Following in the footsteps of Uber, Indian ride-sharing service OLA is reportedly planning to extend its operations into Dhaka.
Sources close to the app-based company said they want to expand internationally, and both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had been identified as ideal starting points.
"OLA is currently reviewing and analysing data on Dhaka's market," the sources said.
In addition, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) confirmed that it had received multiple applications for permits from app-based ride sharing companies, though it refused to say if OLA was among them.
"Some local and international organisations have already contacted the BRTA for approval to start ride-sharing services. However, we can not disclose the names of the organisations," BRTA Director (road safety) Sheikh Md Mahbub-e-Rabbani told the Dhaka Tribune.
US tech company Uber established the first app-based ride sharing service in Bangladesh when they began operation in Dhaka last November, but the BRTA has since declared such services illegal until ride-sharing guidelines can be approved by cabinet.
When asked about OLA's possible expansion into Dhaka, an Uber spokesperson said: "We do not comment on our competitors."
Uber rivals OLA in around 26 states in India.
An email from the Dhaka Tribune to OLA asking for confirmation of the expansion was met with no response.
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