The Department of History was one of the 12 founding departments of the University of Dhaka, beginning its historic journey on 1 July 1921 with 5 teachers and 7 students in the B.A. Honours program. The M.A. program was introduced in 1923 with 14 students.
Today the number of teachers has reached 30, while that of students in Bachelors and Masters programs exceed 600. The course structure encompasses histories of ancient, medieval and modern eras in Asia, Europe, America, and Africa with special emphasis on Bengal and South Asia. Some courses are arranged thematically, e.g., Gender History, Ideas and Ideologies, War and Peace, Imperialism, Nationalism and Globalization, and International Law. The academic calendar consists of two semesters. Students can take advantage of co-curricular activities like, annual cultural events, Sports Club, Book Reading and Story Telling Club, Debating Club, Film Club and English Language Club. The Department also has an IT Center for its students and offers a large number of scholarships to students. The ‘Mirza Banu and Sirajul Islam Endowment Fund’ is one of the largest in the University. We pay homage to the three teachers and four students who sacrificed their lives for our independence.