The Department of Environmental Science of IUBAT and RCE Greater Dhaka organised the 1st Sustainability Festival 2022 at IUBAT on 29 October, 2022. The festival involved first-semester students from ten disciplines, with about 1,300 students taking part in a poster competition on sustainability, followed by a seminar.

RCE Greater Dhaka and its host IUBAT have always promoted sustainability since it started a green campus in 2005 and a sustainability program in 2008. From 2013, IUBAT pioneered an environment and sustainability course for undergraduate programs, with over 15,000 students of IUBAT so far having learned sustainability practices. The Sustainability Festival was organised to create interest and awareness among students, teachers, and staff about the importance of the environment and sustainability for future of this planet.

Dr. Huhua Fan, Education Program Specialist of UNESCO graced the event as the chief guest and Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Abdur Rab presided over the ceremony. Prof. Dr. M. Ataur Rahman, Coordinator of RCE Greater Dhaka and Chair of Environmental Science Department offered a welcome speech. The other speakers were Prof. Dr. Hamida Akter Begum, Pro Vice Chancellor, and Prof. Selina Nargis, Chairperson of RCE Greater Dhaka and Treasurer and Director Administration of IUBAT. Dr. Ferdous Ahmed, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, was the Convener of the 1st Sustainability Festival 2022 in IUBAT. 

The Panel Judge for the Poster Competition, Prof. Dr. Golam Rasul declared the winners. Other judges were Prof. Dr. Hasnat Alamgir, Dr. Sayma Ahmed and Dr. Md. Tarekh Rasul, while Assistant Prof. Dr. Md. Rehan Dastagir delivered a vote of thanks. All speakers emphasised that the environmental culture should be adopted on the individual, organisational and governmental levels to promote a prosperous and sustainable future both globally, regionally and locally. The speakers suggested that IUBAT and RCE Greater Dhaka should also organise a ‘Sustainability Olympiad’ for wider exposure at the national level.