Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University (BSMRSTU) of Gopalganj is now the fourth largest university in the country according to its number of seats. However, the history of the establishment of this university is completely different. It has a history of death and rebirth.
Now the university has 34 departments and around 12,000 students. Every year around 3,000 students get the opportunity to be admitted here.
The number of teachers of this university is around 300 where the number of professors is only five, the number of assistant professors is 95 and the number of lecturers is 200.
To ensure the accommodation of students and teachers, this university has three dormitories for boys and two for females where around 2000 students get accommodation facilities.
Vice Chancellor of this university Prof Dr AQM Mahbub hoped that each of the students of this university would be able to fulfil their ambition after graduation.
In 1999, the Awami League government took the plan to set up 12 science and technology universities in 12 districts. In the first phase, six development projects were proposed for implementation. Among the six, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University project was one. On July 8 in 2001, the act of the university was enacted in Parliament. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally laid the foundation stone of this university on July 13 in that year. At that time, Prof Dr M. Khairul Alam Khan was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the university.
BNP-led government came to power in 2001 and stopped the university for the sake of political vigilance. On April 15 in 2002, they completely closed the project and cancelled the appointment of Vice-Chancellor Prof Khairul Alam Khan.
At that time, everyone thought that BSMRSTU project would never see the light again but Awami League-led government revived the project after coming power again in 2008.
On January 20 in 2010, the Ministry of Education issued SRO to implement of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj Act-2001. Later, on December 14 in 2010, the then president Md. Zillur Rahman approved the appointment of Prof Dr. M. Khairul Alam Khan as Vice-Chancellor and the university finally started its journey.
Prof Dr. Khondokar Nasiruddin performed duty as the second vice chancellor of this university from February 2 in 2015. He resigned from the post on September 30 in 2019 amid protest.
It had been alleged Khondoker Nasiruddin was involved in various misdeeds including recruitment business, misappropriation of money and sexual harassment. The University Grants Commission (UGC)’s probe body also found that the allegations were true.
After Khondoker Nasiruddin’s resignation, Prof Dr AQM Mahbub, a former teacher of Geography and Environment department of Dhaka University, was appointed vice-chancellor of BSMRSTU.