Islamic University is one of the major public universities in Bangladesh and the largest seat of higher education in the south-west part of the country. It is a major international center for an excellent integration of Islamic Studies with the General Studies and Studies of Modern Science and Technology. The university provides both the local and foreign students with the facilities of undergraduate studies, postgraduate research and teaching. The standard of teaching is high and the facilities both for academic and extracurricular activities are of good quality. It is a campus oriented university, where the academic and administrative buildings, residential halls and gymnasium, central cafeteria and auditorium all are on one self-contained 175-acre site at Shantidanga-Dulalpur, beside the Kushtia-Khulna highway and about 24 kms south and 22 kms north of respectively the Kushtia and Jhenidah district-towns.

 

The demand to establish an Islamic University on the soil of Bangladesh has a long and glorious history. As the result of an outstanding sacrifice and systematic movement on the part of Islam-loving teachers, students, intelligentsia and professionals of this country, and recommendations of various Education Commissions over the years, came out the declaration on the part of the government of establishment of an Islamic University in the country on December 1, 1976. Finally, on recommendation of a seven-member Islamic University Planning Committee headed by Professor Dr. M. A. Bari, The Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh materialized the declaration by laying the foundation stone of today's Islamic University at Shantidanga-Dulalpur on November 22, 1979. Next year, on December 27, 1980 Islamic University Act was passed in the National Parliament of Bangladesh.

 

On January 31, 1981 the Government appointed the Project Director Dr. A. N. M. Mamtajuddin Choudhury the first Vice-Chancellor of Islamic University. The University began operating at Shantidanga-Dulalpur campus in 1981. However, by a Presidential Ordinance passed on May 15, 1982 the university was shifted from Shantidanga-Dulalpur to Boardbazar campus in the district of Gazipur. The university's academic activities were formally inaugurated there in the academic year 1985-1986 with 300 students enrolled in four Departments under two Faculties - Department of Al Quran Wa-Ulumul Quran and Department of Ulumut Tawahid Wad-Dawah under the Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies and Department of Accounting and Department of Management under the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The academic year 1987-88 started with two more departments - Department of Al-Qanun Wash Sariah under the Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies and Department of Economics under the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

 

On December 28, 1988 the Government appointed Professor Dr. Mohammad Sirajul Islam (Department of Islamic History and Culture, University of Dhaka) the Vice-Chancellor of the University. While the infrastructural development and academic activities on the Boardbazar campus were in full swing the University was shifted back to Shantidanga-Dulalpur campus in 1989. With the construction works on the main campus in progress, the university's academic and administrative activities continued temporarily at the Primary Training Institute (PTI) premises, and in some rented buildings of Kushtia town. In the academic year 1990-91, the University opened five new departments under the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences - Department of Bengali Language and Literature, Department of English Language and Literature, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Department of Islamic History and Culture, and Department of Politics and Public Administration.

 

On June 06, 1991 the Government appointed Professor Dr. Muhammad Abdul Hamid (Department of Economics, University of Rajshahi) the Vice-Chancellor of the University. Subsequently the University opened one more department - Department of Al Hadith and Islamic Studies under the Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies. The University's academic and administrative activities started on the University's main campus on November 1, 1992, having completed a number of construction works including an academic building, two residential halls, an administrative building and some apartments. During the tenure of Professor Hamid, the First Convocation of Islamic University was held in 1993 and was presided over by the then Chancellor of the University and the Prime Minister of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia.

 

On May 9, 1995 the Government appointed Professor Dr. Muhammad Inam-Ul Hoque (Department of Islamic History and Culture, University of Chittagong) the Vice-Chancellor of the University. The then administration renamed a Faculty as the Faculty of Law and Shariah and opened three departments - Department of Electronics and Applied Physics, Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Technology, and the Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science under the new Faculty of Applied Science and Technology.

 

On September 3, 1997 Professor Mohammad Qaisuddin (Department of Bio-Chemistry, University of Rajshahi) was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the University. The then authority introduced four-year Bachelors Program instead of three-year system and opened three more departments - Department of Information Science and Technology, Department of Bio-Technology and Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Science under the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology. The then Chancellor of Islamic University and the Prime Minister of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina presided over the University's Second Convocation held on December 5, 1999.

 

On October 10, 2000 Professor Muhammad Lutfor Rahman (Department of Chemistry, University of Rajshahi) was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the University. He held the office only for one year.

 

On December 10, 2001 the Government appointed Professor Dr. Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman (Department of Arabic, University of Dhaka) the Vice-Chancellor of the University. During the tenure of Professor Rahman, the Third Convocation of Islamic University was held on March 28, 2002 and was presided over by the then Chancellor of the University and the Prime Minister of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia.

 

On April 3, 2004 Professor M. Rafiqul Islam (Department of Economics, University of Rajshahi) was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the University. The authority opened the Department of Al Fiqh under the Faculty of Law and Shariah and Department of Mathematics under the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology that time. Professor Islam's tenure also observed the University's Silver Jubilee Festival on November 30, 2004.

On August 10, 2006 the Government appointed Professor Faez Mohammad Serajul Hoque (Department of English, Islamic University, Kushtia) the Vice-Chancellor of the University. He held the office for two and half years.

 

On March 9, 2009 the Government appointed Professor M. Alauddin (Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Islamic University, Kushtia), and Professor Md. Kamal Uddin (Department of Economics, Islamic University, Kushtia) respectively the Vice-Chancellor and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University. Professor Kamal is the first Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University. Present authority has opened two new departments  to start functioning from the Academic Year 2009-2010. These are the Department of Statistics under the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology and the Department of Finance and Banking under the Faculty of Business Administration. For the first time in the history of Islamic University, the authority has taken steps towards digitalization of the University's activities. And the process has been initiated by putting the Application forms, Prospectus, and related information for the First Year Admission Test of the Session 2009-2010 on the Web.

 

Islamic University, having started its academic activities on June 28, 1986 now has about 10 thousand regular students studying in 22 Academic Departments under five Faculties. The main objective of the University is to provide for instructions in theology and other fields of Islamic studies and comparative jurisprudence and such other branches of learning at graduate and post-graduate levels and make provisions for research including post-doctorate research and training for advancement and dissemination of knowledge. The university is also the affiliating authority of Fazil and Kamil Madrasahs in the country.