Ensure sustainable development by applying technology skills and experience: State Minister for Public Works

We will be able to ensure sustainable development through proper application of technology skills and experience. That is why the present government is giving more importance to technical skills, said State Minister for Housing and Public Works Sharif Ahmed. On Thursday (December 2) at the Council Hall of the IEB Headquarters at the initiative of the Civil Engineering Department of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), the state minister opined so while addressed in the seminar titled ‘Surfside, Florida Building Collapse of June 2021 and ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete’. He further said that the draft of Dhaka Detailed Area Plan DAP has been prepared for the planned and sustainable development of the capital Dhaka. Hopefully it will be published in gazette soon. IEB Civil Engineering Secretary Engineer Amit Kumar Chakraborty moderated the seminar while, IEB Civil Engineering Department Chairman Professor Dr. Engineer Munaj Ahmed Noor presided over the function. Bangladesh Awami League Secretary for Science and Technology Engineer Md. Abdus Sabur was present as a guest of honor. Consultant of the International Code Council and S.K. Ghosh Associates, LLC, US President Dr. Satyendra Kumar Ghosh (SK Ghosh) presented the keynote at the seminar online. IEB Vice President (HRD) Engineer Md. Nuruzzaman was present as a special guest. Chief Engineer of the Department of Public Works Engineer Md. Shamim Akhtar and Urban Resilience Project Engineer Abdul Latif Helali, Project Director, RAJUK were present as the discussants on the main article. IEB General Secretary Engineer Md. Shahadat Hossain (Shiblu) delivered his welcome speech. The state minister said Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. On the other hand, Bangladesh is at the highest seismic risk as it is located at the junction of three continental tectonic plates in a disaster prone area. Moreover, the soil structure of this country is very delicate as it is a fertile land of the Pleistocene age and a large deltaic region. Awami League's science and technology affairs secretary said the BNBC code could not be violated in any way. The building has to be constructed in accordance with BNBC code. In the interest of development of Bangladesh, the code needs to be based on reality. Then it is possible to avoid accidents. He urged the BNBD code not to be trapped in a conspiracy. IEB Civil Engineering Department Chairman Prof. Engineer Munaz Ahmed Noor said the design of a building needs to be finalized before starting work. If the work is started without finalizing the design of the building or if the building is not done as per the design, then there is a possibility of accident. In addition, the quality of the materials used in the construction of the building must be maintained. He called for the consultation of skilled engineers in the construction of buildings.