhaka
• Tk4,000cr transacted a year thru charging these vehicles in the capital  
• Cost of charging:
  • Rickshaw-pullers pay Tk100-150 per charge
  • Actually costs around Tk70-100 to fully charge

In the absence of an effective public transport system, autorickshaws have become a popular means of transport in the megacity, but rising accidents and severe congestion caused by the unruly drivers are leading many to turn against the unauthorised vehicle.

However, a silent but rapidly expanding network of illegal charging hubs continues supporting the battery-run rickshaws, draining crores of taka from the government every month.

Despite repeated crackdowns, the number of unauthorised charging stations and makeshift garages is rising faster than authorities can trace, fuelling the unregulated growth of an estimated 10 lakh battery-run rickshaws now operating across Dhaka.

Although battery-run rickshaws cannot be registered with any government authority in the capital including BRTA or city corporation, the power ministry has allowed battery charging for these vehicles. They have approved around 3,300 charging stations, of which DPDC has roughly 2,100.

The government has set the electricity tariff for electric vehicle charging stations at Tk10 per unit. But exploiting this provision, illegal charging points for battery-run rickshaws have sprung up everywhere. These stations use legal electricity connections to fuel the growing chaos of unauthorised rickshaws.

According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) list, across eight of the 10 crime divisions in the capital, there are 3,300 legal charging stations, 48,136 illegal charging points, and 992 garages. These garages also have facilities for battery charging. 

In Mirpur division alone, areas under seven police stations have 3,983 charging points and 259 garages. In the Wari division, there are 3,516 charging points and 136 garages. Gulshan division has 2,643 charging points and 128 garages. Uttara has 1,305 charging points and 72 garages. 

Besides, the Motijheel division has 1,390 charging points and 60 garages. Lalbagh has 199 charging points and 77 garages. Additionally, police have identified 234 illegal garages in Tejgaon division and 26 in Ramna division.

What began as a convenient, low-cost mobility solution has now evolved into a sprawling, parallel electricity market. Across Dhaka city, hundreds of garages tap illegally into main electricity lines or even streetlight connections, offering overnight charging at Tk100-150 per vehicle.

Every year, an estimated Tk4,000 crore is transacted for charging unauthorised battery-run rickshaws in Dhaka city. For garage owners, it is highly profitable; for the government, it is massive, unmonitored power theft.

Although some of these rickshaw garages provide charging facilities through authorised grid connections, The Business Standard's investigation has revealed that many also operate illegal charging operations behind these authorised connections.

Dhaka's two city corporations say almost all electric rickshaw charging stations across the city are operating illegally, whether they use meters or unauthorised power connections.

According to Dhaka North City, power distribution company Desco is providing commercial electricity connections to many charging stations inside residential areas without proper scrutiny or approval, which violates existing regulations.

This reporter has visited several areas in the capital including Shawrapara, Mirpur-10, Pallabi, Rupnagar, Kalshi, Bhatara, Notun Bazar, Kalyanpur, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Malibagh, Rampura, Khilgaon, Lalbagh, Chawkbazar and Beribandh, and found the truth about these illegal charging points. All the garages and charging points are operating without any kind of safety maintenance.

Transport experts note that the absence of a clear national policy on battery-run three-wheelers has contributed to the present crisis. They also said that if these autorickshaws in Dhaka cannot be brought under control, the entire transport system of Dhaka will collapse. For this, first of all, all these vehicle-manufacturing centres and charging stations must be closed.

A thriving underground charging economy

In West Kafrul of Mirpur, a cramped garage housed around 55 battery-run autorickshaws, stacked tightly in rows. Of them, 14 belong to the garage owner while the rest are parked and charged daily in exchange for rent.

Taslim Hossain, the garage mechanic, told The Business Standard that the daily electricity bill of the garage is around Tk2,500.

"This used to be a pedal-rickshaw garage. After 5 August last year, everyone switched to autorickshaws. There are several other garages in this area doing the same," he said.

