14th ISSUE

A stunning display of architectural grandeur, welcoming students

We are all familiar with the Dhaka University and its grandeur. Even now, when major infrastructures shroud the beautiful campus, its thousands of students still enjoy a little retreat among greeneries in, for example, Muktamancha or Suhrawardi Udyan. The same can also be said for all public universities. It’s on one such campus where BUET alum Khandaker Ashifuzzaman Rajon, Principal Architect of Cubeinside Design Limited, studied architecture. Of course, Rajon’s idea of a campus vastly differs from that of private university students. Thus, when tasked with designing a campus for Southeast University (SEU) well within the hustle-bustle of Dhaka, Rajon had to tumble down all his cards and think of fresh ways to give the students of Southeast University some taste of his own campus-going experience. The project being the permanent campus came with the additional worry of how to design the structure that would inspire students to enrol just looking at the place years, even decades, after its novelty factor has worn off. But before we go further into Rajon’s and the Southeast University permanent campus story, allow us to tell you what it is about all private universities competing to move to their permanent campuses. Competition here is particularly good, as all private universities want a permanent campus that is the most student-friendly while being attractive. UGC, the University Grants Commission, recently stipulated that all private universities, without fail and exception, move to a permanent campus that facilitates students with open space, interactive classrooms, and all the amenities that university students abroad enjoy from a campus. So, that triggered the mass relocation of private universities to actual campuses in place of stuffy buildings. Rajon opened his story with the mandatory 50% open space policy in the rulebook for building a new permanent campus. “The idea of a cubic volume in the centre of the campus came from this rule. I wanted the rest of the structure to look over the open space as the centerpiece of the campus. As a by-product, a central courtyard would help dissipate light and aerate its surroundings, like the classrooms, for example. However, the Board wasn’t initially unanimous about the central open space idea, but it was up on completion that they saw my vision behind this design choice, and this later became everyone’s favorite part of the entire campus,” began the architect. But beyond the Board’s stamp of approval, the campus just had to be completed and made fully functional within a very limited window of time, set by the UGC. If you happen to be a current student of SEU or have even visited the place, you may have taken a moment’s pause and thought of how it was even possible to erect an edifice as such in such a constricted amount of time. This is where the seasoned, but young, architect’s ingenuity just begins. If my memory serves well, I remember seeing in the popular cartoon show “Popeye: The Sailor Man” Popeye stacking floors upon floors of a skyscraper with steel I-beams, all in one shift, of course with the help of his special formula spinach, but steel I-beams were the actual hero that allowed for construction at such mind-boggling speeds. I am not inferring that Rajon got his hands on Popeye’s spinach, but being the well-bred architect that he is, he knew that I-beams would be an ideal instrument in his race against time. He explained how: “All the brick and concrete facades of the entire complex give it the impression of an RCC (reinforced cement concrete) structure, but its basic skeleton is made of I-beams. This bought me time! I-beams, like Lego, just have to be joined together using nuts and bolts without trading modern looks for time or structural integrity, but we did trade off some extra money to be able to complete construction in time.” The mission he had in mind to let light dance around the entire complex with the help of a central open space was a massive success. As the structure was shaping up rather quickly, it was instantly visible that the same campus took on different faces because of the changing sunlight that entered at different angles at different hours of the day. As a creator, the play of light and shadow had Rajon all emotional when he laid eyes upon the outcome. “The place would change its look at the change of each season too,” he said. “A few of my acquaintances who study at SEU find the campus quite photogenic. As climates change, they post photos and reels of different parts of the campus on their social media, and from there, I get to observe, from an onlooker’s perspective, how the most important beneficiaries of the campus—who are the students—are lovingly accepting it and are also low-key boasting it on their socials.” All this is to say that a structure made exclusively out of complex mathematics and engineering can also evoke emotions when made with the human angle in the mix. Ever since the permanent campus opened its doors to students in early 2023, the entire place teems with students in any direction imaginable. Not only is that the proper utilisation of space, but it also points towards the inevitable fact that students love their new campus. Everyone is doing what a student does: going in and out of class, singing, laughing, teasing, playing with classmates between classes, and most importantly, enjoying their newfound freedom in such a capacious facility that can house over 12,000 students at once! The former campus building is in the backyard of the new campus. It will be demolished soon and replaced by a new building to house the School of Engineering. It is to be designed by Cubeinside Design Limited as well. “But looking at the design of the new building and the one we just completed, no one will be able to say that the same architecture firm was behind the drawing board of the second one; it’s that different from the

