Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has emphasised the need for an engineering education system that meets international accreditation standards while embedding environmental and social responsibility at its core.
She made the remarks on Tuesday at the 4th International Symposium on “Quality Assurance in Engineering Education through Accreditation,” held at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, according to a press release.
Rizwana said true engineering excellence must be grounded in environmental justice, social equity and climate resilience; particularly in fast-growing urban centres like Dhaka, where communities face risks such as earthquakes, riverbank erosion and recurrent flooding.
While engineering solutions often focus on protecting people and infrastructure, she stressed that they must also consider long-term ecological impacts, sustainability and community priorities.
Noting the rise in engineering graduates and the expansion of private universities, the adviser said aligning curricula with global accreditation standards is now essential.
Engineers, she added, play a decisive role in national development and accreditation frameworks must instil ethical responsibility, environmental awareness and innovative thinking beyond traditional infrastructure planning.
Rizwana expressed hope that the symposium would lead to improved curricula, stronger practical training and enhanced institutional capacity; ultimately enabling future engineers to contribute more meaningfully to sustainable development.
Speaking as a special guest, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser for ICT ministry, said the symposium had opened new opportunities for collaboration between academia and industry, which he said would boost employability, research quality and skills development.
Other special guests included Prof Nur Yazdani of the University of Texas at Arlington; Prof Ir Megat Johari Megat Mohd Noor, chair of Dublin Accord and Prof Md Sabbir Mostafa Khan, honorary general secretary of Institution of Engineers Bangladesh.
The event was chaired by BAETE Chairman Prof Tanvir Manzur.
The symposium concluded with a call to modernise engineering education, strengthen accreditation practices and align academic programmes with both international expectations and national development goals.
Awards were also presented to distinguished engineers.
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