DHAKA, Jan 1, 2025 (BSS) - The "Ashraf Islam Building of Engineering" built at the Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee, USA, named after Civil Engineer Ashraf Islam, a distinguished community leader and philanthropist of Bangladeshi origin, was inaugurated in last October.

Located at Tennessee Tech University's having approximately 111,000 square feet of academic space, the building would be the largest engineering building constructed at the university in the past 50 years. Academic education program has already started in the building, said a press release here.

Marking inauguration of the building, he said, "This building at Tennessee Tech stands for what we can achieve through hard working, dedication and an incredible learning community".

"This facility is a beacon of hope and a promise of excellence in the education of the future generation of engineers," he observed.

Born in Bangladesh, Ashraf Islam graduated from the university in 1968 with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. He then started his career as a civil engineer at Boswell Engineers. 

He established a company named "AIA Engineers" in Houston, Texas in 1985, where under his visionary leadership, the company expanded from a single office to more than 200 offices in different states of the United States, Bangladesh and Canada. 

He also established the "Achia Khatun Memorial Trust" at Lake Circus Girls School in Bangladesh, the release added.