In 1959 the Commission of National Education and the Food and Agriculture Commission agreed that a university specialising in agriculture was needed in Bangladesh. As a result, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) was founded in 1961.
The university is located in the city of Mymensingh, one of Bangladesh’s divisions. Just three hours north of Dhaka, Mymensingh is considered a major financial centre and educational district. It is home to a number of universities, colleges and schools and is often referred to as "the city of education". Mymensingh is also rich in culture and religious diversity, with several mosques, temples and churches located around the city.
The university is comprised of six faculties: agriculture, agricultural economics and rural sociology, agricultural engineering and technology, animal husbandry, fisheries, and veterinary science. Within these faculties are 43 departments offering both undergraduate and graduate courses.
The university has gained recognition across Asia for its research in the field of agriculture. It collaborates with members of the local community, particularly children from primary and secondary schools, as well as orphanages, to carry out agricultural research projects. The presence of two national research institutes (Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture and Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute) on the campus grounds contributes to the university’s research developments.
Using this research, the university is committed to the agricultural development of the country. It encourages its students to become leading agriculturalists, agricultural scientists and researchers so that they too can contribute to the rapidly changing needs of the 21st century. With its 10 farms, the university works with local farmers and larger organisations to understand how it can help to improve the farming industry.
