“We want you to pay a greater attention to research in the engineering sector…we'll have to innovate newer technologies through research so that we can take development strategies that will suit our country's soil, people, climate and all other things,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the four-day 59th convention of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in the city's Ramna area.
The theme of this year’s convention is ‘Engineering Excellent: Earth to Space’.
Sheikh Hasina said today’s world is dependent on technologies, and newer development strategies are being worked out.
She stressed the need for utilising the new strategies to take the country forward.
Sheikh Hasina also emphasized that local climate, geographical location, soil, water and people will have to be considered in case of taking development plans.
The Prime Minister asked the engineers to work out the strategies so that Bangladesh can achieve maximum progress at lower cost.
Mentioning that this convention is important, she said international engineers will attend it creating a scope for sharing experiences and opinions between local and foreign experts. So, local engineers can take appropriate strategies for Bangladesh from the convention, which will accelerate the country’s development pace, she added.
Talking about the development of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said now the country is marching forward and its development is now recognised in the whole world.
“Many just wonder how we made such huge progress within in a short time,” she said adding that there is nothing behind it other than a political commitment.
Coming to power in 1996, the Awami League government opened all areas for private sector for rapid development of the socio-economic condition of the country’s people, Hasina said.
She said the government will improve the transportation system for quick communications between the capital and all other divisional cities.
Beside the highways, the government will create separate service lanes for slow vehicles to reduce accidents and ensure speedy communication on highways alongside ensuring safe transportation for the local people, she said.
Noting that there are unnecessary roads in the country, she said roads should not be constructed at any place indiscriminately.
The Prime Minister said the railway networks will be spread throughout the country, with introducing bullet trains between Dhaka and Chattogram.
Stressing the importance of reviving river routes, Hasina said, “If the rivers can be dredged, huge land areas can be reclaimed.”
About the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project, she said Bangladesh is constructing the bridge with its own fund and local engineers are gathering experience from this construction.
The Prime Minister asked the engineers to keep in mind so that no land and water body is destroyed while formulating a project as many of them remain there in the project designing process.
Three engineers – Dr Dipak Kanti Das, Md Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan and late Khizir Khan -- received EIB Gold Medal 2018.
The Prime Minister handed over the medals to Dr Dipak Kanti Das, Kabir Ahmed and Khizir Khan’s son.
Chaired by IEB President Engineer Mohammad Abdus Sabur, the inaugural session was addressed, among others, its General Secretary Engineer Khandaker Manjur Murshed and EIB's Dhaka Centre Chairman Waliullah Sikder and its secretary Engineer Shahadat Hossain Shiplu Prince.
Seminars, memorial speeches, reception to martyred engineers’ families, reception to foreign guests and cultural programme will be held during the four-day event arranged by the EIB Dhaka Centre.
The IEB started its journey on May 7, 1948.