Innovating railway turntable with local tech: Ruet alumnus wins int’l award 

Md Tasruzzaman Babu, a railway engineer and alumnus of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet), has received international recognition for developing a railway turntable using local technology, along with several other innovations. He has been awarded the Silver Stevie Award 2025 in the category of "Most Innovative Technology Leader of the Year" by the US-based Stevie Awards Inc.

Tasruzzaman currently serves as the divisional mechanical engineer (carriage and wagon) at the Lalmonirhat Railway Division. 

On 17 April, the winners were announced on the official website of the Stevie Awards, where Tasruzzaman shares the spotlight with co-winners from renowned global companies like LinkedIn, Google, and Amazon. The award giving ceremony will take place on 13 May in Seoul, South Korea.

The Stevie Awards is one of the world's premier business award platforms, and the 12th Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards this year aims to recognise workplace innovation across the Asia-Pacific region.

A groundbreaking innovation 

After taking charge as the divisional mechanical engineer on 12 September 2022, Tasruzzaman attracted attention for several innovations, most notably the development of Bangladesh's first automated railway turntable. The previous turntables in the country were all imports from the British era.

Photo: Collected

The automated turntable, developed entirely using local resources, was praised by the Stevie Awards jury as South Asia's first of its kind. For this invention, Tasruzzaman was earlier recognised as the Best Innovator of 2024 by the Bangladesh's railways ministry and received a certificate of recognition from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The turntable allows for the rotation of engines and coaches, ensuring even wear on both sides of the wheels, which enhances their durability. It also eliminates visibility issues faced by engine drivers when operating from the rear, a common cause of accidents. 

Due to the long absence of a turntable in Lalmonirhat, meter-gauge engines and coaches had to be sent to Dhaka for rotation, which was both costly and time-consuming. Additionally, crossing the Jamuna Bridge (Tangail-Sirajganj) with light engines was risky, often requiring the attachment of extra coaches.

Other innovations

Between 2022 and 2024, while posted in Lalmonirhat, Tasruzzaman introduced several other innovations, including a durable, anti-erosion wheelset guide, re-railing equipment for recovering derailed locomotives and coaches, and the country's first electric lifting jack for coach maintenance. These innovations continue to play a significant role in enhancing safety, efficiency, and sustainability in the country's railway sector.

Reflecting on his recent achievement, Md Tasruzzaman said, "Alhamdulillah, I am truly honoured to be the first and only Bangladeshi to receive the 'Most Innovative Technology Leader of the Year' award. It feels amazing. When I saw that my fellow winners came from companies like Google and Amazon, and learned that past recipients included innovators from Tesla, IBM, Starbucks, Adobe, and even LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, I felt both joy and astonishment."

He continued, "At the same time, I realised that a person's background doesn't matter as much as their work. If someone truly contributes through their work, they will be recognised at the right time and on the right platform – regardless of where they come from. So the focus should always be on the work itself, not just on recognition. The path is not easy – many obstacles will arise – but you have to remain relentless."

"Never compromise with adversity. Do the work with a mind-set of service, like a sacred duty," he added.
"My innovations were not groundbreaking on a global scale, but they were practical solutions tailored to my workplace, developed using local technology and skills at minimal cost. The goal of each of my projects was to reduce dependency on imports by using our own capabilities to solve our own problems. This is especially significant for developing countries. That's what the award jury appreciated, as reflected in their comments."

A remarkable journey

Md Tasruzzaman joined Bangladesh Railway in 2017 through the 35th BCS as an assistant mechanical engineer. Before that, he worked in various organisations. Born and raised in Chapainawabganj, he completed his SSC from Rajarampur Hamidullah High School, HSC from Nawabganj Government College, and earned his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ruet. He later obtained a master's degree in the same field from Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (Duet). He also received a master's in Public Policy from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Japan, under the ADB-JSP Scholarship funded by the Asian Development Bank.

In recognition of his innovation in developing the railway turntable using local technology and winning an international award, Ruet Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr SM Abdur Razzak extended heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the Ruet community.