US-based ride-sharing company Uber, which is operating in Bangladesh without government licence, yesterday announced the launch of its services in Chattogram, the second largest city in Bangladesh. With the launch of three products - UberX, HIRE and MOTO Uber expanded its services to its second city in Bangladesh, according to a press statement. “Bangladesh has been one of our fastest growing markets and we are hopeful and excited about the potential of this new city,” said Prabhjeet Singh, Regional General Manager, Uber.

Industry insiders have also said the ride-sharing company, whose 2015 revenue was 1.5 billion US dollars, has deviated from the very principle of ride-sharing in Bangladesh. Most of Uber’s drivers are just ‘rent- a-car’ drivers, whose cars are owned by other ‘investors’. It is a legal obligation for any public transport services provider like ‘rent-a-car’ in Bangladesh to receive permission from Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).  The app-based vehicle service provider, which is available in over 74 countries and 450 cities worldwide, is yet to come up with plausible clarifications in its defence to roll out the service without the regulatory consents.