AIPE celebrates the IPE Fiesta 2023
On the advent of spring, The Industrial and Production Engineering (IPE) Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) celebrated its recent reinvigoration with IPE Fiesta 2023. The last days of the departing winter embodied an end to a long excruciating wait of four and a half years owing to the pandemic and other circumstantial adversities.
The IPE Fiesta 2023 officially began on the evening of 3rd February with an Inauguration Ceremony, followed later by a Career Talk Seminar. The students from BUET and other prominent universities spent an eventful week filled with exciting events, all leading to the wondrous cultural night on the 9th of February ending the week-long Fiesta on a very high note.
The diverse list of events included two career talk seminars, a grand rally, a poster presentation, a case competition, Engineering Graphics(CAD) competition, adventurous sporting events, a dance mob, a color fest, an alumni meetup, a grand cultural night, and so on.
An overwhelming response was garnered from students of prestigious institutions, including Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Khulna University of Engineering and Technology(KUET), Shahjalal University of Science and Technology(SUST), and many more.
The inauguration ceremony was chaired by Professor Dr. Ferdous Sarwar, the honorable Head of the Department of IPE. The distinguished list of guests included Mr. Waeez R Hossain, Deputy Managing Director, Anwar Group of Industries, Mr. Mohiuddin Ahmed Bhuiyan Naim, Chairman, A Plus Group, Md. Iqbal Hossen, Executive Vice President, of A Plus Group, Mr. Shantanu Ray, Head of Human Resources, Anwar Group of Industries, Mr. Tobias Fischer, CEO of Wagely Group and Mr. Zaheen Razeen, Founder and CEO of Hydroquo+.
The seminar talk ceremonies held on two consecutive days gave the students a 360-degree insight into the ground reality in Bangladeshi Industries and the potential of IPE graduates to innovate and elevate in an elite manner.
The revered guests on the second day of the seminar were MD. Mashi Ud Duza, Managing Director & CEO, Bangladesh Thai Aluminum; Mr. Asif Sarwar, Managing Director, Smee Apparels Limited; Mr. Mohidus Samad Khan, Chief Sustainability Officer, Beximco Health; Mr. Mahbub Hossain, Head of Supply Chain, Renata Limited and Mr. Zakir Hai, Corporate Affairs & Communications Director, Japan Tobacco International.
The grand rally was organized on 5th February, putting to display the festive ambiance that has been ubiquitous at the onset of the fest. About 390 current students joined the rally, led by the HOD and his team of enthusiastic professors and lecturers. Colorful T-shirts, caps, and the trumpeting sound of horns reflected the exciting days that are yet to come.
To patronize the innovative ideas of the students, a business case competition “Lean Sprint” was organized. Students were given the task to rethink any segment of the Ceramic Industry in a manner that would contribute both economically and environmentally. Team “One Last Time” comprised of Md Muhtasim Fuad, Rafia Rizwana Rahim, Shorup Chanda and Taskin Mehereen became Champion. Team Meta4 composed of Maksud Bin Malik, Rakibul Hasan, Md.Zahid Siddiquee and Shakib Al Sharif became the first runner-up. Team Engulfing Lightning composed of Md.Tanvir Ahmmed Fahim, Md.Fahimul Islam, Mehedi Hasan and Md.Shakib Shahriar became the 2nd runner up.
The creative thoughts of the students were further encouraged by a Poster Presentation competition, titled “Industry Vision”. It was a mesmerizing display of ingenious ideas and impeccable design taste. Team “One Last Time” comprised of Rafia Rizwana Rahim and Shorup Chanda became the champion, while “SUST Trivia” formed by Md.Fahim Uddin Emad and Zubayer Ahmed Aditto from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology became the first runner-up. “Fable Forge” became the second runner-up, comprised of Pritom Kumar Saha and Omar Faruque Nihan.
One of the most competitive segments was the Solidworks-based Engineering Graphics competition “CAD Crosshairs”. The engineering students already had in-depth experience working on a Solidworks project as a part of their educational curriculum. This event was championed by Ahmed Iraz Inkiad from BUET, while Meftahul Mahmud from Khulna University of Science and Technology became the 1st runner up and Maksud Bin Malik from BUET grabbed the 2nd runner-up spot.
The fiesta did not include only intellect-based competitions. To refute the notion that engineering students could only do things that suited nerds, different sports events were incorporated among the events. An intra-department Table Tennis Tournament, FIFA Gaming Competition, Badminton tournament, and Treasure Hunt was also held, with a handsome prize pool for the winners.
A dance mob displayed the ambidextrous nature of IPE students, that they could dance too, and in a jaw-dropping manner.
The cultural night was scheduled on the last day of the fest, on 9th February. It was a 6-hour long event, filled with breathtaking performances of IPE students comprised of Songs, Instrumentals, Dance Numbers, Drama, Stand-Up Comedy, and so on.
It also included the Prize giving ceremony, where the honorable Chief Guest Professor Dr. Abdul Jabbar Khan, Pro-Vice Chancellor of BUET, and Chairperson Professor Dr. Ferdous Sarwar, the Head of the Department of IPE and the President of AIPE (Association of Industrial and Production Engineers) BUET, handed over prizes to the distinguished winners of different competitions.
The Chief Guest expressed his desire to see IPE lead the industries of Bangladesh to sustainable growth through innovation and optimization. With great vigor, he shared his aspiration of seeing a new dawn ushered in IPE and expressed his gratitude to the HOD for the rejuvenation witnessed recently.
The Chairperson mentioned the revolutionary changes the IPE department is going through. He talked about the extension of undergraduate intakes to 120 students per academic session since 2020 Undergraduate Admission, which was previously 50 students per session. He proudly announced the ongoing establishment of a new robotics lab, simulation lab, smart classroom, and state-of-the-art Student Center. He ended his speech by sharing his determination to amass worldwide recognition for IPE, fostering extraordinary academic, and extra-academic skills as well as impactful research among the students.
A total prize pool of more than BDT 100k was awarded to the winners.
The event was sponsored by leading industrial groups and organizations. The silver sponsors were Anwar Group of Industries and A+ Group. The T-shirt sponsor was SMEE Apparels Limited and the magazine sponsor was F.R. Jute Mills. Bangladesh Thai Aluminum sponsored the Poster Presentation competition, while the CAD competition was sponsored by BEXIMCO Health.
The cultural ceremony was followed by a concert from the noted band “Bay of Bengal”. In spite of the concert going on till late into the night, there was no lack of vigor among the audience, as they were mesmerized by soothing performances from the band, BOB.
It all ended with the unofficial farewell anthem “Purano Shei Diner Kotha”. Rabindranath Tagore’s masterpiece, performed by the Bay of Bengal, brought tears into the eyes of the seniormost batch, IPE-17, as it reminded them that their university journey had only three more weeks to go.
From the joy of celebration to the melancholy of departure, The IPE Fiesta 2023 was a complete celebration of life, the life that was once impaired by COVID, the life that is clogged up today with exams, assignments, and projects; yet, the life that is cherished, coveted, desired and dreamt of.