Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur

des itself on its rich heritage of numerous contributions and achievements of many scholars, poets, novelists, social and political thinkers and philanthropists. The construction of Begum Rokeya University is just under way on its own campus on the outskirts of Rangpur in the south. Rangpur, a peaceful and tranquil town, is just a 6 hours’ drive from the bustling, crowded city of Dhaka. However, it has good transportation facilities – train, bus and airlines. It is easily accessible because of its interconnecting transportation routes and linkages between all the districts of the country. Since 1947, a university in this region has been a long cherished dream. A popular demand for a kind of university which can reach out to a large number of students desiring higher education in this vast region has always been intensely felt but has never been fulfilled. Fortunately, on October 8, 2008, Begum Rokeya University (initially named Rangpur University) was founded and started its academic activities from the session 2008 – 2009, following the semester system. Each academic year consists of 2 semesters (one semester lasting for 6 months including holidays and vacations). At the beginning of the university, about 18000 (eighteen thousand) students from different parts of Bangladesh contested for only 300 seats in the first admission test of this university. These three hundred students were enrolled into 6 departments under 2 faculties – Bangla, English, Economics and Business Administration under the Faculty of Arts and Social Science; and Mathematics and Computer Science and Engineering under the Faculty of Science and Engineering. For the upcoming session 2009 -2010, Begum Rokeya University is planning to enroll 640 students into 11 departments under 3 faculties:

For the upcoming session 2011-2012, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur is going to enroll students into 21 departments under 6 faculties as follows:


Faculty of Arts:
Department(s): Bangla (60), English (60), History & Archeology (60)
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Faculty of Social Science:
Department(s): Economics (60), Political Science (60), Social Science (60), Women and Gender Studies (60), Mass Communication and Journalism (60), Public Administration (60)
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Faculty of Science:
Department(s): Mathematics (60), Statistics (60), Physics (60), Chemistry (60)
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Faculty of Engineering & Technology:
Department(s): Computer Science & Engineering (60), Electronics & Telecommunication (60)
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Faculty of Bio and Earth Sciences:
Department(s): Geography & Environmental Science (60), Disaster Management (60)
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Faculty of Business Studies:
Department(s): Management & Human Resources (60), Marketing (60), Accounting & Information Systems (60), Finance & Banking (60)

Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur has a good faculty of Lecturers, Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors who were educated and earned their degrees at home and abroad. In the process of its expansion, the University is still recruiting more teachers and officials. With the patronage of the local philanthropists, Begum Rokeya Scholarship Foundation has been formed for the talented students. Within a very short time, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur has successfully organized different events and programs – Bangla New Year, Rabindra-Nazrul Birth Anniversary, Inter-Department Debate and Football Competitions, National Mourning Day and so on. The University, which addresses a growing need for higher education not only in the north zone but also all over the country, aims at creating an ideal academic and research environment, keeping pace with the advanced world. It is firmly committed to reaching the world standard at every stage of higher education and research. It is also committed to producing the graduates and postgraduates in such a way that they can confront the challenges of the 21st century. Most importantly, the University has a social commitment; it will play a vital role in poverty alleviation and job creation, thus raising a standard of living for the people of this zone. The university hopes to go a long way to meet the needs for quality education, and to be an excellent center for research and other social activities.