A Litmus Test for Bangladesh Economy

It began with a verdict. Not a speech, not a scandal—just a quiet ruling from Bangladesh’s judiciary. On June 5, 2024, the High Court reinstated a quota system for government jobs, reserving 56 percent of positions for specific groups, including descendants of freedom fighters. For many students, it felt like a door slamming shut.     Within days, campuses across the country stirred with frustration. The movement that followed—Students Against Discrimination—was born not in fury, but in resolve. Their rallies were orderly, their chants measured. But beneath the surface, tension simmered.   By early July, that tension boiled over. The protests evolved into the “Bangla Blockade,” a sweeping shutdown of roads and highways that paralysed the nation’s arteries. Buses vanished. Containers stacked up at ports. Supply trucks idled outside factories.   Dhaka’s markets emptied as perishables spoiled in the heat. Exporters missed deadlines. Small traders watched their earnings evaporate. What began as a student movement had metastasized into an economic crisis.   DEFINING MOMENTS June 5 | 2024 High Court reinstates quotas June 7-15 | 2024 Students begin peaceful rally, social media activism July 01 | 2024 Nationwide Bangla Blockade begins July 16 | 2024 Violent crackdown, leaving dozens killed Late July | 2024 FDI approvals drop 40%; export delays, gas shortages August 5 | 2024 Interim Government formed Sep–Dec | 2024 Interest hits 10%; ADP spending 49-year low Jan–Mar | 2025 Remittances peak; inflation eases; current account surplus Apr–Jul | 2025 Recovery phase: DSEX up 12.5%; exports rebound; MFS grows 64% August 5 | 2025  One-Year Anniversary     A Nation on Edge   On July 16 of 2024, the calm shattered. Security forces moved in with batons, tear gas, and live ammunition. The clashes were brutal. Ambulances raced through smoke-filled streets. Students lay bloodied on stretchers. Families camped outside police stations, desperate for news.   Independent monitors reported hundreds injured and dozens dead. The government disputed the numbers. But the images—broadcast across television screens and social media—left little room for doubt. The shockwaves were immediate.   Investor confidence collapsed. The Dhaka Stock Exchange saw its sharpest single-day drop in five years. Foreign direct investment approvals fell nearly 40 percent in the second half of 2024, according to the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The city, once buzzing with commerce, fell into a hush.     Three weeks later on August 5, an interim government was announced, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus along with a panel of technocrats and civil society leaders. Their mandate: restore stability, rebuild trust, and prevent further economic unraveling.   The Economic Aftershocks   The July Uprising, as it came to be known, left no sector untouched. While the garment and ceramic sectors bore the immediate brunt, the ripple effects extended far wider.     The banking system, already strained by years of financial irregularities, teetered on collapse. A post-uprising asset quality review revealed widespread non-performing loans and misappropriated funds, prompting the interim government to initiate recovery drives and liquidity injections. The Bangladesh Bank raised the policy rate to 10 percent to tame inflation and stabilise the exchange rate.   Net foreign direct investment (FDI) dropped to a five-year low in 2024, as global investors cited political instability and opaque regulatory frameworks. The World Bank flagged Bangladesh’s deteriorating investment climate, while local chambers warned that the budget lacked a clear roadmap for restoring investor confidence.   The energy sector faced dual shocks: gas shortages crippled industrial output, while privatisation efforts triggered an 18 percent hike in urban electricity tariffs, sparking fresh protests.   The mental health toll was staggering. A Bangladesh Medical University seminar revealed that 82.5% of injured protesters suffered from depression, and 64% showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, underscoring the long-term human cost of the crisis.     In the ceramic industry, 70 factories struggled to stay afloat. The Bangladesh Ceramic Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BCMEA) reported that gas pressure—critical for kiln operations—dropped to as low as 2 PSI in some zones, far below the required 15. Production stalled. Costs soared.   Their demands were precise: uninterrupted gas supply, priority allocation, compressor permissions, a five-year tariff freeze, and duty-free solar imports. None were met.   The garment sector fared no better. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) confirmed shipment delays averaging two weeks during the unrest.   Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data showed a 7.8% decline in garment exports in Q3 of 2024. Buyers in Europe and North America have shifted orders to Vietnam and India. Smaller exporters faced penalties and lost contracts, according to the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA).   The Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) called for stronger rule of law, faster customs clearance, and smoother approvals. The Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) highlighted the plight of agro-processors, many of whom faced wastage and layoffs. Their appeal: concessional loans and tax relief.   Even real estate, long seen as a safe haven, stumbled. The Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) reported a sharp drop in property transactions, citing high registration fees, interest rates, and uncertainty over the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) revisions.   Across industries, the message converged: without urgent reform, Bangladesh’s hard-earned gains risked slipping away.   The Numbers Behind the Crisis   The numbers told a sobering story. By late 2024, exports faltered, imports shrank, and growth slowed to its weakest pace in years. The disruptions that began with student protests soon seeped into every corner of the economy, from factories to food markets.     Inflation surged through the summer, eroding wages and squeezing households already under strain. Though the pace of price rises eased the following year, the scars remained.   Construction sites went quiet, housing demand collapsed, and long-promised infrastructure projects were postponed. The slowdown was no longer abstract—it showed in half-finished bridges and shuttered shops.   Private investment also lost its footing. Business registrations dwindled, banks groaned under bad loans, and confidence withered. Even as revenue collection improved, it could not

