BUET students’ feat in global competition

Students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) have achieved an outstanding success at a global competition titled ‘Urban Revitalization of Mass Housing’. Students of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the university won 3rd position at the global level and 1st position in the Asia Pacific Region in the competition arranged by UN-Habitat. With the theme “achieving adequate shelters for all by placing housing at the centre of our thinking, police and the city”, the competition started on September 15 last year. A total of 97 teams from 64 cities and 55 universities from 35 countries participated in the event and the projects were evaluated by 40 jury members in different stages. In the competition, a group named Shining Stars comprising six students of 2010 batch of the Buet Department of Urban and Regional Planning, submitted a project on “Revitalisation of Slums Areas of Dhaka through Mass Housing”. Their study discussed about the problems and purpose of ‘Pora Bosti’ and ‘Beltola’ slums of Dhaka North City Corporation, and proposed a detailed site plan based on mass housing developments. The competition is being held on three levels—national, regional and global level. The jury evaluation took place during February and March 2014. On March 25, 2014, team Shining Star has been declared as National Winner of Bangladesh. Team “Shining Stars” has been ranked first from Asia and the Pacific region. Later, from six regional winners, it achieved 3rd position globally. Two teams — “Casablanca” from Morocco achieved 2nd position and the other “Improvistos” from Spain — achieved the 1st position. The award ceremony took place on April 11, 2014, in “One UN Room” in the exhibition area at “World Urban Forum” in Medelin, Columbia, said a press release. The regional and global results have also been announced during the award ceremony, according to a news ceremony.