# University of Chittagong

The University of Chittagong (Bengali: চট্টগ্রাম বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়) also known as Chittagong University, abbreviated as CU, is a public research university located in Chittagong, Bangladesh. It was established on 18 November 1966. It is one of the oldest universities in Bangladesh. Having an area of 2,312.32 acres (935.76 ha) campus, CU is the largest university in Bangladesh. It is one of the four autonomous universities of Bangladesh.

## Facilities
### Library

Chittagong University's collection of about 350,000 books, and over 40,000 bound journals is housed in a 56,700 square feet (5,270 m$^2$) library built in 1990.

### Chittagong University Museum

Chittagong University Museum was established in 1973 with artifacts from the History Department, including fossils found amongst the Nasirabad hills. It has subsequently accumulated an extensive collection of historical artifacts and paintings. In 2016, The Daily Star donated a Chittagong history archive to the museum.

### University shuttle train

The university shuttle train is operated by Bangladesh Railway eastern division and monitored by university authority. Trains leave Chattogram railway station and Sholoshohor railway station, and city-bound trains leave Chattogram University railway station.

#### Shuttle graffiti

Chittagong University shuttle trains have a long history of graffiti art. There were allegations it was being used by rival political groups to assert influence over train compartments. After April 2011 clashes between five compartment-based gangs left at least eight students injured, the university expelled 11 students and banned all types of compartment-based organisational activities, including sticking posters, leaflets and graffiti on the trains. Eleven years after that incident, German artist Lukas Zeilinger, accompanied by Livia, his wife, and Arup Barua, a teacher at the Department of Dramatics of the university, painted the carriages once again. The project was self-funded by the Zeiligers as part of their art project.

## Academic

| Faculties | 10 |
| Departments | 54 |
| Institute | 7 |
| Research center | 6 |
| Affiliated educational institutions | 21 |

### Faculty

As of 2024, Chittagong University has 54 departments under 9 faculties.
| Faculty | Established | Department |
| Faculty of Arts and Humanities | 1966 | 14 |
| Faculty of Law | 1966 | 01 |
| Faculty of Science | 1969 | 05 |
| Faculty of Business Administration | 1970 | 06 |
| Faculty of Social Sciences | 1971after 7 | 10 |
| Faculty of Engineering | 2001 | 02 |
| Faculty of Biological Sciences | | 09 |
| Faculty of Education | | 01 |
| Faculty of Medicine | | 01 |
| Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries | 2019 | 02 |

### Institutes

Chittagong University currently has 7 institutes
* Institute of Education and Research
* Fine Arts Institute
* Institute of Modern Languages
* Community Ophthalmology Institute
* Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences
* Institute of Marine Science
* Social Science Research Institute

### Research centers

The university currently has 6 research centers.
* Jamal Nazrul Islam Mathematics and Physical Science Research Centre
* Nazrul Research Centre
* Bureau of Business Research
* Center for Social Science Research
* Chittagong University Center for Business Administration
* Center for Asian Studies

### Affiliated educational institutions

There are currently 26 educational institutions under Chittagong University:
Govt College
* Chittagong College, Chittagong
* Satkania Government College, Chittagong
* Government Haji Muhammad Mohsin College, Chittagong
* Sir Ashutosh Government College, Chittagong
* Government Commerce College, Chittagong
Government Medical College
* Chittagong Medical College, Chittagong
* Comilla Medical College, Comilla
* Chandpur Medical College, Chandpur
* Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College, Noakhali
* Cox's Bazar Medical College, Cox's Bazar
* Rangamati Medical College, Rangamati
Private Medical College
* Chittagong International Medical College, Chittagong
* United Care Institute of Medical Technology, Brahmanbaria
* Eastern Medical College, Comilla
* Chittagong Mother and Child Hospital Medical College, Chittagong
* BGC Trust Medical College, Chittagong
* Brahmanbaria Medical College, Brahmanbaria
* Mainamati Medical College, Comilla
* Marine City Medical College, Chittagong
* Southern Medical College, Chittagong
* Central Medical College, Comilla
Medical Institute
* Chittagong Institute of Medical Technology, Chittagong
* United Care Institute of Medical Technology, Brahmanbaria
College of Nursing
* Chittagong Nursing College, Chittagong
* Faujdarhat Nursing College, Faujdarhat, Chittagong
Dental College
* Chittagong International Dental College Hospital, Chittagong
* Art Nursing College, Comilla
* Shamsun Nahar Khan Nursing College, Chittagong