Rampal Coal-fired power plant – A Major Solution to Bangladesh’s Power Crisis

Bangladesh is at an unprecedented crossroads with power crisis and hyper inflation. At a time when major industries at home suffer an acute power crisis, aggravated by the the Russia-Ukraine war following the Covid-19 pandemic, the recent soft inauguration of the first unit of the 1,320-megawatt Maitree Super-Thermal Power Project, also known as Rampal Power Plant, is believed to have been a relief from the energy crisis. Amid the crisis globally, Bangladeshi stakeholders, especially those involved with the multi billion-dollar export industries, manufacturing sector and the financial sector, are now waiting wholeheartedly for commercial operation of the Rampal Power Plant soon to rid the nation of this power predicament.   Domestic energy experts and analysts alongside other stakeholders look optimistic with this project and they are of the opinion that the Rampal power project is economically feasible, sustainable and profitable. Terming it one of the cheapest power plants of its kind in the country, they strongly viewed that the plant will get going with the key objective of generating affordable electricity as a resilient and viable solution to the country’s power crisis. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated the first unit of the coal-fired super-thermal plant through video conferencing on September 6, 2022. The country’s largest power plant is sited on an area of more than 915 acres of land in Rampal upazilla in south-western Bagerhat district under Khulna division, some 272 kilometres away from the capital Dhaka. The high-efficiency, low-emission supercritical plant site sits 14 kilometres north of the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans. About the funders The Rampal power project is a joint venture between India’s state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Ltd and the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). The US$ 2.00 billion joint venture company is known as the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd. (BIFPCL) that builds, runs and operates this power facility. The BIFPCL has been co-promoted by the BPDB of Bangladesh and the NTPC Ltd of India with an equal (50:50) equity investment. According to Bangladesh’s power ministry, the joint venture company will enjoy a 15-year tax holiday. In March 2022, Bangladesh boasted the country’s access to 100 per cent electricity, but the national power grid system failed in July and power outage suddenly began to disturb the nation and the socio-economic activities. The Power Division disclosed that the largest amount of what is technically called load-shedding per day stood at 2,000–2,200 MW during the July-September period. But this shortfall peaked in October, taking it to 2,500–3,000 MW. The start of the project BPDB and NTPC entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) instrument in 2010 to implementing this mega power plant project in Bagerhat’s Rampal upazilla that has seen an upturn in economic activities centring this power plant in recent years. An estimated 80 per cent of the project costs will be covered through a long-term loan from the EXIM Bank of India. As the construction of the facility was ongoing, the February 2021 was set as the first deadline for commissioning the power plant’s first unit while the second unit by August 2021, according to competent sources. However, the deadline was extended several times for a number of reasons, including emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Use of coal and technology A coal-fired plant produces electricity by burning coal in a boiler to produce steam. Then the steam, produced under tremendous pressure, flows into a turbine, which spins a generator to create electricity. The steam is then cooled, condensed back into water and returned to the boiler in order to start the process over. Supercritical combustion technology and sophisticated equipment are being used to lessen environmental hazards and thus make this project safe and eco-friendly. Some 6,500 cubic meters of water will be required per hour and minimum 10,000 tonnes of coal will be required to produce 1300 MW electricity every day. The ash content of this imported Indonesian coal is 8-10%. The height of chimney is 275 meters, equivalent to 90 storied building. In its initial stages, there was a strong debate on the red-hot issue of installing this coal-fuelled thermal power facility near a forest and some termed it suicidal with apprehensions of environmental disaster for the forest, which is home to thousands of wild species, flora and fauna. Some environmentalists made a mass call for scrapping of the project. The government, however, showed its determination to go ahead with the project. State energy experts said the project would not be harmful as its supercritical technology will minimise ecological hazards. Eco-warriors demanded that environmental concerns must be given precedence over commercial interest. They called for doing an environmental impact assessment and feasibility study before embarking on the project that may have anthropogenic impacts on environment, including effects on biophysical environments, biodiversity and other resources, let alone emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants as well as particulates. The joint venture company has already planted 116,000 different kinds of trees around the project site while the Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) is monitoring the parameters related to the environment of the Rampal site and its adjacent areas, including Khulna and the Sundarbans. Employment opportunities The Rampal power plant project has opened up a job generation opportunity for local people and those affected for construction of this project’s infrastructure and during its operational period. As this region has long remained underdeveloped, opportunity of trade and employment was very limited. The power plant project has come as a relief to some extent. Alongside direct employment in the BIFPCL, there will be a huge opportunity to the locals for business and other indirect employment prospects. Moreover, this industry will usher in economic growth in Rampal in particular and the country in general, creating many downstream and/or related industries. Supply chain The supply chain of coal in all coal-fired power plants, including the Rampal power plant, is the biggest challenge. Technically unique in the plant is the supply chain issue. The Rampal