On February 18, 2024, the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering (EEE) at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) conducted a noteworthy industrial visit to the Progress Motors Imports Limited, the esteemed sales and service centre for Audi Bangladesh located in Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka. This visit was orchestrated with the intention of fostering knowledge exchange concerning the booming sector of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and the infrastructure for EV Charging Stations in Bangladesh.

The delegation from the EEE Department was spearheaded by esteemed faculty members, including Prof. Dr. Tareq Aziz, Dr. Fakir Sharif Hossain, Dr. Taskin Jamal, and Mr. Adnan Quaium. Accompanying them were sixteen diligent final-year students engaged in undergraduate research. Their studies span a wide array of topics, including technical and non-technical aspects of EV operation and maintenance, the operational dynamics of EV charging stations, the grid impact of EVs, business models for EV uptake, policy formulation for EVs, EV charging schemes, and the overarching EV ecosystem.

The visit was notably enhanced by the insights of Mr. Shah Omar Sakib, the Product Advisor at Audi Bangladesh, who served as the chief instructor. It may be noted that Mr. Sakib is an alumni of the Department of EEE, AUST.  He provided an in-depth demonstration of the charging station’s hardware and software intricacies, elucidated the charging methodologies, and detailed the features of the latest EV model—the Audi e-tron. This session paved the way for an engaging dialogue among the students on the current state and future prospects of the EV ecosystem in Bangladesh, setting a direction for forthcoming research in this vital sector. The Department of EEE is profoundly grateful to Mr. Sakib, Audi Bangladesh and Progress Motors Imports Limited for their exceptional support and hospitality. Such generosity not only made this visit possible but also enriched the learning experience for our students. Our gratitude extends to the AUST administration for their unwavering support. This industrial visit is a testament to the department’s dedication to blending practical insights with academic learning, thereby enhancing the educational journey of our students.