Md. Rafiqul Alam was Director General (In charge) at River Research Institute (RRI) at Faridpur as well as RRI liaison office, 72, Green Road, Dhaka, under the ministry of Water Resources, Govt. of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. He had been working at RRI during period of Director General as the Chief Executive Officer. He was the member Secretary of BoG. He arranged BoG meeting and water resources related parliamentary committee meeting related to RRI. Before that he had been working as Director of Hydraulic Research, Director Geotechnical Research and Director Administration and finance. He had been working as scientific officer, senior scientific officer, Principal scientific officer and Chief scientific officer at different Directorates of RRI. River Research Institute conducts Physical and mathematical model studies in the field of River and Coastal Hydraulics, Hydraulic structure and irrigation, Flood control & drainage and related scientific instrumentation. Apart from these works RRI conducts Geotechnical testing works and construction material testing works that is physical and engineering properties of soil and construction material. More over RRI conducts also sediment characteristics, sediment discharge, sediment concentration and physio- chemical properties of water, soil, crops and fishes with related scientific instrumentation. RRI assists government agencies in the management of rivers and assesses impact of development on the rivers.
Mr. Alam was involved directly for those activities and also involved as supervisory works of the same. He was also involved in assisting for administrative, management and technical works. Apart from these activities he maintained close liaison with national and international organizations in pursuance of procurement works, maintenance works and taking up joint studies and research. Over the past different studies of BWDB, RHD, BBA, DHI, Deltares had been successfully completed with his active involvement. In addition he had completed mathematical model studies Sullah- Jalsukah Bridge over the Kalni River, Boga Bridge over Lohalia River, Nalua-Baherchar Bridge over Pandab-Payra River under his active leadership.
Since his joining as scientific officer/ Assistant Director (Research) in 1982, Mr. Alam worked in different positions and gathered extensive experience in design, construction and operation and monitoring of physical models for finding out solution of different river related problems and optimization of different design parameters of hydraulic structures. Mr. Alam worked in supervision of procurement, installation, repair and maintenance of electrical and electronic equipment used for research work in water, soil and hydrology and hydraulics. He also worked in installation, maintenance and operation of power transformer, pump-motor, generator, vehicles and also maintenance of civil works of RRI infrastructure installations.
Beside these, in his long service period, he was engaged in testing, supervising and monitoring the various tests/studies for analyzing physical and engineering properties of soil and construction material, physio-chemical properties of water and soil, and sediment characteristics required for river training works, hydraulic and irrigation structures etc. Moreover he worked as project Director for institutional development and capacity building of RRI. For this, he worked with planning commission and concern ministry for preparing and approval of DPP and project financing & procurement of equipment from home and abroad.
For long 35 years of his illustrative career, he worked efficiently as hydraulic modeler/ senior hydraulic modeler in numerous model studies in Bangladesh such as Bangabandhu multipurpose project, Arial Khan Road way bridge, Faridpur and charbhadrasion protection project, Panka Narayanpur protection project, Jamuna- Bangali unification project, Gorai River restoration project, 3rd Karnaphuli bridge, Padma multipurpose bridge project, Ganges barrage study project and Barisal River Port and Potenga coastal Embankment project. Assessment of river pollution around Dhaka and find out ways to alleviate pollution, investigation on launching characteristics of different materials to find out the cost-effective and sustainable solution for river bank protection, Flume study for pile configuration of the Paksi bridge, Protection of Rajshahi Town from the Erosion of Padma River, Protection of Sirajganj Town from the Erosion of Jamuna River, model study of Teesta Barrage Project, model study of the Bhairob Railway bridge, Plan form analysis of Teesta River before and after construction of Teesta Barrage, investigation on the siltation problem of Aricha-Notakhola-Doulatdia route of Jamuna river, Hydrological and morphological study for construction of Boga Bridge over Lohalia river, Hydrological and morphological study for construction of Nalua-Baherchar Bridge over Pandab-Payra river, Hydrological and morphological study for construction of Bridge over Kalni river, Study for protection of Tangail district downstream of Bangabandhu multipurpose bridge., Causes and impacts of flood -2000 in border districts of the southwest region of Bangladesh and possible mitigation measures, Study for protection of Faridpur town and its adjacent area.
He was also responsible in his career for sub surface soil sample receiving, sample preparation for visual testing, to select for different kinds of tests of disturbed and undisturbed soil samples, preparation of samples and testing of the soil samples, data preparation, calculation and data analysis, interpretation of results, preparation of graphs (gradation curve, void ratio log pressure curve, Cv log pressure curve, Mohr’s diagram etc.), laboratory boring log preparation, writing of soil profile, soil classification, report writing, preparation and compilation of reports.
He was engaged for the following soil tests such as Visual test, Atterberg limits test, Grain size analysis (Hydrometer, sieve analysis and combined analysis), Natural moisture content test, Unconfined compression test, Tri-axial shear test, Direct shear test, Density test (maximum and minimum), Relative density test (specific gravity), Unit weight test, Compaction test (optimum moisture content and maximum dry density), Permeability test, Shape and size, Chemical properties etc.
He was engaged for the following physio-chemical testing of water: such as pH by pH meter, EC by conductivity meter, TDS by conductivity meter, Salinity by salinity meter, Temperature by temperature sensor/ Thermometer, Turbidity by Turbidity meter, DO by DO meter, Fe by Hach spectrophotometer, SO4 by Hach spectrophotometer, As (Arsenic) by AAS, Cu (Copper) by AAS, NO3 by Hach spectrophotometer, PO4 by Hach spectrophotometer, Ca (Calcium) by Hach spectrophotometer, Mg by Hach spectrophotometer.
