State Minister Urges Greater Role for Engineers in Development Projects

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam has urged the government to ensure the active involvement of engineers at every stage of development projects, including planning, design, preparation of Development Project Proposals (DPPs), and implementation.

He made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the seminar titled "Inauguration of APMCE2026 & Success and Failure of Projects from Project Management Viewpoint: Bangladesh and International Context", organised by the Civil Engineering Division of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), at the IEB headquarters in Dhaka on Saturday.

The state minister said engineering-related institutions should appoint qualified engineers, and engineering decisions should remain under the authority of engineering professionals. Such an approach, he said, would improve the quality of development projects, ensure proper utilisation of public funds and contribute to sustainable national development.

He noted that research findings can play a significant role in government policymaking and development planning, stressing the need for active government support in implementing research-based recommendations.

Mir Shahe Alam expressed concern that many engineering graduates are choosing administrative careers instead of engineering professions, resulting in the loss of highly skilled professionals despite the state's substantial investment in producing engineers.

He also emphasised that development projects and DPPs should be prepared with long-term planning, taking into account feasibility, maintenance, environmental impacts and future needs.

Referring to the DPP approval process, the minister said proposals prepared by engineers are often returned for revision by individuals who are not engineering professionals, preventing proper technical evaluation. He therefore called for greater participation of engineers within the Planning Commission.

He added that while isolated project failures often receive public attention, engineers have made significant contributions to Bangladesh's infrastructure development, industrialisation, power sector, transportation, information technology and overall economic progress.

Addressing architects, he urged them to prioritise natural lighting and ventilation in building designs to reduce energy consumption and promote environmentally friendly and healthier buildings.

Special guest Professor Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET), stressed the importance of long-term planning in development projects. He said project sustainability, maintenance, economic viability, environmental impact and future generations' needs should be considered alongside construction.

He also said collaborative initiatives between IEB and DUET would strengthen research, knowledge sharing and policy development while promoting closer cooperation between academia and industry.

Delivering the welcome address, IEB Honorary General Secretary Professor Dr. Engineer Md. Sabbir Mostafa Khan said most buildings in Bangladesh are still not constructed according to modern earthquake-resistant standards. Given Bangladesh's seismic vulnerability, he urged greater emphasis on earthquake-resilient technologies, drawing lessons from Japan's experience.

He also recommended developing small-scale community-based water supply systems alongside large centralised networks and planning future roads with at least four lanes to accommodate urbanisation and growing traffic demand while reducing future reconstruction costs.

The keynote paper was presented by Engineer Muhammad Shafiqul Islam (Khoka), Executive Engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and Chairman of the IEB Civil Engineering Division.

The seminar was also attended by IEB President and RAJUK Chairman Engineer Mohammad Riazul Islam (Rizu), DUET Civil Engineering Department Chairman Professor Dr. Engineer Md. Abu Tayeb, members of the IEB Central Council, representatives of engineering chapters, and engineers from various public and private organisations.

//DBTech/SF/SMEK//