   #### College of Engineering

* Chittagong Textile Engineering College, Chittagong
* Newcastle University College, Chittagong
Institute
* Chittagong Institute of Technology, Chittagong
* Chittagong Institute of Fashion and Technology, Chittagong
Other
* Home Economics College, Chittagong

### Library

Chittagong University Central Library is the largest library in Chittagong and one of the richest libraries in the country. The current collection in this library is around 350,000, which includes rare books, journals, audio-visual material, manuscripts and Braille books for the blind. At the inauguration of the university in November 1966, the library started with only 300 books. The library moved to its current building in November 1990. The three-storied library has separate rooms for students, researchers and teachers. There is also an auditorium in the library building. Photocopying facilities are available in the library. The library also has facilities for daily reading of national and regional newspapers. The library is currently under automation.

### Medical Center

Chittagong University Medical Center is located near the law faculty of the university. It works to provide free medical care and pathological examination for university students, faculty and staff. Apart from this, free medical care is also provided to the family members of teachers and staff. This medical center has round-the-clock services every day of the week, where doctors provide medical care on a rotating basis. This center has 11 doctors and 4 ambulances. There are also 6 temporary beds in the medical center premises.

## Campus
### Residential halls

As of 2022, there are 14 residential halls at the university, of which 9 are for male and 5 for female students.
Male student halls :
| | Estd. | Students | Named for |
| Alawal Hall | 1966 | 260 | Alaol |
| Atish Dipankar Srigyan Hall | 2014 | 550 | Atiśa |
| A F Rahman Hall | 1966 | 258 | Ahmad Fazlur Rahman |
| Shahjalal Hall | 1974 | 475 | Shah Jalal |
| Suhrawardy Hall | 1974 | 375 | Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy |
| Shah Amanat Hall | 1977 | 632 | Shah Amanat |
| Shaheed Abdur Rab Hall | 1994 | 509 | Abdur Rab |
| Masterda Surya Sen Hall (male & female block) | 2010 | 204 | Surya Sen |
| Shaheed Forhad Hall | 2014 | 1000 | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman |
Female student halls :
| | Estd. | Students | Named for |
| Shamsun Nahar Hall | | 676 | Shamsunnahar Mahmud |
| Pritilata Hall | | 531 | Pritilata Waddedar |
| Deshnetri Begum Khaleda Zia Hall | | 500 | Khaleda Zia |
| Nawab Faizunnesa Hall | | 312 | Nawab Faizunnesa |
| Bijoy 24 Hall | 2015 | 500 | Bangladesh quota reform movement |
Hostels :
| | Estd | Students | |
| Shilpi Rashid Chowdhury Hostel | | | For Fine Arts students |
| Govinda Gunalanker Hostel | 1996 | | For Buddhists |
* A F Rahman Hall
* Shahjalal Hall
* Suhrawardy Hall
* Bangabandhu Hall
* Shah Amanat Hall
* Masterda Surya Sen Hall
* Shamsun Nahar Hall
* Pritilata Hall
* Deshnetri Begum Khaleda Zia Hall
* Sheikh Hasina Hall
* Shaheed Abdur Rab Hall
* Govinda Gunalanker Hostel
* Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall

