Grameen University gets govt approval

The government has greenlit Grameen University, Dhaka, a new private institution under the Grameen Trust, led by Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus. 

With this, Bangladesh’s tally of approved private universities climbs to 116.  

The Ministry of Education issued the approval order on Monday, March 17, with 22 conditions, followed by a confirmation letter to Grameen Trust Chairman Md Ashraful Hasan on Tuesday. Key stipulations include a seven-year temporary permit, a minimum 25,000-square-foot building (owned or rented), three faculties with six departments, and a Tk 1.5 crore fund in a scheduled bank.  

The University Grants Commission (UGC) paved the way last January, inspecting the university’s Uttara campus—spanning nearly 25 acres—and submitting a report to the ministry. 

Two months later, the approval sealed the deal. The trust, founded by Yunus, lists Hasan as board chairman among 16 proposed trustees.  

Of the nation’s 115 prior private universities, 106 remain active, with nine currently dormant. Grameen University now joins the roster, poised to carve its niche in Dhaka’s academic landscape.