Bangladesh can now manage multi-billion dollar development projects with ease, thanks to high GDP growth and local engineers – many of whom are from Buet, the country's top institution for engineering.
The statement was made by Prof Jamilur Reza Choudhury in Toronto, Canada, while addressing a group of around one thousand expatriate Bangladeshi engineers and architects on September 8 as the chief guest at the Buet Night, an annual gala event of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) Alumni Association in Canada. The event was held at Markham Convention Centre in the eastern part of the city.
"You all know that the World Bank cancelled a loan of $1.5 billion that it promised for the Padma Bridge. The global lender's decision paved the way for Bangladesh to build its capacity in handling mega projects like Padma Bridge," he said.
"Some graduates from Buet, who are now working for international companies, became members of the International Panel of Experts for the mega project," he added.
"For the first time, local experts have been given full responsibility for overall project management," said the National Professor.
The chairman of the International Panel of Experts on the Padma Bridge project, Prof Choudhury, noted that the Bangladesh government took up a very big challenge to implement the project after a fallout with the World Bank and other international lenders due to the allegations of corruption.
He lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her bold decision to take up the challenge and implement the massive project with “our own resources and with our own engineers being in overall charge of the management of the project.”
Professor Choudhury said, "This was a huge challenge and considered a game changer for future projects."
“If we can complete this project successfully, I am sure that in the future, the government will depend more and more on our own engineers and other professionals to manage projects," he said amid applause from hundreds of engineers, many of whom were his students and came from other cities of Canada and neighbouring USA.
He mentioned that a former Buet graduate, currently working in San Francisco, has been inducted into an international panel of experts for his expertise in projects of similar scale and importance.
He said the government was now ready to place its confidence in Bangladeshi engineers, including those who gained similar knowledge and expertise in other countries.
He advised the association to prepare a database of all Buet alumni who are working in various fields in Canada so that the professionals may be called upon to provide their expertise in large infrastructure projects in Bangladesh.
Professor Choudhury also said work was being undertaken for the accreditation of Bangladeshi degrees and academic programs under the Washington Accord. Currently, 20 countries are signatories to this accord, and Bangladesh has been given a 'provisional' status.
He sought help from alumni members who are currently working as academics at universities so that the country can achieve a full status by 2020. Given a full status, the engineering degrees and programs accredited by local accreditation boards will be handled similarly by all the signatory countries in the Accord.
The event was presided over by Dr Delwar Hossain, President of the Alumni Association’s Canada wing. The event began with the national anthems of both Bangladesh and Canada, and was officially opened by Kamrul Islam, the convener of the event.
Dr Bakte A Kamal, the most senior alumnus from the early 1960s, and Md Abdur Rauf, a trustee and executive of Buet Alumni Association’s central wing in Dhaka, were among others who spoke at the event.
The association accorded a reception to the daughter of an alumnus, Mirza Nahiyan, who made it to the list of top scholars in the Toronto District School Board last year. Dr Choudhury congratulated Mirza Nahiyan for her extraordinary success, and presented her with souvenirs on behalf of the alumni association.
The alumni association also honoured a dozen faculty members who are currently teaching at Canadian universities all over the province of Ontario.
The event was rounded off by a gala dinner and cultural show.