History
In accordance with Dhaka University Ordinances and Regulations 1973 and recommendations of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology meeting on 25-07-2010 & 19-08-2010, the Dean’s Committee meeting on 24-08-2010 and recommendations of the Academic Council meeting on 25-08-2010, the Syndicate of Dhaka University has established the Department of Nuclear Engineering in its meeting on 29-08-2010. Department of Nuclear Engineering is one of the newest Departments of the University of Dhaka which began its journey in January 2012. The first chairman of the department was Prof. Dr. Khorshed Ahmad Kabir. This Department is the first of its kind in Bangladesh.

Vision                                                                       

The vision of the Nuclear Engineering Department of the University of Dhaka is to be recognized as an excellent higher-education nuclear engineering institution in the global arena for effective and peaceful applications of nuclear energy.

Mission
The missions of the Nuclear Engineering Department are:

• To develop high quality nuclear engineers and scientists from undergraduate through the doctorate level who are capable of contributing valuable engineering skills and knowledge toward the design, building and running of Bangladesh's nuclear power plants.

• To be Bangladesh's center of excellence in nuclear engineering education and research, and to lead Bangladesh's effort to develop its nuclear infrastructure, and to introduce nuclear power as a part of its energy mix. 

• To perform services for industry, government, professional organizations, and the public in areas related to nuclear and radiological engineering.

Academic Programs

• B.Sc in Nuclear Engineering

• M.S in Nuclear Engineering

About the Department

 The present chairman of the Department is Dr. Md. Shafiqul Islam. There are about 150 students studying in the Department both in the Master’s and the undergraduate level. Twenty five (25) students in each program are admitted yearly through competitive examinations. For admission in the Master of Science (M.S) program, the students must have a four-year bachelor degree in any of the following fields: Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Computer Science & Engineering, Physics, Theoretical Physics, Applied Physics, Electronics & Communication Engineering, Chemistry, Applied Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Mathematics.  For admission in the B.Sc program, students take the admission test (‘Ka’ unit) with other students of the science discipline.

Relevance of the Department for Bangladesh

The Government of Bangladesh has decided to build some nuclear power plants within the shortest possible time to ensure energy security and sustainable economic growth in the country. Many fresh and highly trained nuclear engineers will be needed for planning, design, construction, installation, maintenance and operation of these power plants. Considering the expansion of nuclear related activities for power generation and the increased demand for skilled engineers, scientists and researchers, the Department has been established. The newly established Department of Nuclear Engineering will contribute in transforming the Bangladeshi youths into skilled nuclear engineers and scientists. The syllabus is designed to provide a clear idea to the students about the various aspects of nuclear science and engineering and peaceful applications of nuclear energy. The principal goal of this department is to enhance employment opportunities of the students by training them in the field of nuclear science and engineering and by developing their entrepreneurial and leadership abilities so that they can effectively contribute to the development and economic prosperity of Bangladesh. It is expected that graduates will find employment in the areas related to nuclear and radiological engineering in different institutions of Bangladesh such as Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA), Nuclear Power Compnany of Bangladesh Ltd.. There is also the possibility for employment in industries and professional organizations related to nuclear medicine and medical physics, agricultural research and applications. Furthermore, the graduates of this Department will also have employment opportunities abroad.

Laboratory Facilities
The department has a well-equipped computer lab for the students and faculty members, where reactor simulators like MCNP, OpenMC, DRAJON, GEANT4, etc. are available and working well. These codes are well known around the world and they are also used in commercial sectors. The department has already set up Physics, Electrical and Electronics, Instrumentation, Measurement and Control, General and Radiochemistry, Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics, Radiation Detection and Measurement Laboratories. In the laboratories, major equipment include radiation detectors and counters, single and multichannel analyzers, instrumentation and control kit, electronics experiments, linear and radial heat conduction experiments, thermal conductivity measurements, and fluid mechanics experiemnts for the students.
As a requirement for the M.S degree, students have to do some research work and submit a thesis. The Department is linked with the largest research facilities of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE), Savar, Dhaka which is run by Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC). Some students are also doing their research work in the Department using computer based simulators and analytical methods. Some of the topics on which our students are doing research work include:

• Calculation of shielding parameters for locally developed Ilmenite-Magnetite concrete. (Work being done at the Department)
• Investigation of shielding parameters for locally developed polyboron. (Work being done at the Department)
• Neutron capture cross section determination at different thermal energies for some targets using TRIGA reactor, (Work being done at AERE, Savar, Dhaka), etc.

In addition, our faculty members are setting themselves up for their own research works in the Department. Some topics of interest are:

• Implementation of Monte Carlo algorithm using fission matrix to achieve parallelism.
• Neutron activation analysis for the development of nuclear data.
• Nuclear instrumentations.
• Nuclear Transient and Accident Analysis.
• Safety assessment of advanced nuclear reactors wrt Gen-II reactors,  Research on nuclear security.

Collaboration Program

The university is interested to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to advance knowledge through our teaching and research. There are already some collaborative activities ongoing.

• Department of Nuclear Engineering of the University of Dhaka has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the ROSATOM of the Russian Federation for mutual benefits.

      Scope of works under the MOU includes;

• Exchange of faculty, scholars, and graduate students for lecturing, advanced studies and research.

• Exchange of undergraduate students for studying educational programs.
• Exchange of information, theses, teaching materials, and other technological and scientific literature.

• Cooperation on scientific and technological research.
• Organization of bilateral joint symposia, workshops and conferences.
• Exchange visit by members of faculty of the two institutions.
• Conducting joint and integrated programs for graduate students.

• Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Dhaka has already joined International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The role of the INSEN includes nuclear security curriculum development as well as promotion of nuclear security education activities, faculty development and cooperation among universities.