Bangladesh's first Institute of Transportation Engineers student chapter begins

The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) is one of the oldest and biggest international membership associations of transportation professionals, with a rich history of 92 years. Established in 1930 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., ITE has worked to enhance mobility and transportation safety for all users and create smart and habitable residents. 

With a strong network of more than 16,000 transportation professionals operating in 75 countries, ITE finally embarks on its journey in Bangladesh through the Islamic University of Technology (IUT). This is a moment to mark as Bangladesh is one of the top countries that generate huge congestion and traffic accidents yearly. This devastates economic growth with huge time and productivity loss and creates unnecessary stress on the country's economy. 

However, with the entry of ITE, Bangladesh has taken its first step towards equipping its engineers with modern technologies and knowledge that will prepare them to face Bangladesh's ravaging transportation issues. 

IUT ITE Student Chapter began its journey on June 2, 2022. Within a short period after its inauguration, the student chapter has already become one of the most prominent among 186 student chapters worldwide, registering more than 200 student members as said by Jeff Paniati - Executive Director and CEO at the Institute of Transportation Engineers, in a video message congratulating them on the inauguration of its first transportation focused competitive Intra event 'Speedolite.'

'Speedolite' completed its first edition on October 28, 2022, in IUT, Gazipur, with its four sub-events - case competition, poster presentation, quiz bowl, and speaker's meet. The event was held physically on campus premises. 

However, the spotlight sub-event 'Speaker's Meet' was the first of its kind speaker's session meant to be a humming HubSpot for renowned speakers on transportation engineers around the country. Along with the keynote speaker, Dr Md Abdullah Al Mamun, Additional Chief Engineer, Technical Service Wing, Roads and Highways Department, special guest Dr Hossain Md. Shahin, Professor, Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, and chief guest Prof. Dr Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, the Honourable Vice Chancellor of IUT, were present in the Speaker's Meet in an engaging session of exchanging knowledge.

It was a day-long event with more than 400 students participating. It ended with the prize-giving ceremony and the event's organising committee's vote of thanks. The organising committee plans to organise the event on a bigger scale next year, as said by its president Atkia Ibnat, a transportation major student at IUT. 

This event is a stepping stone to what the transportation sector can do and achieve. With students exploring innovative options to create a difference in the transportation sector, Aditya Basunia, the Vice President of the student chapter, wishes to expand the student chapter's wings with more challenging events for the transportation engineering students. 

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