Contribution of Engineers in the Development of Bangladesh During Last 65 Years

Presentation by Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury

Vice Chancellor, University of Asia Pacific Former President, Institution of Engineers Bangladesh

Seminar at IEB, Dhaka 10 May, 2013

Why 65 years ?
Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB) is celebrating 68th Anniversary of its founding on 7th May Founded by a group of engineers on 7th May, 1948 as Institute of Engineers Pakistan The only National institution in Pakistan to have its Headquarters in East Pakistan Renamed Institution of Engineers Bangladesh in December, 1971

Outline of Presentation
Education Physical Infrastructure Development

Agriculture Water Resources

Housing and Building Industrialization

Ship-building
Information Technology Concluding Remarks

Engineering Education
1948 : around 100 graduate engineers, mostly from Bengal Engineering College, Shibpur, Calcutta; not a single engineer with PhD 1948 : only one Engineering College at Dhaka with around 180 students pursuing four year BSc Engg degree programmes 1962 : one Engineering University with about 950 students 2013 : The number of Engineers is around 40,000; around 170 degree programmes (Bachelors, Masters and PhD) in 35 Universities

Physical Infrastructure?
The physical components of interrelated systems providing commodities and services essential to enable, sustain, or enhance societal living conditions Some examples : Public utilities power, telecommunications, water supply, sanitation and sewerage, solid waste collection and disposal, and piped gas Public works roads, bridges, embankments, dams and canal works for irrigation and drainage Other transport sectors urban and interurban railways, urban transport, ports and waterways, and airports.

Road Network
In 1948 only 600 km of narrow paved roads existed Now it has grown to 271,000 km

Rail Network

Route length 2,800 km Problem with two different gauges - metre and broad

Physical Infrastructure
Bridging the major rivers The situation in 1971
Dependence on ferries

Bangabandhu Bridge over Jamuna

A major achievement
12th longest in the world when completed in 1998; now 42nd

Almost all major rivers have been bridged overcoming challenges of river training and unstable river beds, mostly soft soils

Bangabondhu (Jamuna) Bridge

Bridge Substructure
Max Water Level Min Water Level + 16 m Cast in-situ Concrete Pier Stem Precast Concrete insitu filled Pile Cap

+6m

Max Bed Level +/- 0 m Tubular Structural Steel Piles in-situ concrete filled 2.5 3.15 m dia Pile Length 83 m

Min Bed Level - 30 m

Pile Toe Level - 72 m

Courtesy of MC

2 Pile Pier

3 Pile Pier

Kuril Flyover

Zillur Rahman Flyover

Buildings
1948 : Very few multistoried buildings; mostly brick masonry with lime-surki mortar Tallest : 5-storied in Sadarghat, Dhaka; the only building with a lift Now a few hundred tall buildings (9 or more stories in height) almost all designed and constructed by Bangladeshi architects and engineers National Building Code prepared in 1993

Tallest Building

37-storied City Centre

Water Supply and Sanitation

1948 : Only a few towns had piped water supply system covering small areas; e.g. Old Dhaka with a small water treatment plant Most people in urban areas dependent on dug well , tube well or ponds

Almost all rural areas : ponds

Water Supply and Sanitation

Access to safe drinking water About 86% of urban population; 22% piped supply on premises About 83% of rural population Improved Sanitation 60 % of urban and 55% of rural Open defecation has almost disappeared

Electricity Scenario : 1948

Private companies supplying power to
then 17 provincial district headquarters; mostly during nights only generation voltage 400 volts

Only in Dhaka City, 2 x 1500 kW generators ;

generation voltage 6,600 volts no long distance transmission lines.

some industries (tea, sugar and textiles) and railway workshops.

total generation capacity of the country was 21 MW

Electricity : Growth
1962 : Kaptai Dam : 40 MW; first major project 1 971 : 180 MW National grid developed with East West Interconnector 2013 : Generation capacity increased to 8,100 MW Highest generation : 6,350 MW about 50% of population getting electricity supply from grid

East West Electric Interconnector Jamuna River Crossing

Telecommunications
Fixed telephones : around 1 million Mobile cellular telephones : from a few thousand to 100 million in 12 years CAGR initially more than 100%, one of the fastest in the world

Internet users : 30 million; mostly using mobile devices

Information Technology
First digital computer in 1964 (AEC, Dhaka) 1997 : IT identified as a sector having high potential for growth IT policies and action plans formulated 800 software companies with c. 30,000 professionals

2010 : Gartner, one of the most respected global consulting groups, has included Bangladesh in a list of top 30 outsourcing destinations of the world

Irrigation Projects
in 65 years, population has increased from 40 million to 160 million

Bangladesh has almost gained self sufficiency in food grain production

Near self-sufficiency in rice: production tripled since 1971 around 16 million acres under irrigation

credit goes to BADC and BWDB e.g. tubewell projects

Ganges Kobadak Project (1955-62) Teesta Barrage

Teesta Barrage 1979-1993

Fertilizer Production
1958 : NGFF, Fenchuganj 6 more built between 1970-1994 another (Shahjalal) nearing completion (2014)

Natural Hazards Affecting Bangladesh

Floods
River Water Overflow Rain water stagnation

Earthquakes Tornadoes Landslides

Cyclones and Storm Surge

Tsunami River Bank Erosion

Surface Water Modeling

Inst of Water Modeling has developed excellent capabilities for SWM and is
rendering services to other countries transferring technology to other countries

Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre

much better capabilities

daily forecasts; up to 72 hours for water level in major rivers

Multipurpose Cyclone Shelter Plan

Cyclones (Hurricanes/Typhoons)
wind speed up to 250 km/hr

Storm surges
Up to 7.5 meters height Moving up to 50 km inland

Shipbuilding Industry
During the last 10 years a number of shipyards in Bangladesh have established reputation for design and fabrication of medium sized ships

Exported to Europe (Germany and Denmark) and Pakistan; meeting most difficult quality specifications
Progressively increasing capacity up to 20,000 DWT

Economic Growth
1948 : per capita income around US$80 2013 : per capita income around US$ 860 (US$2,050 PPP) Engineers have made a significant contribution in ensuring economic growth and poverty alleviation

Future

Engineers will have to play a major role in ensuring that the predictions come true

Thank you