Engineers Urge Tech Diversification for Energy Security
IEB national seminar advocates Smart Grid and AI for energy resilience
- Engineers urge adopting Smart Grid, IoT, and AI technologies alongside renewable energy expansion
- Calls made for transparent technical audits of power plants and assigning engineers to technical posts
- IEB compiles comprehensive policy recommendations to submit to the government for energy security
Expert engineers have emphasized domestic gas exploration, renewable energy diversification, waste reduction, and the deployment of advanced engineering technologies such as Smart Grids and Artificial Intelligence to ensure national energy security. The observations were shared during a national seminar titled 'Energy Security in Bangladesh: Understanding the Challenges and Shaping the Way Forward', organized by the Young Engineers Chapter of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) at the IEB Headquarters Council Hall in Ramna on Monday, 24 August.
Presenting the keynote paper, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Member Professor Dr. Engr. Syeda Sultana Razia stated, "Uninterrupted and affordable power is critical for industrialization and economic stability. Depleting gas reserves, import dependence, and global market volatility pose severe risks. To mitigate these bottlenecks, Bangladesh must accelerate solar, wind, and hydro projects while integrating Smart Grids, energy storage systems, Internet of Things (IoT), AI, and digital monitoring across industrial and transport infrastructures."
Addressing as the special guest, IEB Vice-President (Academic & International) Engr. Khan Monjur Morshed criticized non-technical personnel heading technical administrative functions and called for placing certified engineers in critical infrastructure roles. He questioned the long-term feasibility of past power plant projects and demanded an impartial and transparent technical audit into projects executed without rigorous viability assessments, advocating legal action where financial irregularities or mismanagement are proven.
Delivering the welcome remarks, IEB Acting Honorary General Secretary Engr. Muhammad Ahsanul Russell noted that IEB operates through 18 centers, 35 sub-centers, 14 overseas chapters, 7 engineering divisions, 2 chapters, and 5 boards, confirming that the seminar's recommendations will be submitted to relevant ministries for national policy integration.
Chaired by Engr. Md. Tofazzal Hossain, Chairman of the IEB Young Engineers Chapter, and moderated by Chapter Secretary Engr. Shafiul Azam Fahim, the panel discussion included Engr. Helal Uddin Talukder, Chairman of IEB Dhaka Centre; Dr. Md. Aman Uddin, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at BUET; and Md. Sajidul Islam, Head of Corporate Planning and Business Development at Omera Petroleum Limited.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Chapter Vice-Chairman Engr. Md. Anwar Hossain. IEB Honorary Assistant General Secretaries Engr. Sabbir Ahmed Osmani and Engr. Md. Noor Amin, along with central council members and senior engineers, attended the session.
//DBTech/SFC/MSI//
