Students at Bangladesh University of Textiles (Butex) often rely on WhatsApp groups to keep track of class schedules, notices and study materials. Finding an old lecture slide or checking a last-minute routine change, however, can mean scrolling through weeks of messages or contacting the class representative (CR).

To make academic information easier to access, Mahmudul Hasan Mridul, a 51st-batch student of the Department of Industrial and Production Engineering (IPE), has developed UniGrid, an app that brings class routines, notices, course materials and other academic activities together on one platform.

The app has attracted more than 580 users since Mridul began developing it in February 2026, with a usable version ready by July, he said.

One platform for everyday academic tasks

UniGrid offers class routines, notices, course materials, an exam countdown and group chat. Students can also track how many classes have been held for a course and how many they have missed. Notifications alert users when a CR or teacher changes a routine, according to Mridul.

For class representatives, the app is intended to reduce the burden of sharing information across multiple channels.

Marzia Binte Hasan, a 52nd-batch IPE student and departmental CR, said the platform helps her manage routine responsibilities, including tracking class counts, announcing class tests (CTs), sharing notices and informing students about schedule changes.

“As a CR, I have to keep track of class counts, announce CT dates, share notices and inform students immediately when routines change,” she said. “UniGrid provides a single platform to manage these tasks more efficiently.”

Butex already has NoteBot, a platform that helps students access academic resources. Mridul said UniGrid serves a different purpose by combining study materials with schedules, announcements and other academic activities.

Developed independently

Mridul built UniGrid himself, handling its design, programming and technical infrastructure. He used Flutter and Dart to develop the application, while Firebase and Supabase support data storage, updates and notifications. An automated email system manages account verification and approval.

Two students from the 52nd batch, Marzia and Mizan, helped test the platform by reporting bugs and suggesting improvements, he said.

Access to the platform is also controlled. Regular users cannot change class schedules or upload study materials, while new accounts require approval from a CR. Users can report inappropriate messages to an administrator.

Atik Shahriar Tamal, a 51st-batch student of Textile Engineering Management, said the platform was designed to make academic information accessible while maintaining reliability through approval controls.

Real-time notifications, a web version and regular updates are intended to improve the user experience, he added.

Growth brings new challenges

UniGrid has not been adopted as an official university-wide system. Mridul said its current users are concentrated mainly among students of the 52nd batch in IPE and Textile Engineering Management.

He hopes teachers will eventually join the platform and update class information directly, making announcements more accessible. However, its effectiveness will depend on users and teachers keeping information up to date.

For now, Mridul relies on free service tiers to run the platform. As the number of users and uploaded files increases, storage needs and database activity could raise operating costs.

Maintaining the app alongside his studies is another challenge. Regular updates, bug fixes and security monitoring will be necessary as its user base grows, with Mridul currently responsible for its development and maintenance.

The app is not available as a dedicated application on Apple’s App Store. Mridul said iPhone users can access the web version, which synchronises with the app’s information.

He hopes to expand UniGrid beyond Butex in the future, although adapting it to other universities would require accommodating their different academic structures and administrative systems. For now, his focus remains on improving the platform and gradually expanding its use among Butex students.