Unregulated battery-powered rickshaws are driving a severe lead pollution crisis in Bangladesh, endangering children, contaminating food and water, and exposing failures in transport regulation and recycling enforcement nationwide.
Each year, battery-powered vehicles generate an estimated 480,000 tonnes of lead, acid and battery waste, according to research by the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, icddr,b and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. About 70 percent of used batteries are dismantled in unsafe conditions without protective equipment or environmental controls. Most lead-acid batteries last only six to twelve months, forcing frequent replacement and increasing exposure to toxic substances.
Bangladesh is facing a growing public health and environmental crisis as millions of battery-powered rickshaws, vans and auto-rickshaws release toxic lead into the environment, severely affecting children’s health and contaminating food and water systems.
Experts warn that without urgent reforms, Bangladesh risks permanent damage to human capital, ecosystems and future generations, driven by a preventable but deeply entrenched lead poisoning crisis.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority estimates that over six million battery-powered rickshaws operate nationwide, including about 1 to 1.2 million in Dhaka alone. A recent study by the Centre for Policy Dialogue found that battery-run rickshaws and easy bikes together consume 78 percent of the total lead-acid battery market, amplifying environmental and health risks.
Children are at the greatest risk
Children are the most vulnerable. An icddr,b study conducted between 2022 and 2024 tested the blood of 500 children aged two to four in Dhaka and surrounding areas. Lead was detected in every child, with a median level of 67 micrograms per litre. Nearly 98 percent had blood lead levels above the internationally recognized danger threshold of 35 micrograms per litre. Children living within one kilometre of battery recycling or manufacturing facilities had 43 percent higher blood lead levels than those living farther away.
Lead has no safe exposure level, said Dr Md Mahbubur Rahman, project coordinator at icddr,b. For children, lead causes irreversible brain damage, reduced IQ, learning difficulties and long-term cognitive impairment. Adults face higher risks of hypertension, heart disease, kidney damage and reproductive disorders.
Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, added, “Youth are on the frontlines of climate and environmental justice. Lead pollution from battery-run vehicles not only threatens children’s health today but also undermines the future of our communities. We must urgently transition to safer technology and enforce proper battery recycling to protect lives and livelihoods.”
Informal recycling and environmental contamination
Across Dhaka and other industrial zones, informal workshops dismantle used batteries by hand in open spaces. Lead is extracted, melted and reused without safety measures, releasing toxic particles into the air, soil and water. Lead can persist in soil for up to 700 years, continuing to harm ecosystems and human health long after initial exposure.
Environmental researchers have found that industrial waste from areas such as Narayanganj flows into the Shitalakkhya and Meghna rivers, contaminating aquatic life. Studies detected lead, cadmium and microplastics in hilsa fish, Bangladesh’s national fish and a key protein source for millions.
Road safety and illegal vehicles
Battery-powered rickshaws and other three-wheelers also contribute to road safety hazards. According to the Centre for Policy Dialogue study, battery-run three-wheelers caused 20.52 percent of road accident deaths in 2023, 21.01 percent in 2024 and 19.75 percent up to August 2025. In cities such as Chattogram, Rajshahi, Kushtia and Sirajganj, illegal battery-run and CNG-powered three-wheelers dominate roads, causing congestion, accidents and frequent traffic jams.
Local residents and police report that many vehicles are operated by minors or untrained drivers, adding to the risks. Efforts by authorities, including drives against illegal vehicles and court rulings to ban unlicensed battery-run rickshaws, have had limited success due to weak enforcement and widespread noncompliance.
Policy response and pilot solutions
The government has taken steps to address the issue. The High Court ordered a stop to unlicensed battery-run rickshaws in Dhaka in 2024, while the Motor Vehicle Speed Limit Guidelines 2024 banned three-wheelers from highways. Recently, pilot projects introduced e-rickshaws designed by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology experts in three Dhaka areas, aiming to gradually replace illegal vehicles with safer and environmentally friendly alternatives.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority and Local Government Division are finalizing separate guidelines for registration and control of three-wheelers. Experts stress the importance of strict regulation of battery recycling, closure of unsafe informal facilities and a gradual transition to safer battery technologies such as nickel-zinc batteries. Public awareness campaigns and monitoring of industrial zones are also critical.
A nationwide and global concern
UNICEF ranks Bangladesh fourth globally among countries most affected by lead pollution, with an estimated 36 million children living with elevated blood lead levels. The environmental and public health risks extend beyond the country’s borders, impacting sustainable development goals on health, clean water and sustainable cities.
“Lead from informal battery recycling enters rivers, crops and fish, moving through the entire food chain,” said Dr Shahriar Hossain, Secretary General of the Environment and Social Development Organization. “This is no longer a local environmental issue. It is a nationwide public health crisis with long-term economic and social consequences.”
