BUET Inaugurates Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Laboratory (BEPRL).
BUET Inaugurates Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Laboratory (BEPRL)
Dhaka, October 4, 2026: The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) today inaugurated the Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Laboratory (BEPRL), marking a significant milestone in strengthening energy and power research in Bangladesh. Established at BUET with funding support from the Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council (BEPRC), the laboratory aims to provide a national platform for research, collaboration, and innovation in the energy and power sector.
The inauguration ceremony was held at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), BUET. Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shariful Islam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of BUET, chaired the ceremony. Mr. Mohammad Wahid Hossain ndc, Chairman (Senior Secretary), BEPRC, attended as the Chief Guest, while Dr. Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, Professor, Department of EEE, BUET and former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of BUET, attended as the Special Guest. Dr. Md. Kamrul Hasan, Dean, Faculty of EEE, BUET, along with faculty members, researchers, and officials of BUET and BEPRC, were also present.
In his welcome remarks, Dr. Muhammad Anisuzzaman Talukder, Event Moderator, recalled that efforts to establish the laboratory had been underway since 2021. Despite various institutional changes, BUET and BEPRC remained committed to the initiative. He highlighted the vision of developing BEPRL as a globally competitive research facility where researchers from BUET and other national and international institutions can collaborate on energy and power-related challenges.
Dr. Md. Kamrul Hasan, Dean, Faculty of EEE, emphasized the national significance of establishing a dedicated research laboratory in energy and power. He highlighted the need for Bangladesh-specific research in power generation, energy storage, transmission, and distribution, as well as greater sharing of research facilities, instruments, and data.
Speaking as the Special Guest, Dr. Abdul Hasib Chowdhury stressed that BEPRL, BUET should extend beyond conventional academic research and contribute to addressing the country's broader energy challenges. He noted that Bangladesh's relatively low per-capita energy consumption reflects the level of development across its industrial, agricultural, transport, and other economic sectors. He emphasized the need to improve energy efficiency across these sectors in response to growing global energy and fuel challenges and expressed hope that BEPRL would contribute to Bangladesh's advancement.
In his address, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shariful Islam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of BUET and Chair of the ceremony, described the occasion as a historic moment for BUET with the establishment of its first national-level research laboratory. He reaffirmed the university administration's commitment to supporting BEPRL, BUET and expressed hope that the laboratory would harness the country's skilled human resources to develop meaningful solutions to energy challenges and promote efficient energy use.
The Chief Guest, Mr. Mohammad Wahid Hossain ndc, Chairman (Senior Secretary), BEPRC, highlighted the importance of collaboration between BEPRC and BUET in addressing practical national problems through research. He emphasized that research should go beyond publication in reputed journals and focus on developing solutions with tangible national impact. He acknowledged the sustained efforts of dedicated teams from BEPRC and BUET over the past five years in bringing the laboratory to fruition.
Mr. Hossain further expressed hope that BEPRL, BUET would contribute to strengthening an industry-funded research culture in Bangladesh by bringing together academia, industry, and government. He emphasized that the laboratory is intended to serve energy and power researchers across the country and envisioned its future expansion to accommodate growing research needs. He described the establishment of BEPRL as a watershed moment for the energy and power sector of Bangladesh and expressed optimism for continued collaboration between BEPRC and BUET.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Sharif Mohammad Mominuzzaman, Professor and Head of the Department of EEE and Director of BEPRL, expressed his gratitude to all those involved in establishing the laboratory. He highlighted BEPRL's aim to bridge the gap between research and patents in Bangladesh by expanding research toward the development of useful technologies and intellectual property. He also emphasized the importance of strengthening the country's energy infrastructure and research capacity to support continued economic growth.
The inauguration of BEPRL, BUET marks an important step toward building Bangladesh's capacity for collaborative, application-oriented research in energy and power. The laboratory is expected to bring together researchers, academia, government, and industry to address emerging challenges and contribute to innovative and sustainable energy solutions for Bangladesh.