Launch Electric Public Transport With A Pilot First

Electric vehicles may promise a cleaner future, but for Bangladesh, the road to that future must be paved with realism and local readiness. "Start small, build capacity, and don't rush into mass adoption," says Professor Dr. Md. Ziaur Rahman Khan of BUET, who believes launching electric public transport in Dhaka should begin with a pilot, not a fleet.

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In an in-depth interview with Mollah Amzad Hossain, Editor of Energy & Power, the seasoned energy expert also warns that battery-powered rickshaws could spiral into a serious safety and infrastructure crisis if left unregulated. He discusses why a measured, locally-driven approach is vital for the success of EVs in Bangladesh—and how policy gaps, political interests, and lack of technical preparedness could otherwise derail it.

These were the key observations made by Professor Dr. Md. Ziaur Rahman Khan, from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), during a conversation with Mollah Amzad Hossain, Editor of Energy & Power.

How would you assess the current state of Bangladesh's power and energy sector? Currently, 55% of the electricity and energy supply depends on imports. With rising prices of crude oil and LNG due to the Israel-Iran conflict, what should Bangladesh do?

Given our increasing dependence on imported fuel, long-term purchase agreements for oil and LNG could have helped mitigate such wartime supply shocks. But now, nothing can be done in that regard. Instead, the focus must be on monitoring global prices and ensuring energy efficiency and conservation domestically, starting with the public sector, where energy waste remains significant. At the same time, an environment must be created to encourage greater private sector investment in energy-efficient technologies.

I don’t support rationing or load shedding as an emergency measure to cut imports. That would disproportionately affect rural consumers, creating discontent and unrest, something that would not be favorable for the government.

The government finalized its Renewable Energy Policy 2025, aiming to produce 20% of electricity from renewables by 2030 and 30% by 2040. Is this realistically achievable?