Drivers, many of whom are migrants from rural districts, sustain this underground ecosystem.

Munna, a driver from Bhola, told TBS, "I rent my vehicle from here. This place used to be a swamp. Now it's full of autorickshaws. Everyone is doing this business."

Just 500 metres down the road stands another massive garage with nearly 100 battery-run rickshaws.

Abdul Kaiyum, who manages the facility, said, "All our rickshaws are rental vehicles owned by different financiers. Daily electricity cost is around Tk4,500. Lately the rental income has dropped because too many garages have opened."

According to them, it costs around Tk70-100 to fully charge a battery-run rickshaw. If the electricity bill is Tk4,500 daily, then 50-60 rickshaws can be charged. However, over 100 rickshaws are charged in this garage at times. This suggests illegal charging is being done behind the legal electricity connection.

Road-side charging stations

Perhaps nowhere is the crisis more visible than in Mirpur's Rupnagar area, where hundreds of informal garages operate in densely packed alleys. Streetlights and roadside electric poles act as supply points. Thick bundles of wires run down lamp posts to charging adapters hanging freely in the open.

Each rickshaw owner pays Tk100–150 per charge. Drivers often line up on the main road at night, parking vehicles in long rows as they connect to illegal lines.

Sahab Ali Bepari, a driver from Rupnagar, explained, "I pay Tk120 daily at a nearby garage. Bigger vehicles pay Tk150. Earlier this area had only 15–20 garages. Now every alley has one."

He added that house owners have converted ground floors into garages: "One building used to rent for Tk25,000. Now as a garage it gets Tk40,000. No hassle of gas or water bills."

Near the National Zoo, dozens of rickshaws were found charging directly from roadside electric poles.

Russel, owner of a garage near the National Zoo, insisted his operation is legal: "I have a meter. But most garages nearby use illegal lines. It is impossible to run a garage without an illegal connection. Desco people visit, but it gets managed."

In Tejgaon's Kunipara Road, both sides of the street were lined with parked autorickshaws connected to dangling charging cables.

A garage worker, requesting anonymity, said, "Meters are installed in most garages, but only a few vehicles use them. Almost all roadside rickshaws charge from illegal lines. We keep the meter running to show compliance, but illegal lines run the business."

What the authorities say

While the domestic electricity consumption rate is above Tk14 per unit, it is around Tk10 for battery-charging station electricity. So, most garages use legal lines but they also have illegal connections.

Shahadul Islam, Sub-Divisional Engineer, S&D Operation (Rupnagar Circle), Desco, told The Business Standard, "We have received complaints about illegal charging points from that area before and now we are regularly conducting drives in the morning, noon and night. If we find illegal connections, they are fined and the connection is severed."

Mohammad Haider Ali, Executive Director (Fin), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC), told TBS that they are also aware of the illegal connections and conduct regular drives against them.

He said, "Our magistrate and officials conduct drives and punish the rule breakers. But the government needs to make a decision about battery-run rickshaws."

According to Desco and DPDC officials, system loss in Dhaka's electricity distribution amounts to around 5.5%.

Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Mohammad Azaz told TBS, "We will sit with Desco very soon and ask them to take immediate action regarding the electricity connections they have provided to these charging stations. In addition, we are preparing to launch a coordinated crackdown to shut down all illegal charging stations operating within our jurisdiction."

Dhaka South City officials stated that they have trained the drivers, but the licensing system is not yet open. All of the battery-run rickshaws are now illegally operating.

Government prepares new guidelines

To regain control, the government has drafted the "Electric Three-Wheeler Management Guidelines 2025."

The guideline's key features include mandatory registration, fitness certificates, driver licensing, a ban on operating on highways, strict speed-limit compliance, manufacturing permits, crackdowns on illegal charging stations and more.

A Local Government Division official told TBS, "The draft has been sent to the law ministry. Once approved, it will be gazetted."