The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in Bangladesh.
The University of Dhaka was founded in 1921 under the Dacca University Act 1920 of the Indian Legislative Council. The establishment of the university in Dhaka began with 600 acres of land requisitioned by the British government in 1905 following the formation of the new province of East Bengal and Assam with Dhaka as its capital. Part of the land requisitioned belonged to the estate of Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Salimullah. It is modeled after British universities. It is the largest public research university in Bangladesh, with a student body of 46,150 and a faculty of 1,992.
The university has made significant contributions to the modern history of Bangladesh. After the Partition of India, it became the focal point of progressive and democratic movements in Pakistan. Its students and teachers played a very important role in the rise of Bengali nationalism and the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.
Notable alumni include physicist Satyendra Nath Bose, known for Bose–Einstein statistics and the theory of Bose–Einstein condensate; Muhammad Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and pioneer of microcredit; Muhammad Shahidullah; Natyaguru Nurul Momen, pioneer of cultural, sports and theatrical activities of the university (he was both a student and later a teacher at the university); Serajul Islam Choudhury; physicist Mohammad Ataul Karim; 20th-century Bengali poet Buddhadeb Bose; and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country's founding president.
It is the highest-ranked university in Bangladesh according to the QS World University Ranking.
History
Before Dhaka University was established, near its grounds were the former buildings of Dhaka College, affiliated with the University of Calcutta. In 1873, the college was relocated to Bahadur Shah Park. Later it transferred to Curzon Hall, which would become the first institute of the university.
The establishment of the university was compensation for the annulment of the 1905 Partition of Bengal. The partition had established the Muslim-majority Eastern Bengal and Assam as a separate province, with Dhaka as its capital. The All-India Muslim League, newly formed in Dhaka, wholeheartedly supported the move.
However, the partition was abolished in 1911 due to severe opposition from the Indian National Congress and Bengali Hindus. Deeply hurt by the decision of the annulment of the partition of Bengal, a Muslim delegation led by Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur, the then Nawab of Dhaka, demanded a university be set up in Dhaka. To appease the majority Muslim masses of East Bengal, Lord Curzon agreed and declared that a university as a centre of excellence would be established in Dhaka. Khwaja Salimullah, who pioneered the university in Dhaka, 600 acres of land from his estate was acquired for this purpose.
In 1913, public opinion was invited before the university scheme was given its final shape. The Secretary of State approved it in December 1913. The first vice-chancellor of the university, Philip Joseph Hartog, formerly the academic registrar of the University of London for 17 years, was appointed.
Established in 1921 under the Dacca University Act 1920 of the Indian Legislative Council, it is modelled after British universities. Lord Ronaldshay, Governor of Bengal between 1917 and 1922, was its first chancellor. He designated Nawaab Syed Shamsul Huda a life member of the university. On Huda's recommendation, Lord Ronaldshay appointed Ahmad Fazlur Rahman as a provost.
Academic activities started on 1 July 1921 with 847 students along with three faculties: Arts, Science and Law; 12 departments: Sanskrit and Bengali, English, Education, History, Arabic and Islamic Studies, Persian and Urdu, Philosophy, Economics and Politics, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Law; and three dormitories for students: Salimullah Muslim Hall, Dacca Hall and Jagannath Hall.
In 1936, the university awarded honorary doctorate degrees to Jagadish Chandra Bose, Jadunath Sarkar, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Allama Iqbal and Rabindranath Tagore.
The university played a significant role in the Bengali language movement when Bengalis united to fight against Urdu being the sole official language in East Pakistan.
Dhaka University was the main place where the movement started, with students joining and protesting against the Pakistan Government. Later, several students were killed at the site where the Shaheed Minar stands today. After the incident, Bengali was established as the official language.
The Dacca University Order, 1973 (President's Order No. 11 of 1973), reconstituted and reorganised the University of Dhaka to improve its teaching, research, and administration following the 1971 War of Independence. Throughout this order, the word Dhaka was substituted for the word Dacca by section 2 of the University Laws (Amendment) Act, 1987 (Act No. XXXVI of 1987).
On 18 July 2024, authorities at the University of Dhaka announced an indefinite closure of the institution after protests demanding reforms in the quota system in government jobs turned violent, leaving at least six people, including three students, dead across the country. However, the university reopened after the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amidst a mass uprising.
Campus
Residential facilities There are 23 residence halls for students and dormitories for teachers and university officials.
Residential halls and hostels The following list is based on the information provided on the official website of the University of Dhaka.
Halls
Hostels
Libraries
The University Library, housed in three separate buildings, is the largest in Bangladesh. The library holds a collection of more than 617,000 volumes, including bound volumes of periodicals. In addition, it has a collection of over 30,000 manuscripts in other languages and a large number of microfilms, microfiche, and CDs. It subscribes to over 300 foreign journals.
