page_title: Islamic University, Bangladesh
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Islamic University, Bangladesh / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Kushtia Islamic University Auditorium, Kushtia, Bangladesh.
context_page_description: Islamic University, Bangladesh, commonly known as Islamic University, Kushtia, is a major public research and PhD granting universities in Bangladesh and the largest seat of higher education in the south-west part of the country. It is the only university in Bangladesh where a specialized stream of Theology and Islamic Studies and seven others of Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Business Administration and Law are running parallel. Initially, it was funded by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and now it is financed by the Government of Bangladesh through University Grants Commission, Bangladesh. On 22 November 1979, the foundation of the Islamic University was set up in Kushtia, and it is operated under the Islamic University Act of 1980. Islamic University began operations on 28 June 1986. It is the seventh oldest university in the country and the first university in Bangladesh established after the independence from West Pakistan in 1971. It offers undergraduate, graduate, M Phil and PhD degrees.
context_section_description: On 1 December 1976 then government announced the establishment of the Islamic University to promote a coordinated approach to Islamic education and general education in the country. Islamic University, Kushtia was founded on 22 November 1979 at Shantidanga-Dulalpur (Kushtia-Jhenidah) by then President of Bangladesh General Ziaur Rahman, based on the recommendation of ‘Islamic University Planning Committee’ on 7 January 1977 headed by M. A. Bari including seven other members.
  The Islamic University Act was passed in the National Assembly of Bangladesh on 27 December 1980.
  The objective of establishing Islamic University is “to provide for instruction in theology and other fields of Islamic Studies and comparative jurisprudence and such other branches of learning at Graduate and Postgraduate level as the University may think fit and make provision for research including Post-Doctorate research and training for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge”[Clause 5(a), The Islamic University Act 1980(37)].
  On 1 January 1981 the government of Bangladesh appointed A. N. M. Mamtajuddin Choudhury as the first vice-chancellor and the university became operational that year.
  As construction of several important buildings began, a presidential decree was issued on 15 May 1982 to shift the university from Shantidanga-Dulalpur (Kushtia-Jhenaidah) to Boardbazar, Gazipur on an area of 50 acres.   The construction of an academic building, two residential halls and other necessary infrastructures were completed. Initially two faculties (Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) with four departments (Al-Quran, Dawah, Accounting, Management) were established and 300 students were enrolled  in the session of 1985–86..
  In 1987, two more departments (Sharia and Economics) were established.
  On 28 December 1988, while the infrastructure development and academic activities were in full swing, the university was again shifted to Shantidanga-Dulalpur (Kushtia-Jhenidah).
  In 1991 five more departments — Bengali,  English, Arabic, Islamic History, and Public Administration — were established.
  In 1995 three other departments — of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,  Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Computer Science and Engineering— were established.
  In 1998 three other departments — Information and Communication Technology, Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, and Nutrition and Food Technology — were established.
  In 2007 two more departments Mathematics,  and Al-Fiqh and Legal Studies— were established.
  In 2009 two more departments Finance and Banking, and Statistics— were established.
  In 2015 three more departments — Folklore Studies, Political Science, and Marketing— were opened.
  On 25 September 2017, 8 more departments— Law and Land Management, Development Studies, Social Welfare, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmacy, Environmental Science & Geography, Human Resources Management, Tourism and Hospitality Management — were established.
  In 2019 the Department of Fine Arts was added to the Faculty of Arts. Currently there are 34 departments under 8 faculties i. e. Faculty of Theology & Islamic Studies, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Sciences, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, and Faculty of Biological Sciences.
  It may be mentioned that the department of Information and Communication Technology of Islamic University in Kushtia was opened in 1998 as the pioneer department in that name in Bangladesh. In addition, "ICE Innovation Lab", the first ever Internet of Things (IoT)  Lab in Bangladesh, was inaugurated at the department of Information and Communication Engineering (ICE) of Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia on 21 September 2016. Three former students of the department contributed to the procurement of all the Internet of Things (IoT)-related equipment including Sensor, Raspberry pi, Arduino, Sheild etc. for the Innovation Lab.
  On 23 June 2009, an Act of the Parliament assigned the President as chancellor, rep
caption: Islamic University Auditorium, Kushtia, Bangladesh
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