Staff Reporter:
BNP acting secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday stressed the need to ensure merit-based evaluation to take Bangladesh forward, saying a system driven by public pressure and influence must not be allowed to replace meritocracy.
“Bangladesh must also ensure meritocracy or merit-based evaluation to move forward. Mobocracy, or a system driven by public pressure and influence instead of merit, must not be allowed to grow,” he said.
Rizvi made the remarks while addressing the National Engineers’ Conference-2026 as the chief guest on Thursday night, organised on the occasion of Engineers’ Rights Day.
The Engineers’ Rights Movement organised the conference with overall cooperation from the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).
Rizvi called for ensuring the maximum use of the merit, skills and experience of engineers and technologists for the country’s development and progress.
He said it is a natural expectation of a justice-based state that highly educated and skilled people get opportunities to work at higher levels.
“But in Bangladesh, the merit, qualifications and professional skills of BSc engineers are not being properly valued. At the same time, job opportunities for engineers are shrinking day by day. This situation needs to be changed urgently,” he said.
Rizvi said the importance of engineers and technologists must be increased if a country is to achieve development.
“A country cannot become developed without increasing the importance of its engineers and technologists,” he said.
“If responsibilities are distributed based on considerations other than qualifications, it will not only create discrimination against engineers but also weaken the country’s development system,” he said.
Rizvi called for greater involvement of engineers in major national projects, citing their significant role in constructing the Teesta Barrage as a major example of their capabilities.
He said the project proves that Bangladeshi engineers are capable of implementing large and complex national projects.
“Therefore, their skills and experience must be utilised and they must be more extensively involved in the country’s development planning,” he said.
Rizvi stressed the need to expand opportunities for research and innovation in every sector.
“Sustainable development requires research, technological innovation and the creation of skilled human resources,” he said.
Association of Engineers Bangladesh (AEB) Convener Shahrin Islam Tuhin and IEB President Mohammad Riazul Islam (Rizu) addressed the conference as special guests.
Engineers’ Rights Movement President M Wali Ullah,, IEB Vice President (Academic and International) Khan Manzur Morshed, Vice President (Administration and Finance) ATM Tanbir-ul Hasan (Tamal), among others, spoke at the conference.
IEB honorary general secretary (Acting) Muhammad Ahsanul Russel moderated the event.
Leaders from different levels of the IEB, members of the Central Council and students from various engineering universities attended the conference.
