Staff Reporter

National University has completed 34 years of operation, playing a significant role in expanding higher education in Bangladesh and overseeing academic activities at the college level. Currently, around 4 million students are enrolled at 2,318 colleges and educational institutions affiliated with the university.

These details were highlighted in information released on Wednesday (October 21) to mark the university’s founding anniversary.

On October 20, 1992, the National Parliament passed Act No. 37, paving the way for the establishment of National University. The institution was formally established through a gazette notification the following day. Founded under the leadership of then Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, the university has since played an important role in expanding access to higher education for students across different regions of the country.

The university has made a particularly significant contribution to bringing students from middle-income, lower-middle-income and disadvantaged families within the reach of higher education. It has also played a vital role in expanding educational opportunities in remote areas of Bangladesh.

According to information provided by Taiyeba Tasnim Siraj, acting director of the university’s Public Relations Office, more than 100,000 teachers are employed at its affiliated institutions. Nearly 70 percent of the country’s higher education activities are conducted under the university’s jurisdiction. To date, more than 10 million students have earned undergraduate degrees under National University.

Many of these graduates are contributing to various sectors at home and abroad, including education, administration, business, industry, technology and social development.

In response to changing global circumstances and the challenges posed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the university authorities have also undertaken initiatives to modernise the education system. These include updating curricula, expanding teacher training, reducing session backlogs and increasing research opportunities.

To mark the founding anniversary, the university has published a special anniversary supplement. Banners have also been displayed at the main gates and buildings of the main campus and city office. A special prayer was organised at the university’s central mosque to observe the occasion.