Debashis Saha
Applicant for M.S. Program in Civil Engineering (Transportation)
Washington State University (WSU), Pullman
Statement of Purpose
In my childhood, whenever anyone mentioned civil engineering, pictures of tall buildings would
pop up in my mind. As I aspired to have my name associated with one of these skyscrapers, I had
no doubt about selecting civil engineering as my field of under graduate study. Till then, structural
engineering had been my only motivation to study civil engineering. But when I moved to Dhaka,
the capital of Bangladesh, I became a sufferer of one of the biggest problems of our country: traffic
congestion. Before then, I had only heard about how Dhaka dwellers had to wait in traffic for hours
every day. But when I started to spend most of my travel time stuck in traffic, I began to think
seriously about the problem from an engineering point of view. My third year undergraduate
courses helped me a lot in this regard. And mainly this is why I decided to do my major in
transportation engineering. But it took me till the final semester of my undergraduate study to
understand the extent and depth of this field. While doing research for my thesis work, I was
introduced to a whole new paradigm of transportation and traffic engineering which motivated me
to pursue higher study in this field of course.
My undergraduate thesis titled “Assessing Infrastructure Needs and Requirements for Non-
motorized Transport in Dhaka” is based on rickshaws, cycles and other modes of non-motorized
transport which are the dominant modes of travel in Dhaka. In my thesis, I have rated the streets
of Dhaka based on Global Walkability Index to determine their suitability for pedestrians.
Furthermore, I have also determined the type of facilities required for NMTs in this roads. For this
purpose I have performed speed study and volume study in the selected roads. Finally, I have
surveyed rickshaw pullers and passengers to gain their perspectives of the problem. Based on these
results, I have tried to provide some recommendations to improve the overall scenario of the
transport system of Dhaka. Besides this, I have also co-authored three published conference papers
on corresponding topics. In one of them, I have stated the importance of NMTs as a sustainable
mode of transport and in another I have provided a model to integrate NMTs with public transport
in Dhaka. Meanwhile, during my undergraduate thesis I have severely felt the need of proper
planning and management in our transportation sector. In my view, a well-planned and better-
managed transportation sector could have ended lots of our miseries. That’s why I intend to pursue
my interest in Transportation Network Planning and Management. I have also interest in
application of GIS in solving transportation network problem. As I am interested in transportation
network planning, I think GIS can be of great help in pursuing my research. And my other interest
is in transportation logistics particularly freight logistics. My undergraduate thesis was just a
beginning and I strongly believe profound knowledge in this field will help me explore the possible
solutions to mitigate urban transportation problems.
I have always been a top ranked student since elementary school and my academic records provide
support to this statement. As a reward of my hard work and dedication, I got the opportunity to
admit myself into the finest engineering institute of Bangladesh, where I have completed my
graduation under the supervision of some brilliant engineering minds of Bangladesh. My
undergraduate CGPA is 3.79 which has earned me the merit position of 8th among 205 students in
my class. During my stay in BUET, I was included in Dean's Award List twice for securing a
CGPA of 3.75 or higher in two consecutive semesters. I have also been awarded University Merit
Scholarship in every semester. Currently I am working as a lecturer in a well-known private
university in Dhaka. And my immediate degree objective is a MS in transportation engineering.
But as I have always had a passion for research work, I want to follow it with a Ph.D. After that, I
am looking forward to pursuing my career in academia in order to further enhance my knowledge
and to apply this knowledge in the practical field to solve various problems with innovative
engineering.
While searching for the university program which will be best suited to me, your university has
drawn my attention as it has a rich transportation division with greater potentials and highly
qualified faculties. I have also studied the works of Dr. Leila Hajibabai which have inspired me a
lot to pursue my higher study in your institution. And I hope that I will be able to learn a lot from
her about her research and experience which will help me in the long run to be a successful
researcher.
In the end, I believe that graduation from your university will be most beneficial for me from all
perspectives. With my keenness to learn accompanied by my academic achievements I want to
draw your attention and I will be most grateful if you accord me an opportunity to be enrolled in
your graduation program in the upcoming fall semester with financial assistance.
