Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has underscored the need for an engineering education system that upholds international accreditation standards while ensuring environmental and social responsibility.

She made the remarks on Tuesday at the 4th International Symposium on “Quality Assurance in Engineering Education through Accreditation,” held at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, said a press release.

Addressing participants, Rizwana said true quality in engineering must integrate principles of environmental justice, social equity and climate resilience, especially in rapidly growing cities like Dhaka, where communities remain vulnerable to earthquakes, riverbank erosion and flooding.

She stressed that engineering interventions, while often aimed at safeguarding people and infrastructure, must also take into account long-term ecological impacts, community priorities and sustainability.

Highlighting the growing number of engineering graduates and private universities in the country, the adviser said curriculum alignment with global accreditation benchmarks has become essential.

She noted that engineers make decisions that directly influence national development outcomes, and therefore accreditation frameworks should embed ethical obligations, environmental consciousness and innovative problem-solving beyond traditional infrastructure planning.

Expressing optimism for meaningful results, Rizwana said the symposium should pave the way for improved curriculum standards, enhanced practical training and stronger institutional capacity, helping future engineers contribute more effectively to sustainable development.

Speaking as special guest, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, said the symposium has opened new avenues for collaboration between academia and industry.

Such engagement, he said, would help enhance employability, research excellence and overall skills development.

Other special guests included Prof Nur Yazdani, Tseng Huang endowed professor at the University of Texas at Arlington; Prof Ir Megat Johari Megat Mohd Noor, chair of the Dublin Accord; and Prof Md Sabbir Mostafa Khan, honorary general secretary of the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh.

The event was chaired by Prof Tanvir Manzur, chairman of BAETE.

The symposium concluded with a call for strengthened accreditation practices and modernisation of engineering education in line with international expectations and national development needs.

Awards were also presented to distinguished engineers.