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Dr. M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury

Welcome to the Department of Finance!

Since its inception in 1921, the University of Dhaka has marked its presence in all the economic, intellectual and political fields of East Pakistan and later Bangladesh. The Department of Finance is one of the crown jewels of the esteemed centennial University. The Department of Finance was founded in 1974 under the Faculty of Business Studies (previously, Faculty of Commerce) under the chairmanship of Professor Dr. A.H.M Habibur Rahman. The Department of Finance has maintained the semester system since the 1977-78 session. Initially, the Department offered two programs to its students namely the B.Com and M.com program. Afterwards, these programs were replaced with the BBA and MBA programs during the 1994-1995 session in a bid to reflect the latest educational requirements and knowledge trends.

Currently, the department offers BBA, MBA, MBA (Evening), MPF, and DBA Programs. M.Phil. and PhD aspirants can also get enrolled under the supervision of the esteemed professors of the Department. The flagship undergraduate program is structured in such a way that it ensures students develop not only the business skills necessary to operate in today’s dynamic business environment but also cultivate the financial knowledge and techniques that enable them to stand out as the premier finance graduates of the country. The M.B.A. program caters more towards developing sound technical know-how of research in finance and related fields among its students.

The department incorporates a collaborative learning approach across all classes, supplemented by case analysis, term papers, field visits, computer applications and guest lectures by renowned industry professionals of the country to give a comprehensive learning experience to the students.

With careers in finance requiring knowledge of a wide array of topics and skills covering lots of different technical areas, besides offering pre-requisite courses like Calculus, Business Communications, Statistics, Economics, etc. and core finance courses like Financial Management, Financial Markets & Institutions, Capital Investment Decisions, Corporate Finance, Portfolio Management, Financial Statement Analysis & Valuation, and Analysis of Financial Investments the department also offers contemporary courses in finance such as Finance & Development, and Financial Derivatives to ensure students meet the dynamic skill-set of the industry. This is further enabled by the continual update of courses and syllabus. The department plans to incorporate courses forming the pillars of today’s modern finance, including FinTech, in the near future as well.

At present, the department of Finance has 34 in-house faculty members and 10 more on deputation and study leave. Of the faculty members, 15 are PhD holders, 9 are pursuing PhD, 20 possess a foreign master's degree, and 8 have professional degrees like CFA, CA, and ACCA. All of our faculty members are nationally and internationally trained and have innovative experience in academia and research. This is evident from the 200+ research papers published in ranked international and reputable national journals. The faculty members of the department are vastly experienced in conducting and attending research conferences, seminars, symposiums, and competitions etc. 16 of our former faculty members are currently teaching in reputed foreign universities in the USA (4), UK (4), Canada (2), and Australia (6) and are conducting quality research.

The quality human resources of the department is complemented with sound infrastructural capabilities. The department has a well decorated setting with two meeting rooms, 7 state-of-the-art classrooms, 1 well equipped computer lab, and 1 placement office. In addition, the department utilizes the FBS virtual classroom and conference rooms.

The department has international affiliation with the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Under its affiliation with the CFA Institute senior year students of the undergraduate program can apply for scholarships through the department. Similarly, students with Master of Professional degree enjoy waiver for up to 9 courses in the ACCA examination without needing to pay for these waived courses. At the same time, students with ACCA degrees can apply for waivers for a maximum of 7 courses in the department’s MPF program.

Over the past 47 years, the Department of Finance has made immense contributions towards the development of the nation by engaging in impactful research and by producing innumerable quality graduates. The graduating students of the department have built a strong reputation for being high performers and exemplary leaders both domestically and globally. The alumni of the department have a strong presence in all the major industries and sectors of the country’s economy. A significant portion of our graduates are employed in the financial sector in reputed commercial banks and NBFI’s. In addition, an impressive contingent of our students are employed at regulatory bodies including the Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority. Recently, our graduates have enhanced their presence in the Bangladesh Civil Service, FMCG, and the utilities sector. The Department of Finance continuously strives to instill and inculcate in its students the skills and expertise required to transform them into quality human capital and thereby enable them to serve the nation with superior nous and mettle. The Department of Finance, University of Dhaka has produced and is continually producing hundreds of renowned Academics, Policy Makers, Bankers, Financial market analysts, other service holders, and entrepreneurs for the country.

We strongly believe that a holistic collaboration between the Department of Finance and the industry has the potential to bring about significant positive outcomes for academia, the financial sector, the economy, and the nation at large. A strong linkage between academia and practitioners is the need of the hour considering the beckoning 4th Industrial Revolution, the ever-evolving financial ecosystem, and the challenges posed by rampant globalization.