#### Vice chancellors

| A R Mallick | 1966-1972 |
| U N Siddiqui | 1971-1972 |
| M Innas Ali | 1972-1973 |
| Abul Fazal | 1973-1975 |
| Abdul Karim | 1975-1981 |
| M A Aziz Khan | 1981-1985 |
| Mohammad Ali | 1985-1988 |
| Alamgir Muhammad Serajuddin | 1988-1991 |
| Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury | 1991-1996 |
| Abdul Mannan | 1996-2001 |
| Fazle Hossain | 2001-2002 |
| A J M Nuruddin Chowdhury | 2002-2006 |
| Badiul Alam | 2006-2009 |
| Abu Yousuf | 2009-2010 |
| Alauddin | 2010-2011 |
| Anwarul Azim Arif | 2011-2015 |
| Emran Hossain | 2013-2013 |
| Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury | 2015-2019 |
| Shireen Akhter | 2019-19 March 2024 |
| Md. Abu Taher | 20 March 2024 - 12 August 2024 |
* 1 2 3 Acting

#### Pro Vice-chancellors

| Md. Ali Imdad Khan | 1987-1989 |
| M. Badiul Alam | 1991-1996 |
| Abu Yousuf | 1996-2001 |
| Md. Anwarul Azim Arif | 2001-2001 |
| Mohammad Shamsuddin | 2001-2005 |
| Md. Alauddin | 2009-2013 |
| Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury | 2013-2015 |
| Shireen Akhter | 2016-2019 |
| Benu Kumar Dey | 2020–Present |
| M. Sekander Chowdhury | 2024–Present |

## Notable faculty and alumni members
### Faculty

* Jamal Nazrul Islam, theoretical physicist and mathematician
* Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank and Nobel Prize winner & Chief Advisor of Bangladesh
* Abdul Mannan, chairman, University Grants Commission of Bangladesh
* A F M Khalid Hossain, Islamic scholar
* Anisuzzaman, Bangladeshi academic of Bengali literature.
* Murtaja Baseer, painter and artist
* Mohammad Shah Alam, chairman (acting) of the Bangladesh Law Commission and founding father of the Faculty of Law, University of Chittagong, and former professor at the Department of Law, University of Rajshahi
* Monsur Ul Karim, painter
* Syed Abdullah Khalid, sculptor and painter
* Abdul Karim, Bangladeshi historian
* Farzana Islam, former vice chancellor, Jahangirnagar University (former lecturer, Sociology department)

### Alumni

* Niaz Ahmed Khan, academic and 30th vice chancellor of the University of Dhaka
* Aslam Chowdhury, fellow chartered accountant and politician
* Mahmood Hossain, academic and 12th vice chancellor of Khulna University
* Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh
* Shireen Akhter, academic and former vice chancellor of the University of Chittagong
* Mohit Ul Alam, vice chancellor of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University
* Tahura Ali, politician and member of parliament
* Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury, academic and vice-chancellor
* A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury, politician and former mayor of Chittagong
* Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury, former mayor of Chittagong and member of parliament
* Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, politician and mayor of Chittagong
* Annisul Huq, entrepreneur, television show host and first mayor of North Dhaka
* Fazle Kabir, bureaucrat, economist and central banker
* Kazi Sharif Kaikobad, retired major general in the Bangladesh Army
* Hafiz Rashid Khan, postcolonialist poet, author, journalist and Adibaasi researcher
* Rashed Rouf, novelist, editor and journalist
* Surendra Kumar Sinha, lawyer who served as the 21st Chief Justice of Bangladesh
* AFM Solaiman Chowdhury, civil servant and chairman of the National Board of Revenue
* Wadud Bhuiyan, politician and former member of parliament
* Syed Abdullah Khalid, sculptor and painter
* Papri Basu, freedom fighter, teacher, social worker and women's rights activist
* Muhammad Masum Aziz, stage, film and television actor
* Chitralekha Guho, television, stage and film actress
* Shahid Mahmud Jangi, lyricist
* Quadrat Elahi Rahman Shafique
* Partha Barua, singer and actor
* Naquib Khan, singer, music composer, lyricist and director
* Mahfuza Khatun, swimmer
* Muhammad Abdul Bari, physicist, writer, teacher, and community leader
* A F M Khalid Hossain, Islamic scholar and Advisor of the Religious Affairs Ministry