1. Potential Career Path of a Planner in Bangladesh
Shahadat Hossain Shakil (‘06)
BURP (BUET); MSc. (UK)

2. Objective of this Study
To find out solution for
these worried planners who
are gradually loosing their
hair and mental balance !!!
Fahim Hossain (’06)
BURP (BUET); MDS (Cont.), Norway
Md. Rayhanul Islam (’09)
BURP (Cont.), BUET

3. Content
• Major Courses
• Skills Acquired 
• Career Paths / Prerequisite / Alumni Example
• Statistics !!!
• Best Option?
• To Do List
• Future Agenda
• Q/A 

4. Urban
and
Regional
Planning
Computer
Application;
Presentation
Technique
Site and Area
Planning;
Housing &
Real Estate
Transportation
Planning
Environmental
Planning/
Engineering
Disaster
Management
Participatory
Planning;
Social &
Physical
Survey Project
Planning &
Management
Statistics;
Economics
Rural
Development
Regional
Planning
Urban
Governance;
Legal Basis
GIS And
Remote
Sensing

5. Communication
Skills
Analytical
Skills
Computer
Skills
Coordination &
Leadership
Skills
SKILLS OF PLANNERS
Planners

6. Analytical Skills
 Expertise of conducting scientific research operations
 Use of quantitative and qualitative statistical tools
 Problem identification, analysis and solution from diverse angle
 Expertise in methods of surveys and participatory tools
SKILLS ACQUIRED

7. Communication Skills
 Excellent presentation and communication skills
 Proficiency in formal report writing
 Strong interpersonal and negotiating skills
 Skills for working in a group and participatory environment
SKILLS ACQUIRED (contd..)

8. SKILLS ACQUIRED (contd..)
Coordination and Leadership Skills
 Mastery of techniques for coordination with a wide range of stakeholders
 Understanding of different operational context (local, state, and federal)
 Perception of social and environmental impact of development decisions
 Ability to lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams

9. Computer Skills
 Documentation: MS - Word, Excel, Power Point
 Database: Access, SPSS, STATISTICA
 GIS/RS: ArcGIS, IDRISI, Erdas Imagine
 Graphic: Photoshop, Illustrator, CorelDraw, AutoCAD
 Project Management : MS Project
 Programming: C++, Python
SKILLS ACQUIRED (contd..)

10. GoB
Research
Real Estate
Planners
NGO
Consulting Academia
Career Paths

11. Government Jobs
Planning (Non-Cadre)
- Development Authorities
- City Corporations
- Municipalities
Other Agencies (Cadre)
- LGRD
- MoEF
- Planning Commission
- Admin; Cooperative; Police
Pre-Requisite
- Concept of Legislative Framework
- Preparation for BCS
Career Paths (contd..)
Exemplar
NANDITA BASU (’99)
Chief Plan. Officer;
Barisal City
Corporation
BURP (BUET);
MURP (BUET)
Expert (Local
Capacity Dev.);
LGED
BURP (BUET);
MURP (BUET)
MOHAMMAD AL-AMIN NUR (’97)

12. Consulting Firms
Planning
- Sheltech
- DDC / AQUA
- EPC / HCL
- BETS
Management Consultancy
- e.GEN / TTT / IMC
- DEVCON / SODEV
- SMEC / Maxwell Stamp
- RPMC / SAMES
Pre-Requisite
- Concept of Legislative Framework
- Project Dev. & Mgmt. Skill
Career Paths (contd..)
Exemplar
NADIA AFRIN NOOR (’01)
Urban Planner;
EPC
BURP (BUET);
MSc. (Germany)
Senior Executive;
e.GEN Consultants
BURP (BUET);
MBA (IBA-DU)
AMIT DATTA ROY (’04)

13. Housing & Real Estate
- Eastern Housing Ltd.
- East West Property Dev. Ltd.
- Amin Mohammad Group
- Bangladesh Development Group
- Concorde Land Development Ltd.
- Xenovalley Model Town Limited
- Sheltech (Pvt.) Ltd
- Building For Future Ltd.
- Navana Construction Ltd
Pre-Requisite
- Concept of Legislative Framework
- Computer Skills
Career Paths (contd..)
Exemplar
FAYSAL KABIR SHUVO (’00)
Deputy Manager;
EHL
B.URP (BUET);
MSc. Env. Mgmt.
(Singapore)
Urban Planner;
Probashi Palli
Group
BURP (BUET)
MOHAMMED HAMIDUL HASAN (’06)

