Obaidul Islam named new Dhaka University VC, Mamun Ahmed to head UGC

Professor ABM Obaidul Islam, the current vice-chancellor (VC) of Bangladesh Open University (BOU), has been appointed as the new vice-chancellor of University of Dhaka.

He is also a professor of the Department of Physics at Dhaka University.

At the same time, professor Mamun Ahmed, the pro–vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, has been appointed chairman of the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC).

Education and primary and mass education minister ANM Ehshanul Hoque Milon made the announcement at a press conference at the education ministry on Monday.

Earlier, professor SMA Faiz had applied to step down from the post of UGC chairman, citing health reasons.

In his application submitted to the secondary and higher education division of the education ministry on Monday, he said he was unable to continue performing the responsibilities of the position due to physical illness.

Earlier, Niaz Ahmed Khan on 22 February had sent a letter to the president seeking to resign from the post of vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka.

According to a press release issued that day by the university’s public relations office, he met education minister ANM Ehshanul Hoque Milon in the morning and applied to return to his substantive post (Grade-1 professor of the Department of Development Studies).

The statement noted that his decision followed remarks he had made at a special press conference on 10 February.

Following the fall of the Awami League government during the student–people’s uprising on 5 August 2024, Niaz Ahmed Khan assumed the role of Dhaka University vice-chancellor toward the end of August that year.