There is no alternative to Smart Engineering Society and Smart Engineering Industry: IEB
The 61st conference of the country’s oldest professional institution, Engineers Institution, Bangladesh (IEB) is being held on the theme of Engineering and Technology for Smart Bangladesh on Saturday morning in Ramna of the capital. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference. The National Association of Engineers will present 10-point demands to the Prime Minister as the architect of Smart Bangladesh construction. After the inauguration of the conference, a national seminar will be held on technology engineering as the driving force of Smart Bangladesh.
IEB spokesperson and Honorary General Secretary Engineer S. M. Manzurul Haque Manju conveyed the message in the press conference held at the conference venue on Friday.
In the press conference chaired by President of the Engineers Institution and a Member of Parliament Engineer Md. Abdus Sabur, it was said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh is currently on the path of building “Smart-Bangladesh”. In this era of globalization overall development is impossible without technology and engineering knowledge. Smart engineering society and smart engineering industry have no choice to implement the mega projects undertaken by the current government with the aim of building a developed and modern smart Bangladesh by 2041. IEB will continue its continuous efforts to build a smart Bangladesh through smart citizen, smart society, smart government, smart economy, with the inexhaustible spirit of patriotism. Considering all these issues, this conference has been arranged.
DUET’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman; IEB Vice President Engineer Md. Shahadat Hossain Shiblu; Engineer Khandkar Manjur Morshed; Engineer Md. Nuruzzaman; Engineer Kazi Khairul Bashar; Assistant General Secretary Engineer Sheikh Tajul Islam Tuhin; Engineer Amit Kumar Chakraborty; Engineer Abul Kalam Hazari and Engineer Ronak Ahsan, Chairman of Dhaka Center Engineer Mohammad Hossain, Editor Engineer Nazrul Islam and leaders of various departments, centers and sub-centers of IEB were present at the press conference.
While speaking as the president, Engineer Md. Abdus Sabur said, we are observing with deep concern that serving or retired members of a special cadre without technical knowledge are being appointed as PDs in various large-scale engineering and technology-based projects. In large scale technical development projects, the pace of the project will be hampered due to the appointment of persons without technical education and knowledge as PDs. People without technical knowledge or engineering experience are being appointed as PDs, which needs to be stopped immediately. It is imperative in the national interest to appoint technically skilled persons as PDs.
Engineer Md. Abdus Sabur said, people dream, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working tirelessly to realize it. Engineers of the country made those dreams a reality by the side of the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is the shaper of dreams and engineers are the makers of dreams.
Engineer SM Manjurul Haque Manju, Honorary General Secretary of IEB, presented several demands on behalf of IEB in front of the journalists to improve the quality of the engineering profession in the country.
He said, Engineers Institution, Bangladesh is the highest national professional organization representing the engineers of the country. IEB is of the view that the following urgent measures are required to establish accountable good governance and build a smart Bangladesh.
A prepared demand letter is provided to the press personnel to be presented to the Prime Minister at the press conference.
The demands will be presented to the Prime Minister in the conference:
• Deploying engineers in place of non-engineers in top positions in engineering organizations.
• Ensuring promotion and posting of engineers.
•Creation of Engineering Wing in Prime Minister’s Office.
•Inclusion in ‘Warrant of Precedence’ in rank from Chief Engineer to Executive Engineer.
• To appoint persons with technical knowledge as PD instead of appointing persons without technical knowledge or engineering experience as PD.
• It is necessary to implement ‘LGED’, ‘Textile’ ‘Agriculture’ and ‘ICT’ cadres and restart the recruitment process of BCS Telecom cadre which has been closed since 2006.
• Recruiting Bangladesh Civil Service ‘Senior Service Pool’ i.e., Deputy Secretary of the Ministry through open competitive examination from among various cadres.
• To change the current job structure of polytechnic teachers.
• Bringing all power sectors under the same umbrella under the control of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BUBO).
•Recently recruitment process of one Sub-Assistant Engineer in each district DC office and one Assistant Engineer and one Sub-Assistant Engineer in each Divisional Commissioner’s office is being observed. Many senior engineers serve as project managers. It is demeaning to senior engineers to have junior officers inspect their work. Therefore, the recruitment process should be stopped immediately.