14. Academia
Government University
- BUET, KUET, RUET, CUET
- KU, JU, DU
Private University
(Relevant Courses)
- BRAC
- Daffodil
- Stamford
- State
- German University of BD
Pre-Requisite
- Excellent CGPA
- Research & Communication Skill
Career Paths (contd..)
Exemplar
ISRAT JAHAN (’99)
Assistant Professor;
CUET
BURP (BUET);
MSc. Disaster
Mgmt. (USA)
Lecturer;
BRACU
BURP (BUET);
MSc. Env. Science
(UK, Hungary)
MD. ASIF RAHMAN (’02)

15. Research Organization
- DURP, BUET
- IWFM, BUET
- BUET-JIDPUS
- C3ER, BRACU
- BIGD, BRACU
- ICCCAD, IUB
- HBRI
- EADS
- EMI
- ENRAC
- EPRC
Pre-Requisite
- Quality CGPA
- Research Methods & Writing Skill
Career Paths (contd..)
Exemplar
Tazrina Habib Ananya (’06)
Research
Associate;
C3ER, BRACU
BURP (BUET);
MSc. GIS (UK)
Research Fellow;
HBRI
BURP (BUET);
MSc. WRD (Cont.),
IWFM, BUET
Ferdous Farhana Huq (’08)

16. NGOs
- BRAC
- CARE
- Oxfam
- Save the Children
- UN Agencies
Donor Agencies
- ADB; WB
- JICA
- USAID
- DFID
- GIZ
Pre-Requisite
- Project Planning & Evaluation Skills
- Writing and Communication Skill
Career Paths (contd..)
Exemplar
MD. MUNTASIR (‘04)
Research
Associate;
IPA
BURP (BUET);
Fulbright Candt.,
MURP (UIUC, USA)
Deputy Program
Manager;
DFID
BURP (BUET);
MSc. (Germany)
BISHOJIT DEB (’00)

17. Depends on Individuals
- Social, Economical and Environmental Context !!!
- Goal & Passion
- SWOT Aspects
Seriously???
“Be Competent,
Success will Follow”
3 idiots
Best Path…?

18. Statistics
Source: BUETplanners Directory (2013); Database Courtesy: Md. Rayhanul Islam (’09)
PhD, 42, 13%
Masters, 189,
60%
Bachelor, 84,
27%
Highest Level of Education
Total No. of BUETplanners Alumni URP’95 – URP’07 : 315
Canada 7%
U.S.A 10%
UK 9%
Germany 7%
Australia 6%
Netherlands 3%
EU/Multiple 5%
Singapore 1%
Thailand 3%
Bangladesh 44%
Japan 2%
Saudi Arabia 2%
Hong
Kong
1%
Masters Countries

19. Statistics (cont..)
Total No. of BUETplanners Alumni URP’95 – URP’07 : 315
15%
27%
23%
2%
7%
11%
2%
4%
3%
2% 4%
Industry Distribution
Government
Research
Consulting
Engineering
NGO
Academia
Real Estate
Bank
IT
Business Entity
N/A0 20 40 60 80 100
Urban Planning
Regional Planning
Infrastructure Planning
Development Planning
Transportation Planning
Community Planning
Environmental Planning
Disaster Management
Geographical Information System
Remote Sensing
Development Studies
Business Administration
Specialization in Masters
Source: BUETplanners Directory (2013); Database Courtesy: Md. Rayhanul Islam (’09)

20. - Good CGPA
- Clear Concept of
~~ Research Methods/Project Management/Legal Framework
- English Writing and Speaking Proficiency (i.e. GRE; IELTS)
- Presentation & Communication Skill
- Extra Curricular Activities (i.e. Trainings, Publication, Events)
- Networking (i.e. BUETplanners, BIP, LinkedIn)
- Act professionally (i.e. e-mail, social media, portfolio)
- Keep eyes and ears open !
To Do List

21.  Research and Publication Techniques
 Scholarship Opportunities
 Career path of planners in abroad
 Application for Jobs – CV, Cover Letter & Interview Techniques
 Potentiality in Development Sector of Bangladesh
 Unexplored Industries – Management Consultancy, Engineering
Firms, Outsourcing Opportunities
 Sector Wise Detail List of Employers
 Required Changes in the Curriculum
Future Discussion Topic

22. Thanks 
Q/A 
Be Confident, Be Professional

23. E-mail: shshakil.buet@gmail.com
Phone: 01717-189153
Linkedin: bd.linkedin.com/in/shahadathossainshakil
Contact Info
Shahadat Hossain Shakil
Env. Mgmt. Coordinator
USAID/Bangladesh