Dhaka, October 4, 2026: The Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Laboratory has begun operations at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), opening research opportunities to individuals and organizations working on energy and power-related issues.
The laboratory has been jointly established and will be operated by the Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council (BEPRC) and BUET. Although it has initially started on a limited scale, the two institutions plan to expand its capacity and scope in the future.
The laboratory was formally inaugurated on Sunday at BUET’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Speaking as chief guest, BEPRC Chairman Mohammad Wahid Hossain said the launch marked a historic day for Bangladesh’s power and energy sector and expressed optimism about working with talented researchers.
He stressed that research should not be limited to academic publications but should produce practical benefits for the public and the state.
“If we can demonstrate the usefulness of the research, there will be no shortage of funding,” he said, adding that the government could potentially invest Tk4,000–5,000 crore in research infrastructure given the size of Bangladesh’s economy. He estimated that the laboratory could take three to five years to become fully effective and suggested that similar facilities could eventually be established at other universities.
Calling on BUET teachers and students to contribute to solving national problems through research, Wahid said Bangladesh needed locally appropriate solutions rather than simply copying models from other countries.
He said energy consumption is closely linked to people’s living standards and noted that Bangladesh would require substantial additional electricity generation to reach the level of development seen in countries such as Thailand.
Wahid also highlighted institutional challenges in taking research innovations from development to implementation. He said a three-wheeler model had been developed in collaboration with BUET to address local needs, but identifying which government agency should take responsibility for the innovation had remained a challenge.
He said industry-led research funding is common internationally but remains limited in Bangladesh. However, he described an industry proposal to invest Tk100 crore in research funding as a significant development.
He also said applications had been submitted for patents for two products developed through research initiatives and expressed hope that the patents would be secured soon.
BUET Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Shariful Islam described the establishment of the laboratory as a historic milestone for the university, saying it was the first national laboratory established at BUET. He expressed hope that the facility would contribute to solving major challenges in the country’s energy and power sector.
Professor Abdul Hasib Chowdhury said the laboratory was intended not merely as a symbolic or academic research facility but as a platform for developing practical solutions to energy-related challenges and contributing to the national economy.
He cited opportunities to improve fuel efficiency in transportation and reduce post-harvest losses in agriculture through technological innovation. Even a modest reduction in fuel consumption, he said, could have a significant economic impact.
Head of BUET’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Professor Sharif Mohammad Moniruzzaman and officials from BEPRC also spoke at the inauguration. Teachers and students from different BUET departments attended the event.
