The Bangladesh Open University (BOU) , established on 21 October 1992, is a public university with its main campus in Board Bazar, Gazipur District, Dhaka Division. It is the 8th largest university in the world according to enrollment.
As the only public university in Bangladesh to use distance education as a method of delivery, BOU is mandated to "promote through multimedia; instruction of every standard and knowledge – both general and scientific – by means of any form of communications technology, to raise the standard of education and to give the people educational opportunities by democratizing education and creating a class of competent people by raising the standard of education of the people generally."Clause 5, Bangladesh Open University Act, 1992
History
Distance education was first introduced into Bangladesh when the Education Directorate was assigned responsibility for the distribution of 200 radio receivers to educational institutions. This led to the creation of an Audio-Visual Cell and later the Audio-Visual Education Centre (AVEC) in 1962.
Upon achieving independence in 1971, mass education was viewed as a priority in the new nation. The School Broadcasting Programme (SBP) was launched in 1978. The project was later expanded to become the National Institute of Educational Media and Technology (NIEMT) in 1983. In 1985, the NIEMT was renamed the Bangladesh Institute of Distance Education (BIDE), which offered, apart from audio-visual materials, a Bachelor of Education (BEd) programme via distance learning validated by the University of Rajshahi. The success of BIDE encouraged policymakers to take up a major plan for establishing an open university.BOU website: Profile of BOU (URL last accessed on 1 May 2007)
In 1992, the plan came into fruition with the tabling and passing of the BOU Act 1992, and the prime minister was the chancellor of the Bangladesh Open University. On 22 June 2009, a bill was placed in the parliament to assign the president as chancellor, replacing the prime minister.
On 4 December 2024, the BOU and the Directorate of Youth Development under the Ministry of Youth and Sports signed a memorandum of understanding for youth empowerment.
Administration ChancellorPresident Mohammed Shahabuddin, President of BangladeshVice-Chancellor A B M Obaidul IslamPro Vice-Chancellor (Administration)VacantPro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Sayeed FerdousTreasurer Abul Hasnat Md. ShamimRegistrar Md. Anisur Rahman
List of vice-chancellors +Sl No.NameTerm startTerm endReference1.Shamsher Ali21 October 199220 October 19962.M. Aminul Islam20 October 199620 October 20003.Muhammad Qaisuddin21 October 20003 December 20014.Ershadul Bari10 December 200115 March 20075.M. Farid Ahmed15 March 200724 January 20096.R I M Aminur Rashid25 January 200924 January 20137.M A Mannan24 March 201322 March 20218.Syed Humayun Akhter30 June 202127 August 20249.A B M Obaidul Islam15 September 202416 March 2026
Academics
BOU offers two types of programmes, formal and non-formal, in seven schools and a network of 12 regional resource centres, 80 co-ordinating offices and 1,000 tutorial centres nationwide.
Study programmes
A total of 21 formal academic programmes are offered by BOU. Formal programmes are academic programmes that result in the awarding of an academic qualification up to a master's degree upon completion and examination.
As the low rate of literacy remains an issue in Bangladesh, non-formal programmes are conducted by the BOU to create awareness and impart knowledge about health, environment, disaster management, basic science, agriculture, food, nutrition, and other branches of knowledge for human development. To date, 19 non-formal programmes have been initiated in the areas of environmental protection, basic science, elementary mathematics, agriculture, bank services, marketing management, health, nutrition, population, and gender issues.
Faculties
BOU's 11 divisions are organized into six schools:
School of Education (SoE) Programs offered: Bachelor of Education (BEd) Master of Education (MEd) Certificate in Education (CEd)
School of Social Science, Humanities & Languages (SSHL) Programs offered: Master of Arts (MA)/Master of Social Science (MSS) (Preliminary) Master of Arts (MA)/Master of Social Science (MSS) (Final) Bachelor of Law (Hons) LLB (Honours) Bachelor of Arts (Honours)/Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) : (a) Bangla, (b) Political Science (c) Economics (d) Sociology (e) English Language and Literature (f) History (g) Islamic History and Culture and other subjects. Bachelor of Arts (BA)/Bachelor of Social Science (BSS) Bachelor of English Language Teaching (BELT) Certificate in Arabic Language Proficiency (CALP) Certificate in English Language Proficiency (CELP)
School of Business (SoB) Programs offered:https://www.bou.ac.bd/SOB/Programs Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Master of Business Administration (MBA) Professional Master of Business Administration (PMBA) Commonwealth Executive MBA (CEMBA) Commonwealth Executive MPA (CEMPA) Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) Certificate in Management (CIM) Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
School of Agriculture & Rural Development (SARD) Programs offered: Bachelor of Agricultural Education (B. Ag. Ed) Master of Science (MS) in 7 Subjects: a) MS in Agronomy b) MS in Entomology c) MS in Soil Science d) MS in Irrigation and Water Management (IWM) e) MS in Aquaculture f) MS in Poultry Science Diploma in Youth in Development Work (DYDW) Certificate in Livestock & Poultry (CLP) Certificate in Pisciculture & Fish Processing (CPFP) Upcoming Bachelor of Science (BSc.) in Agriculture Bachelor of Science (BSc.) in Fisheries
School of Science & Technology (SST) Programs offered: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering (B.Sc. in CSE) Master of Disability Management and Rehabilitation (MDMR) -for MBBS doctors Master of Public Health Post Graduate Diploma in Medical Ultrasound (PGDMU) -for MBBS doctors Diploma in Computer Science and Application (DCSA) Upcoming Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communication Engineering (B.Sc. in ECE) Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (B.Pharm) Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Software Engineering (MSSE)
Open School Programs offered: Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Bangla language Masters in Criminology and Criminal Justice Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Bangla language Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS)-3 years duration Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC)
A full list of the regional resource centres and tutorial centres affiliated with BOU can be found on BOU's website.BOU website: General Information (URL last accessed on 1 May 2007)
Accreditation
BOU is granted the authority to confer degrees under Clause 6(c) of the BOU Act 1992. BOU is recognised as a national university by the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh, a statutory body attached to the Ministry of Education.
The BOU is a founding and participating institution of the SAARC Consortium on Open and Distance Learning (SACODiL).South-Asia.com: Vice-Chancellors of Open Universities Gather in Colombo , SAARC News, February 1999 (URL last accessed on 1 May 2007)
References
External links
Bangladesh Open University School of Business (SOB, BOU) School of Science & Technology (SST, BOU) Bangladesh Open University Computer Club (BOUCC)