Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today rode in a smart car invented by specially-abled college student Wakimul Islam and encouraged him to continue his creative work.
Wakimul met the Prime Minister this morning at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, according to Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister inspected the small battery-powered vehicle made by the 17-year-old student. Wakimul later demonstrated the vehicle by driving it with the Prime Minister on board. The vehicle has been named the “A2I Smart Car.”
Ruman said the Prime Minister praised Wakimul for building the car using local technology.
He also stressed the importance of developing modern, user-friendly, and affordable smart cars. The Prime Minister assured support from the government for such innovative initiatives.
During the discussion, Wakimul shared the story behind creating the smart car. He said there was a time when he stayed home all day because he could not move around easily outside. He started building the vehicle to help himself travel independently.
Wakimul is currently a Class XI science student at Chowgacha Government College. His father is a small businessman.
He said with proper support, more advanced smart cars could be built using modern technology. He also noted that such vehicles could help not only specially-abled people but also elderly citizens.
Bangladesh Protibandhi Kallyan Somity Founder and Executive Director Abdus Sattar Dulal accompanied Wakimul during the meeting.
Dulal said the vehicle can travel up to 50 kilometres on a full electric charge and has a maximum speed of 45 kilometres per hour.
Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) AKM Shamsul Islam and Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar were also present at the event.