Bangladesh Open University

The Bangladesh Open University (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ উন্মূক্ত বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়) or BOU is a national university with its headquarters in Board Bazar, Gazipur District, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. The university was established on October 21, 1992 when the Parliament of Bangladesh passed and gazetted the Bangladesh Open University Act, 1992 (BOU Act 1992) [1].

As the only public university in Bangladesh to use distance education as a method of delivery, BOU is mandated to "promote through multimedia; instruction of every standard and knowledge - both general and scientific - by means of any form of communications technology, to raise the standard of education and to give the people educational opportunities by democratizing education and creating a class of competent people by raising the standard of education of the people generally"

Distance education was first introduced into Bangladesh when the Education Directorate was assigned with the responsibility for distribution of 200 radio receivers to educational institutions. This led to the creation of an Audio-Visual Cell and later the Audio-Visual Education Centre (AVEC) in 1962.

Upon achieving independence in 1971, mass education was viewed as a priority in the new nation. The School Broadcasting Programme (SBP) was launched in 1978 during the administration of President Ziaur Rahman. The project was later expanded to become the National Institute of Educational Media and Technology (NIEMT) in 1983. In 1985, the NIEMT was renamed the Bangladesh Institute of Distance Education (BIDE) which offered, apart from audio-visual materials, a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme via distance learning validated by the University of Rajshahi. The success of BIDE encouraged policy makers to take up a major plan for establishing an open university. [3] [4] [5].

In 1992, the plan came into fruition with the tabling and passing of the BOU Act 1992 and Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, became the founding Chancellor of the Bangladesh Open University.

Website: http://www.bou.edu.bd/