The Dhaka University Library comprises three buildings: the administrative building, the main library building, and the science library building. The administrative building has administrative offices, a book acquisition section, a book processing section, a reprographic section, a bookbinding section, a manuscript section, and a seminar section.
Additionally, the Faculty of Business Studies has an e-library which is the largest of its kind in Asia. This advanced-level e-library is connected with 35 internationally renowned libraries and publication houses in the world. Teachers, students, and researchers can read all journals, books, research papers, and articles of these leading libraries, including the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge libraries, by using the e-library facilities.
This e-library was built in collaboration with Robi Axiata Limited in August 2015. It can accommodate around 1,400 students. The library has three sections: a computer section, a silent zone, and a discussion zone. Some 7,000 students and 208 teachers of the faculty are directly benefiting from the facility.
Health services The Medical Centre of the University of Dhaka, near the Science Annex Building, offers free medical services and free pathological examinations to students, teachers, staff, and their family members. The centre provides service round-the-clock, seven days a week, with 30 doctors working in shifts. The centre has a dental unit, an eye unit, an X-ray department, and two ambulances.
Cafeteria There are cafeterias on campus, some of which hold historical and architectural interest. In 1971, Pakistani soldiers killed the owner of the Madhur Canteen.
The Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) has its own cafeteria, while another cafeteria stands on the Dhaka University Snacks (DUS) Chattar. The Science cafeteria was situated behind Curzon Hall but was demolished to construct a new 20-storey building. There is also another snack and lunch place named DU Hut in front of the Department of Sociology. The Faculty of Business Studies has a modern food court for its students.
Fuller Road
Fuller Road is a road in Shahbag, Dhaka. The road was named after Bampfylde Fuller, the first lieutenant governor of Eastern Bengal and Assam. In 1967, Dhaka Municipality renamed it Sir Syed Ahmed Road, but it is still widely known as Fuller Road. The road starts from VC Square, where it junctions with Nilkhet Road, and ends at Shadhinota Sangram Monument Square, where it meets Shahid Minar Road.
Landmarks include: Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dhaka's residence British Council Bangladesh Udayan Higher Secondary School Salimullah Muslim Hall Jagannath Hall
Faculties and departments The university consists of 13 faculties and 83 departments.
Faculty of Arts Department of Bangla Department of English Department of Arabic Department of Persian Language and Literature Department of Urdu Department of Sanskrit Department of Pali Department of Buddhist Studies Department of Linguistics Department of Philosophy Department of History Department of Islamic Studies Department of Islamic History and Culture Department of Information Science and Library Management Department of World Religions and Culture Department of Theatre and Performance Studies Department of Music Department of Dance
Faculty of Social Sciences Economics Political Science International Relations Anthropology Public Administration Mass Communication and Journalism Communication Disorders Printing and Publication Studies Television, Film and Photography Sociology Development Studies Criminology Japanese Studies Women and Gender Studies Peace and Conflict Studies
Faculty of Law Department of Law
Faculty of Fine Arts Ceramics Craft Drawing and Painting Graphic Design Oriental Art Printmaking Sculpture History of Art
Faculty of Business Studies The Faculty of Business Studies (FBS) was established in 1970 as the Faculty of Commerce. It began its journey with two departments: the Department of Accounting and the Department of Management. Two more departments were created in 1974, and the authority introduced the semester system from the 1977–1978 session. The names of the B.Com and M.Com degrees were changed to BBA and MBA, respectively, during the 1994–1995 session. Following its rebranding as the Faculty of Business Studies, four other departments were added to this faculty over the course of the next 13 years. In 1995, the Faculty of Commerce took its current name and became the Faculty of Business Studies.
Muhammad Abdul Moyeen became the acting dean of the Faculty of Business Studies in May 2020.
Currently, there are nearly 153 teachers, 10 officers, 58 employees, and nearly 6,100 students under the faculty. The departments are as follows: Accounting and Information Systems Management Marketing Finance Banking and Insurance Management Information Systems Tourism and Hospitality Management International Business Organization Strategy and Leadership
Faculty of Science Mathematics Applied Mathematics Physics Chemistry Statistics Biomedical Physics and Technology Theoretical Physics Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
Faculty of Pharmacy Pharmacy Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology Pharmaceutical Chemistry Pharmaceutical Technology
Faculty of Biological Sciences Botany Zoology Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Microbiology Psychology Clinical Psychology Educational psychology Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Soil, Water and Environment Fisheries
Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences Geography and Environment Geology Oceanography Disaster Science and Climate Resilience Meteorology
Faculty of Engineering and Technology Electrical and Electronic Engineering