Professor Dr Md Anisur Rahman and Professor Dr Md Sirajul Islam have joined Bangladesh Open University (BOU) as its new pro-vice-chancellors. Dr Rahman takes charge of the education wing, while Dr Islam oversees the administration.
They officially assumed their roles on Friday morning, following an appointment order issued by the Ministry of Education on June 11 with the approval of President Mohammed Shahabuddin, the Chancellor of the university. According to Section 14(1) of the Bangladesh Open University Act 1992, they will serve a four-year term.
Prof Dr Md Anisur Rahman Before this appointment, Dr Rahman served as a senior professor in the Department of Marketing at Dhaka University (DU), where he taught and conducted research for over three decades.
An alumnus of DU, Dr Rahman secured first-class-first positions in both his BCom (Honours) and MCom (Marketing) degrees, following stellar academic records in his SSC and HSC board exams. He later earned his PhD from Jadavpur University, India, in 1998.
During his distinguished career at DU, Dr Rahman served as the Chairman of the Marketing Department, Director of the EMBA Program, and a House Tutor at Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall. He has published numerous books and articles in local and international journals, represented DU globally across North America and Asia, and worked extensively as an economic and marketing consultant for corporate houses and NGOs.
Dr Sirajul Islam joins BOU from Dhaka University’s Institute of Education and Research (IER), where he has been a faculty member since 2006. He brings deep institutional knowledge to BOU, having previously served on its Academic Planning Committee. Between 2003 and 2006, he also contributed to BOU by writing modular textbooks, preparing distance learning scripts, and managing examinations.
Dr Islam completed his graduation and post-graduation in Physics from Dhaka University before obtaining his PhD and post-doctoral research degrees from Hokkaido University, Japan. Specialized in distance education, he received advanced training from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University in Thailand and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in India. He also holds an MAd and a BEd degree with distinction.
In his professional career, Dr Islam has served as a visiting professor at National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan and acted as a key expert for UNICEF Bangladesh, the Directorate of Primary Education, and the Bangladesh Technical Education Board. He most recently served as the Provost of DU's Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall and is currently the Education Affairs Secretary of the University Teachers Association of Bangladesh (UTAB).
