Textile Talent Hunt (TTH), a prime contour in Bangladesh has just been concluded successfully for the 4th time by an impressive occasion of Grand Finale & Award Giving Ceremony at CIRDAP Auditorium on 21st June, 2014. The focal intend of TTH is to change the thinking, targets and learning process of the textile-garment & fashion designing degree level graduate students. After the launching of TTH 2013 on 25th September 2013, organizer A&J started promotional campaigns in at least 19 universities and colleges where textile, garments & fashion designing undergrad level courses has been offered. Through a written test 50 best talents were selected from 350 applicants this year. In the next roll, the best finalists were given research works based on their fields of interest. On those selected research topics they conducted works and summed up those in a report. They have been associated with separate experts or supervisors to get continuous consultation on research/project work. A&J offered number of training and grooming sessions to them to prepare them for their research/project work. Through examining the submitted research papers next 15 best finalists were asked to face viva voice examinations. Collective marks from written exam, research works and viva voice the best 5 candidate were given chance to present their research works in the grand finale. The final result was declared in the award giving ceremony at CIRDAP Auditorium. Md Neaz Morshed a final year student of Southeast University was declared the champion of the TTH-2013 for his outstanding work on sustainable eco-friendly sludge management method in textiles.
Mr.Jahangir Alamin, President, Bangladesh Textiles Mills Association (BTMA) has given awards, crests and certificates to the winner as he was present there as chief guest. Engr. M.S. Zaman CIP, President, Institution of Textile Engineers and Technologists (ITET), Prof. Dr. Engr. Ayub Nabi Khan, Pro-VC, BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology and Dr. Engr. Md. Humaun Kabir, Principal, National Institute of Textile Engineering &Research (NITER) was also present as special guests.
‘With the flourishing export growth, Bangladesh is now the world’s second largest apparel exporter. But our vision is becoming the number one in world textile & apparel market. But we have lack of available gas facilities and skilled manpower. So to make our dreams in reality we have to overcome these two things. I believe that Textile Talent Hunt have been playing vital role in improving these shortcomings’, said Mr.Jahangir Alamin in his cherished speech.
ITET president Mr. Zaman stated that ‘I feel proud as a textile engineer because our profession gives us a wide spectrum to contribute to the country. TTH will help the outgoing students to choose which discipline they like most and it is a platform to explore his/her competency.’
Prof. Nabi thanked all students and teachers of different universities for their support extended to TTH. He enlarged the importance of purpose oriented research and shared his experience how a research neck has helped him in his career. Professor stressed that research should be conducted to solve practical problems and to make real life impacts.
Principal of NITER Dr. Kabir assumed that, TTH successfully has been associating the students with the industry, introducing them with research methodology, showing them practically the way of doing research, making them outspoken and making them smarter to face the challenges of their professional life.’
Among other Prof. Syed Fakhrul Hassan, Chairman & Dean, Department of Textile Engineering, Southeast University and Country Manager of Asutex Mr. Monowar Hossain Polash was delivering their speech.
Previously Top five talents presented their project work in the grand finale in front of local & foreign delegates. The struggle for the crown of the best talent of the year reached to the final level, the grand finale presentation session through nine months long battle in many stages. Best five papers and presenters have been selected from short listed fifteen by a comprehensive viva voice took place in A&J office.
Now coming to the ground breaking talents of the year, who have overwhelmed all with their high level of work, their presentation made things even difficult for the judges to distinguish between them to select champion and followers. Five presenters have been short listed from 350 students from 19 universities and colleges having textile clothing and fashion designing subjects.
The champion was Md Neaz Morshed from Southeast University. His field of research was sludge management method and his research titled as ‘Production of bio-gas from textile sludge by anaerobic digestion technology’. Composite samples of sludge obtained from a textile factory were characterized for their pollution characteristics using some parameters of interest, pH, solids concentration, oxygen demand, nitrogen, phosphorus, total bacteria counts etc. In his work he revealed that the sludge has high pollution potentials and therefore needed treatment before disposal to the environment.
Fig- Neaz Morshed, Southeast University
He exemplified that the anaerobic treatment is termed to have producing biogas (methane and carbon di-oxide) which if harnessed can be used as fuel. Biogas from textile sludge then he used as household cooking. He anticipated that If he could implement this sustainable method in rural & urban areas the country will be able to fulfill the high demand of gas for cooking purpose as well as a large quantity of textile sludge will be safely utilized that will lead to sustainable eco-friendly solution of sludge problem of textile industry.
Passionate Jahid Hasan from Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology came forward with outstanding result on his research topic ‘Ethanol, a cost effective eco-friendly alternative of toxic non-biodegradable auxiliaries in cotton dyeing’. In his research finding, Jahid Hasan showed successful use of ethanol in dyeing process for cotton fabric with reactive dye to substitute harmful chemical auxiliaries. A low volume of ethanol (1gm/L-3gm/L) successfully worked as wetting and leveling agent in the process. He selects ethanol for non toxicity and better biodegradability.
