Islami University

Islami University a public sector university established on the basis of Islami University Act (Act No XXVII of 1980) revised by an Ordinance promulgated on 2 November 1982. The university offers education on theology and islam as well as on different areas of modern science and technology. Like other universities, the Islami University is regulated by the university grants commission and receives funding through it. The Prime Minister of the country is the chancellor of the university.
Immediately after independence in 1971, the government established the Islamic Foundation for conducting research on Islam in Bangladesh and this had enhanced the implementation of the Islami University project. On 27 January 1977, the government formed a 7-member Islami University Planning Committee headed by Dr MA Bari. The committee submitted its report on 20 October 1977. Meanwhile, the Organisation of Islamic countries in a conference held at Mecca during 31 March-8 April 1977, recommended establishment of Islami universities in different Muslim countries. The government of Bangladesh set up the Islami University Project Office at Dhaka in 1979. Dr ANM Momtaj Uddin Chowdhury was appointed the project director.
The foundation stone of the Islami University was laid on 22 November 1979 at Shantidanga-Dulalapur in the border of the districts of kushtia and jessore. The Parliament adopted the Islami University Bill on 27 December 1980. Dr. ANM Momtaj Uddin Chowdhury was appointed the first vice chancellor of the university. The university, however, took a long time to take a regular shape and it started its academic activities on 28 June 1986 in its temporary campus at Board Bazar of gazipur near dhaka. At that time it had 300 students in its 4 departments and only 8 teachers. The university was shifted to Kushtia on 2 January 1990 and even there, it started its academic and administrative activities not in its own campus, but in the PTI and Paramedical buildings of the town. The university could finally start working in its own campus on 1 November 1992.
At the beginning, the university had no woman teacher and girl students at all. The first woman teacher was appointed in 1990 and girl students were allowed admission in the same year. The university is now open for all students irrespective of gender, or any cast or creed. It also appoints teachers of all religious beliefs. The traditional 3-year honours programme of the university was substituted by a 4-year integrated honours programme in 1994.
The vice chancellor of the university conducts its administrative and academic activities mainly with the help of the syndicate and academic council. Other important bodies of the university are the finance committee, planning and development committee, works committee, committee for higher education and research, faculty committees, and the academic committees and planning committees of the various departments.
In June 2001, the university had 236 teachers, of whom 9 were professors, 47 associate professors, 100 assistant professor and 80 lecturers. Other employees included 96 officers, 197 office assistants and 264 general services staff. The university had 5 faculties and 18 departments and these were: Theology and Islamic Studies Faculty (estd. 1985) - departments of Al-Quran and Islamic Studies (1985), Dawah and Islamic Studies (1985), and Al Hadith Islamic Studies (1991); Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (1987) - departments of Economics (1987), Bangla Language and Literature (1990), Islamic History and Culture (1990), English (1990), and Politics and Public Administration (1990); Faculty of Law and Shariah (1994) - department of Law and Muslim Jurisprudence (1991), initially opened as the department of Al-Quran Wash Shariah (1987) under the Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies; Faculty of Business Administration (1995) - departments of Accounting (1985), and Management (1985), both started academic programmes under the Faculty of Arts and Humanities; and Faculty of Applied Science and Technology - departments of Electronics and Applied Physics (1995), Applied Chemistry and Chemical Technology (1995), Computer Science and Technology (1995), Information Science and Technology (1998), Biotechnology (1998), and Applied Nutrition and Food Science (1998).
Until July 2001, the university awarded honours and masters degrees to 2,113 graduates from its various departments. The number of students in the university in that year was 6,636. Each faculty of the university publishes a research journal, which has a common name, the Islami University Studies, but different numbers to distinguish the faculty that publishes it. The journal comes out twice a year. In 2001, 20 research projects were under implementation in the university.
The university has 5 residential halls for its students including one with facilities for residence of foreign students. Each department has its own library and also there is a central library, computer labs and a computer centre. There is a Teachers-Students Centre and a Cultural Centre. For promoting mental and physical health of the students, there is a department of physical education and sports, a unit of the Bangladesh National Cadet Core and a unit of Bangladesh Scouts. The university has its own transport system, a medical centre, a stadium, a gymnasium, a printing press, and a central mosque. There is a Shaheed Minar and a sculpture of the freedom fighters in the campus.