He was engaged for the following physical and engineering properties of construction material Testing:
Setting time of cement, Normal consistency, Compressive strength, F.M of sand, Specific gravity, Salinity, Fine aggregate size, Coarse aggregate size, Compressive strength of C.C block and cylinder, Tensile strength of M.S rod/ angle, Compressive strength of Bricks and Unit weight. He visited different districts of Bangladesh for study purpose and supervised survey works in River for velocity, discharge and depth measurement and different construction project of BWDB for supervision of testing and quality control of construction material.
Mr. Alam has many publications in reputed Journals. During his long professional career he has received both foreign and local trainings including river and coastal hydraulics, scientific instrumentation, application of pumps for irrigation and drainage, Building process plants Entrepreneur’s responsibilities, mathematical modeling (MIKE series), project management course, land drainage training, hydraulic modeling, computer programming, work shop, seminar, refresher course in land drainage, in house training in hydraulic modeling, soil improvement and water testing from DHI Denmark, UGC, BUET, IWFM, BPATC, IEB, ILRI the Netherlands, UNDP-RRI, DID Malaysia, Achaya N.G Ranga Agricultural University (Hyderabad, India).
Mr. Alam retired from his service on 9th August 2016. Now he is working at CEGIS as Laboratory Expert. He joined at CEGIS on 1st February 2018. He is responsible for Scientific Equipment management of CEGIS. He has taken initiative for establishing the Environmental Laboratory at CEGIS according to instruction of CEGIS management. The Environmental lab was started at room no. 601 of CEGIS main building. But according to CEGIS management instruction the Laboratory is shifted to room no. 603 at 4th floor of CEGIS Annex building. It is well decorated with laboratory furniture, wall cabinet, cupboard and Rack. Till now Mr. Alam has started for testing of different water samples in CEGIS Laboratory of different study projects of CEGIS itself. It is mentioned that CEGIS professionals used field type instrument for in- situ tests. Now Laboratory tests are going on also for 13 to 14 water quality parameters.
The following parameters are analyzed at CEGIS Environmental Laboratory such as pH of water by pH meter (Multiparameter water quality Tester), DO of water by DO meter (Multiparameter water quality Tester), EC of water by EC/TDS meter, TDS of water by EC/TDS meter, NaCl of water by EC/ TDS meter, Temp of water by EC/TDS meter, Salinity of water by Salinity meter, Turbidity of water by Turbidity meter, NO3 of water by UV-1800 spectrophotometer, PO4 of water by UV-1800 spectrophotometer, SO4 of water by UV-1800 spectrophotometer, NH4 of water by UV-1800 spectrophotometer, Fe of water by UV-1800 spectrophotometer, Silica of water by UV-1800 spectrophotometer
Mr. Alam has been calibrating water quality parameter measurement equipment regularly as and when necessary. He developed method procedure, modified method procedure and sample preparation procedure and set up in the concern equipment. He makes distil water by distil water making machine when necessary for testing works. He bought different kind of standard solutions and reagents and different kind of laboratory glass wares and tools like micro pipette, glass vial reaction vessel etc. He can sampling and measurement of particulate matters in air like PM1, PM2.5, PMResp, PM10 and PMTotal by Dust Trak Aerosol Monitor. He can use Sound Level Meter and Vibration Meter for acoustic and vibration measurement of any installations, machineries, offices and any other plants. He can use digital light meter for measurement of light intensity of source.
He can operate and acquisition data by the hydrographic equipment like Current flow meter, ADCP and Echo Sounder. He has been maintaining laboratory and survey equipment of CEGIS. He issued and received different equipment to/ from the professionals of CEGIS. He gives general idea about the field instrument operation to the professionals who do not know the operation. Mr. Rafiqul Islam in charge of scientific equipment was taught about all the tests and equipment by him. Mr. Alam approves and delivers the water testing report as Laboratory Expert and keeps report as hard copy and as well as soft and scan copy. He works for ISO001 project of CEGIS in occupational health and safety (OH and S) and Environmental Management System (EMS). For this, He measured light intensity at all the working places of CEGIS main Building, Annex Building. He measured also noise level of CEGIS generator and all vehicles of CEGIS. He worked and helped the generator maintenance people for running the generator as EMS, Environmental and help to improve in maintenance of (OH&S) of CEGIS. He also worked for CEGIS drinking water testing from 3rd party, icddr,b.
He visited Mongla-Ghosyakhali Khal in Bagerhat district with survey team for bathymetry survey and discharge measurement. He wrote in CEGIS News letter about the 4 equipment such as current meter, ADCP, Echo Sounder and UV-1800 Spectrophotometer till now. He contacted to Vale Port Company, U.K for current meter cable purchasing and Hypack Company, U.S.A for Echo Sounder software upgrading and maintenance plan of license key. He communicated to BSTI according to CEGIS management instruction for checking method procedure, sample preparation procedure, calibration, measurement, results, and report and CEGIS lab activities. Accordingly one Senior Examiner came to CEGIS and checked the overall activities of CEGIS Laboratory and met CEGIS top management & told that CEGIS lab activities are o.k. More over BSTI Expert suggested running the test regularly for growing high confidence and for trying to establish other test methods beyond the existing test which is possible to analyze and to collect other necessary equipment for future development.
Mr. Alam is a Life member of Bangladesh Physical Society (BPS) and member of BAAS (Bangladesh Association of Advancement of science). He visited different countries like India, Malaysia, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, German, United Kingdom, Sweden and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