Fig- Jahid Hasan, Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology
He explained that positive environmental effects arising from chemical substitution of toxic auxiliaries with ethanol and the reduction of cost due to application of ethanol was compared with the traditional dyeing process. In cost analysis he showed that almost 87% cost of auxiliaries can be saved if Ethanol is used. The student-researcher believes that it will show positive result in the mass production. Judges found his work laudable enough to select him as 1st Runner-up of TTH 2013.
Enthusiastic Md. Rejwan Alamgir from Begumganj Textile Engineering College nicely presented his work on ‘Scope of Natural Dyeing of cotton goods with dyes extracted from different natural sources using different mordant’s’. The synthetic dyes have already touched the climax of value addition of textile goods and made consumers conscious about environment and lives on earth. Hence ‘Green minded’ consumers are recalling the nature to serve the same purpose, he mentioned. As an ongoing study of cotton goods, in this research, the methods employed for the extraction of natural dyes, effects of mordants and the fastness properties of natural dyed fabrics were signified separately.
Fig- Md. Rejwan Alamgir, Begumganj Textile Engineering College
Alamgir used Tagetes erecta L., Lawsonia inermis, Rosa L., Allium cepa and Camellia sinensis as natural sources for the extraction of natural colorants and their availability in Bangladesh. He highlighted the use of ferrous sulphate, copper sulphate, alum and tannic acid as mordants in the pre-mordanting bath with cotton fabrics. He showed, after dyeing, ferrous sulphate imparted darker impact whereas copper sulphate showed saddening effect on dyed fabrics, alum was responsible for increasing lightness but tannic acid made the dyed samples brilliant. His level of hard work in laboratory and outstanding presentation skills brought him up to the 2nd Runner-up position in TTH 2013.
Talented and artistic Sadia Afrin Salma from Pabna Textile Engineering College came up with his fantastic research on ‘Reusing old cloth in fashion business and its potentiality in Bangladesh ‘. She informed that according to new report from the Council for Textile Recycling (CTR) the average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing every year, which equals roughly 191 T-shirts per person. Collectively that’s approximately 3.8 billion pounds of waste. The most interesting fact is that about 70-80% of those garments have sufficient characteristics to be reused for different purposes.
Fig- Sadia Afrin Salma, Pabna Textile Engineering College
Sadia showed in his presentation that, she collected the old fabric like Denim Pant, Saree, T-shirt, Kamiz, School Dress, Pazama and from those she produced new fashionable item like New Bag, Kid‘s Shoe, Tops, Scarf, Bracelets, Cap, Floormat etc. at a low price. Sadia noted that she got remarkable feedback from different classes and group of people who have shown their keen interest on the products made from the thrown out garments. Audiences enjoyed her presentation cheerfully and assumed that this review will open a new era for the upcoming entrepreneurs. Her excellent presentation made things difficult for the judges to her in the 4th position of TTH 2013.
Exceptional Md. Raju Ahmed, a student of Southeast University came with his research on ‘Palm Fruit fibre extraction, spinning, dyeing, and characterization’. He tried to prove that Palmyra palm fiber has shown excellent strength, elongation and moisture regain through showing different figures, graphs, tables and row data.
Md. Raju Ahmed, Southeast University
He also showed that Blended yarn of Palmyra palm and cotton has shown good breaking force and elongation. He explained that this fiber can be used in value added items like geotextiles and in other reinforcing textile material. Raju remained at the 5th position of TTH 2013.
TTH 2013 champion received a prize-money of Tk. 50000 (Taka Fifty Thousands only) while first runner up Tk. 30000 (Taka Thirty thousand only) and Second Runner up: Tk. 20000 (Taka twenty thousand only). Best five talents will enjoy lifelong free subscription of Bangladesh Textile Today. Best five talents are also getting AATCC & DYSINCHEM scholarship of a Special AATCC training program to be held soon. At the same time Bangladesh Textile Today is offering one year free subscription for best 50 talents. More special gifts/training/scholarship offers are to come from different companies/organizations. And Sadia Afrin Salma has got a scholarship of Tk. 10,000 (Taka Ten Thousands only) from Rashid Noorjahan Foundation as a female researcher. TTH is basically an initiative of A & J (Amin & Jahan Corporation Ltd., Integrated Research, Development & promotion service providing company) and is being organized in association with United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO), Bangladesh University of Textile (BUTEX), Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) & The Textile Institute (TI). Asutex, spain based specialty chemical company was the title sponsor of the event.
This issue of Bangladesh Textile Today has been dedicated to Textile Talents of TTH 2013. Best six papers emerged from the competition has been published here. Thanks to the key judges including Prof. Dr. Ahmed Jalal Uddin, Monowar Hossain Polash, Abrar Ahmed Apu and A S M Tareq Amin for their contribution in shaping the talents to excel in the sector.
