InBangladesh, the cultivation of modern science started during theBritish Raj when the first modern educational institutions, focused on scientific fields, were established in theBengal Presidency. TheUniversity of Dhaka, established in 1921, acted as the driving force in producing many renowned scientists in Bangladesh.
Since itsindependence in 1971, Bangladesh has been plagued with many social issues such as poverty andilliteracy, and science and technology have lagged behind in the priority list of the successivegovernments. However, induced by the recent economic progress, science and technology has been witnessing intense growth in the country after a period of stagnation, most notably in the information technology andbiotechnology sectors. The national policies for science and technology is planned and developed by the National Council for Science and Technology which is controlled by the ministry of science and technology.[1] Bangladesh was ranked 106th in theGlobal Innovation Index in 2025.[2][3]
The history of science began after the establishment of theBritish Empire in theBengal region.[citation needed] The educational reforms during this period gave birth to many distinguished scientists in the region. SirJagadish Chandra Bose pioneered the investigation of radio andmicrowaveoptics, made very significant contributions toplant science, and laid the foundations of experimental science in theIndian subcontinent.[4]IEEE named him one of thefathers of radio science.[5] He was the first person from the Indian subcontinent to receive aUS patent, in 1904. In 1924–25, while researching at the University of Dhaka, ProfSatyendra Nath Bose well known for his works inquantum mechanics, provided the foundation forBose–Einstein statistics and the theory of theBose–Einstein condensate.[6][7][8]
After thePartition of India in 1947, Bangladesh or erstwhileEast Bengal (later named asEast Pakistan) became a part of theMuslim majorityDominion of Pakistan and several talentedHindu scientists of Bangladeshi origin decided for moving to theDominion of India because of the growing communal dissonance in the region. The regional branch ofPakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research was established in 1955 in Dhaka, which was the first scientific research organisation in East Pakistan. It was later renamed asBangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. The economic and other discriminations towards East Pakistan and extensive investments in militarisation by the centralGovernment of Pakistan led to a slow growth in the positive development of science and technology in this period. At the time of independence of Bangladesh, there were six research organisations with twenty institutions operating under their authority.
After gaining independence in 1971, some more research institutions began to be established. Several universities were also established focusing on major disciplines of science and technology. In 1983, the National Committee on Science and Technology was created, having thePresident of Bangladesh as its head, to set up a national policy.[1]
The government of Bangladesh passed a university act in 1986 to give special importance in science and technology education.Shahjalal University of Science and Technology was established as the first specialised science & technology university of the country. After SUST, seven more science and technology universities have been established in Bangladesh.
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