World Bank (WB) Operations Manager Dandan Chen has said that Bangladesh must pick its own roadmap for the electric vehicle (EV) transition, beginning with which segments of e-mobility it wants to focus on.

He stressed that the most significant opportunities lie in the 2/3-wheeler and public transport sectors as they make economic sense and serve the majority.

He made the remarks on Wednesday (10 May) while attending a workshop aimed at accelerating the transition to electric mobility in public transport across South Asia and Southeast Asia. 

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has collaborated with the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges of Bangladesh and the World Bank (WB) in this regard.

With the transport sector being responsible for about 25% of global CO2 emissions, the move to decarbonize is crucial in achieving the Paris Agreement's objectives of limiting global warming to below 2°C, read a press release issued following the workshop.

As the largest consumer of petroleum products in Bangladesh, accounting for 63% of consumption, the transport sector is responsible for 15% of the country's total emissions. 

Therefore, it is crucial to decarbonize the transportation sector to advance the country's sustainable development objectives, added the release.

The workshop's main objectives were to create awareness of EV development in the subregion and Bangladesh, enhance the capacity of policymakers, encourage Regional Cooperation Mechanism on Low Carbon Transport, and facilitate discussions on policy recommendations for accelerating the transition to electric mobility of public transport in Bangladesh.