University of Dhaka

The University of Dhaka (commonly referred to as Dhaka University or just DU) is the oldest university in Bangladesh. Established in 1921 under the Dacca University Act 1920 of the Indian Legislative Council, it is modelled after British universities. It is a multi-disciplinary university and is among the top universities in the region. With more than 30,000 students and upwards of 1,300 teachers, the University of Dhaka is the largest public university in Bangladesh. It is the only university in Bangladesh to have been listed in AsiaWeek's listing of top 100 Universities in Asia (64th). [1]. Initially, the university worked hard to build up an outstanding record of academic achievement, earning for itself the reputation of being the 'Oxford of the East'. The university contributed to the emergence of a generation of leaders who distinguished themselves in different occupations in East Bengal. Until the Partition of Bengal in 1947, it maintained its unique character of being one of the few residential institutions of higher learning in Asia. In 1947, it assumed academic authority over all educational institutions above the secondary level falling within East Bengal. In the process, it became a teaching-cum-affiliating institution. This transformation, coupled with its unprecedented growth in the years that followed, put strains beyond reckoning on its human as well as material resources. The university demonstrated an inherent strength in its activities during its eventful and often critical existence of over 80 years. Today, it provides about 70% of the trained human resources of Bangladesh engaged in education, science and technology, administration, diplomacy, mass communication, politics, trade and commerce, and industrial enterprises in all sectors. Students and teachers of this university have played a major role in shaping the history of Bangladesh.