The Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) and its predecessor institutions — East Pakistan University of Engineering & Technology (EPUET), Ahsanullah Engineering College (AEC), and Ahsanullah School of Engineering (ASE) — have maintained a rich heritage that was rooted in history starting with the establishment of ASE’s predecessor Dhaka Survey School in 1876. These institutions have proudly served the nation by producing graduates equipped with high quality technical education that found recognition in and outside the country. In more recent decades, AEC, EPUET and BUET have been the vanguard of excellence for degree awarding education in engineering, architecture and urban planning. Since the late 1970’s, BUET has been offering post-graduate degrees in most of its technical disciplines. Today, thousands of former graduates, at home and abroad, proudly look back at BUET as their alma mater.
In most advanced as well as developing countries, former students of universities have organizations that serve such important functions as providing a forum for them to plan and implement their social activities and supporting their alma mater in various ways. The need for an association of the former students of BUET has been felt by many for a long time but the idea did not practically materialize until this effort, a pioneering endeavor for fulfilling the long-cherished desire in this direction.
In August 2003, a group of alumni from the private sector and senior BUET faculty, including the-then Vice Chancellor, established an alumni organization called BUET Alumni Association (BUETAA) at a meeting held at the university’s Council Bhaban. Three years later, the Association was registered as an apolitical, non-profit organization with the Ministry of Commerce, Government of Bangladesh. Within the first few years of its establishment, BUETAA successfully carried out its programs and activities relevant to alumni interests as well as those of BUET and the nation as a whole, and its membership strength grew steadily. BUET administration cooperated and supported its activities in all possible ways. However, BUETAA’s relationship with BUET remained at an informal level during this period.
Another alumni organization called BUET Alumni Federation (BUETAF) that was originally established in 1962 but did not have much visible activities after 1976, was revived in 2011 with the-then Vice-Chancellor as its president. A new constitution of BUETAF was developed that later obtained endorsement from BUET administration as well as its Syndicate. However, the presence of two alumni organizations with similar missions created confusion and disappointment among the alumni and a unified approach regarding alumni matters was considered highly desirable by all concerned.
In December 2012, leaders of the BUET Teachers Association (BUETTA) and BUETAA took the initiative to resolve through discussion the issue of the existence of two alumni organizations. After several meetings, the two groups reached a consensus and agreed that (a) the name of BUETAA would be changed to Association of BUET Alumni (ABUETA); (b) some changes in BUETAA’s constitution would be made for accommodating greater participation of BUET faculty in its Board of Trustees and Executive Committee; (c) the headquarters of ABUETA will be located at BUET campus; and (d) the BUETAF would be closed down. By and large all alumni welcomed these decisions.
BUETAA had its Board of Trustees endorse the agreement in a meeting held on 30 December 2012 and organized an Extra-ordinary Annual Meeting on 15 February 2013 in which its members formally approved the agreement. ABUETA formally established its office in the DSW Complex on 12 January 2014.
The Vice Chancellor of BUET approved the above-mentioned agreement in a meeting held on 20 January 2013. The desired changes in the constitution however took several rounds of review internally as well as by the office of the Vice Chancellor and the leaders of the BUET Teachers Association. The final version of the constitution was submitted to the Vice Chancellor for approval in November 2015, who placed it to the University Syndicate for formal approval with the name of the organization changed from Association of BUET Alumni to simply BUET Alumni (which is the short name of the association shown in the logo). Conjunctively, the issue of closing down of BUET Alumni Federation (BUETAF) was also placed to the Syndicate. In its meeting held on 28 November 2015, the Syndicate formally approved the constitution of BUET Alumni and gave its decision to close down the BUET Alumni Federation (BUETAF).