Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ প্রকৌশল বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় Bangladesh Prokoushol Bishshobiddalôe) or BUET is a Government Engineering University in Bangladesh. It is the oldest Engineering institution in the region, and is regarded as one of the top universities for technical education. The medium of instructions in this universityis English. Many international students prefer this university for offering high standard of education and low expense. About five thousand students are enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate program to study engineering, architecture, planning and science in this institution. The total number of teachers is about 500. The University has continued to expand over the last three decades with the construction of new academic buildings, auditorium complex, halls of residence etc. In 2007, Webometrics ranked this university 1st in Bangladesh and 24th in the Indian subcontinent in their World Universities Ranking^[1] based on electronic publication, scientific results and international activities^[2].

History

BUET was established in the late 19th century as a survey school for training surveyors. Dhaka Survey School was established at Nalgola, in Old Dhaka in 1876 to train surveyors for the then Government of Bengal of British India. Later, generous grants from Nawab Ahsanullah, a renowned Muslim patron of Education and member of the Nawab family of Dhaka enabled it to expand as a full fledged engineering school. Ahsanullah School of Engineering offered three-year diploma courses in Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. In recognition of the generous financial contribution from the then Nawab of Dhaka, it was named after his father Khwaja Ahsanullah. It moved to its present premises in 1912. After the partition of India in 1947, it was upgraded to Ahsanullah Engineering College, as a Faculty of Engineering under the University of Dhaka, offering four-year bachelor's courses in Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering. In 1962, it was renamed as East Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology (EPUET). A partnership with the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (renamed Texas A&M University in 1963) was forged, and professors from A&M came to teach and to formulate the curriculum. During this period, EPUET offered courses in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, and Chemical engineering, and Architecture. After the liberation war of 1971, Bangladesh became independent, and EPUET was renamed to Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). In 2007,BUET celebrated 60 years of engineering education in Bangladesh by arranging a series of programs and events.

Campus

Language movement monument in front of BUET

Dr. M.A. Rashid Building

The BUET campus is in the heart of the capital city of Dhaka. It has a compact campus with halls of residence within walking distances of the academic buildings. At present the campus occupies 76.85 acres (311,000 m²) of land. The academic area is confined in and around the old campus occupying 30.24 acres (122,000 m²) of land defined by Shahid Sharani, Bakshi Bazar road and the Asian Highway. This area accommodates five faculties, three institutes, the administrative building, the central library, main sports facilities, the auditorium complex, the BUET Club and eighty two units of residential accommodation of teachers, staff and employees and the Vice-Chancellor's bungalow.

Academics

Faculties and departments

Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Building at BUET

Civil engineering building

Architecture building

• Faculty of Architecture & Planning
  • Dept. of Architecture (Arch)
  • Dept. of Urban & Regional Planning (URP)
  • Dept. of Humanities (Hum)
• Faculty of Civil Engineering
  • Dept. of Civil Engineering (CE)
  • Dept. of Water Resources Engineering (WRE)
• Faculty of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
  • Dept. of Electrical & Electronic Engineering (EEE)
  • Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE)
• Faculty of Engineering
  • Dept. of Chemical Engineering (ChE)
  • Dept. of Materials & Metallurgical Engineering (MME)
  • Dept. of Chemistry (Chem)
  • Dept. of Mathematics (Math)
  • Dept. of Physics (Phys)
  • Dept. of Petroleum & Mineral Resources Engineering (PMRE)
• Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
  • Dept. of Mechanical Engineering (ME)
  • Dept. of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering (NAME)
  • Dept. of Industrial & Production Engineering (IPE)

Institutes

• Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM)
• Institute of Appropriate Technology (IAT)
• Institute of Information & Communication Technology (IICT)

Admissions

Undergraduate admission in BUET is very competitive. After completion of higher secondary level(HSC) education, a student can submit his application for undergraduate admission if s/he fulfills the minimum requirements. Students with a minimum percentage in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and English of their higher secondary examination are allowed to appear in the admission test. The formidable screening process allows only 4500 - 5000 students to sit for the admission test out of approximately 40,000 applicants. After the intricate admission test, the best 825 students get the opportunity to study in this prestigious institution. However, for admission to M.S. and Ph. D. programs candidates are required to appear in interviews and/or written tests. International students must submit satisfactory TOEFL or IELTS score as a proof of their English proficiency as a basic requirements for admission.

Student life

Halls of residence

Sabekunnahar Sony Memorial Sculpture, beside Titumir Hall.

BUET Cafe

Student dormitories (called halls in BUET) are important features in campus life. There are eight residential halls to provide housing for BUET students. The Shahid Smriti Hall is reserved for young teachers who do not have an official quarter in the campus and for postgraduate students. The Ladies Hall is for female students, and the remaining six halls are for male students studying in the undergraduate level. Among all of the halls Sher-e-Bangla Hall is the best. These halls were built in different times. Different architectural designs of different ages are prominent in the construction of these halls. Administrative head of a hall is its provost, usually chosen from the senior teachers of different faculties. 3 Assistant Provosts are also in the authority of the Halls. Most of the halls are named after prominent personalities in the history of Bangladesh. These are listed below:

• Ahsanullah Hall
• Ladies Hall
• Dr. M. A. Rashid Hall
• Nazrul Islam Hall
• Sher-e-Bangla Hall
• Suhrawardy Hall
• Titumir Hall
• Shahid Smriti Hall

Student Organizations

• BUET Chess Club
• BUET Debating Club
• BUET Drama Society
• BUET Film Society
• BUET Photographic Society
• Satyen Bose Club (Science Club)
• BUET Literary Society
• Kantha BUET (Recitation Group)
• BUET Environment Watch
• Association of Computer and Electrical Students (ACES)

Activities

• BUET participated in the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest every year since 1998, achieving the 11th position in the whole world in 2000.
• BUET participated in the IEEE Myron Zucker Student Design Contest in 2001, placed first,Chicago, USA.
• BUET participated in The 2003 International Future Energy Challenge in 2003 and was awarded Honorable Mention award.
• BUET participated in the Asia-Pacific Robot Contest ABU ROBOCON 2005 Beijing and was awarded the Panasonic Award.
• BUET participated in The 2005 International Future Energy Challenge in 2005 and was awarded Honorable Mention award.
• BUET student won the 2006 IEEE[1] Region 10 Student Paper Contest.
• BUET won the Student Enterprise Award in 2007 from IEEE[2]

Directorates, Centers and Others

• Directorate of Advisory, Extension and Research Services (DAERS)
• Directorate of Students’ Welfare (DSW)
• Directorate of Planning and Development (P&D)
• Directorate of Continuing Education (DCE)
• Centre for Energy Studies (CES)
• Centre for Environmental and Resource Management (CERM)
• Centre for Biomedical Engineering Research (CBER)
• Accident Research Centre (ARC)
• Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation (BRTC)
• International Training Network Centre (ITN)
• Bangladesh Network Office for Urban Safety (BNUS), BUET

Distinguished Alumni

A large number of BUET alumni are working in the industry and academia both in Bangladesh and outside Bangladesh. Structural Engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan, who designed John Hancock Center (100-story) and Sears Tower(108-story) , the tallest building in the United States since its completion in 1974, obtained bachelor's degree in Engineering from Dhaka University Engg Faculty^[3], which later became BUET^[4]

Notes and references

External links

• Official BUET Web Site