Pabna University of Science and Technology

The government passed an act on 15 July 2001 to establish a science and technology university in Pabna.{{Cite web |title=History and Plans |url=https://www.pust.ac.bd/about/history |access-date=2021-03-14 |website=Pabna University of Science and Technology}}

Amin Uddin Mridha was the university's first vice chancellor, appointed on 11 December 2008.{{cite magazine |title=Pabna University of Science and Technology: An auspicious beginning |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/06/04/camspotlight.htm |magazine=Star Campus |publisher=The Daily Star |date=28 June 2009}} Administrative activities commenced the following month at the university's temporary home, Pabna Teachers Training College (TTC) in Rajapur village, Pabna Sadar Upazila.{{cite news |title=Pabna University of Science, Tech to be launched today |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-69821 |work=The Daily Star |date=3 January 2009}} PUST began with four departments: Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Mathematics, and Business Administration. Two hundred students enrolled, divided evenly among the four departments.{{cite magazine |title=Pabna University of Science and Technology launched |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/04/02/feature_pabna.htm |magazine=Star Campus |publisher=The Daily Star |date=12 April 2009}} Instruction began on 4 April 2009 at the TTC.

In 2009, Mridha was replaced by Md. Mozaffar Hossain as vice chancellor. Pabna District transferred to PUST {{convert|30|acres}} in Rajapur village for construction of a permanent campus. PUST also added four departments that year: Information Technology and Communication Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics and Electronic Communication Engineering, and Economics.{{cite magazine |author=Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu |title=Land for Pabna University of Science and Technology |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/campus/2010/07/03/education.htm |magazine=Star Campus |publisher=The Daily Star |date=18 July 2010}}

Student unrest demanding the resignation of Vice Chancellor Hossain broke out on 17 June 2012.{{cite news |title=Strike ends as authorities promise to meet demands |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-239802 |work=The Daily Star |date=26 June 2012}} Over the following months students employed various tactics to press their demands, including a boycott of classes, human chain, sit-in, blockade of the Dhaka-Pabna highway, and confining the vice chancellor in the administration building.{{cite news |title=Turmoil for VC's resignation |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-238781 |work=The Daily Star |date=18 June 2012}}{{cite news |title=Five students arrested on case filing, later expelled |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-244436 |work=The Daily Star |date=2 August 2012}}{{cite news |title=Token hunger strike held, class boycott continues |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-242789 |work=The Daily Star |date=20 July 2012}} Activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League, accused the vice chancellor of corruption and nepotism, charges the university administration denied.

Students continued to demonstrate against Hossain even after he left on 22 November 2013 at the conclusion of his four-year appointment.{{cite news |title=Corruption of PUST VC protested |work=The New Nation |date=4 December 2013}} A replacement was not immediately named. Administrative collapse ensued, causing teachers to form a human chain on 23 December, demanding that a vice chancellor be appointed.{{cite news |title=PUST demands appointment of VC |url=https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/public/country/pust-demands-appointment-of-vc |work=The Financial Express |date=23 December 2013}} On 2 January 2014, Al-Nakib Chowdhury took up the post of vice chancellor.{{cite news |title=Prof Nakib new VC of PUST |url=https://newnation.live/prof-nakib-new-vc-of-pust/ |work=The New Nation |date=8 January 2014}}

File:Pabna University of Science and Technology - PUST Campus at night.jpg

In 2015, the Geography, Environment, and Urban Planning department, introduced in 2012, was split into two: Geography and Environment, and Urban and Regional Planning.{{cite book |author1=M. Shafiq Ur Rahman |editor1=A. I. Frank |editor2=C. Silver |year=2018 |chapter=Planning Education in Bangladesh |title=Urban planning education: beginnings, global movement and future prospects |publisher=Springer |page=208 |isbn=978-3-319-55967-4}} In late August 2016, hundreds of students, frustrated by a long-standing problem of frequent power cuts to the dormitories, torched three of the university's buses in protest.{{cite news |title=Pabna university closed till Sept 30 |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/pabna-university-students-set-fire-3-buses-1276300 |work=The Daily Star |date=27 August 2016}} The university administration closed PUST for a month to head off further violence.{{cite news |title=PUST closed after violence over power crisis |url=https://thedailynewnation.com/news/105524/PUST-closed-after-violence-over-power-crisis |work=The New Nation |date=28 August 2016}}

Chowdhury completed his tenure as vice chancellor on 1 January 2018. On 7 March, M Rostom Ali was named as his replacement.{{cite news |title=PUST gets new VC |url=https://www.theindependentbd.com/home/printnews/140721 |work=The Independent |date=10 March 2018}} The board of regents closed PUST in November in response to student protests demanding better transportation, housing, food subsidies, security, and WiFi on campus.{{cite news |title=PUST closes amid students' protest |url=https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/education/pust-closes-amid-students-protest-1541486277 |work=The Financial Express |date=6 November 2018}}

File:Central library pust.jpg

Allegations surfaced on 26 October 2019 that Ali, as well as the pro vice chancellor, the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and the department chair accepted bribes from applicants for a job in the History department.{{cite news |title='You took Tk8 lakh but did not give me the job' |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/you-took-tk8-lakh-did-not-give-me-job |work=The Business Standard |date=26 October 2019}} Ali denied taking a bribe, but the allegations triggered student demonstrations demanding that he be removed.{{cite news |title=Students continue agitation at Pabna univ |url=https://www.newagebd.net/article/89251/article/35972 |work=New Age |date=30 October 2019}}{{cite news |title=Pabna university students besiege VC's residence |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/pabna-technology-university-students-besiege-vc-residence-1822099 |work=The Daily Star |date=2 November 2019}} Protests continued until 11 November, when the university administration accepted some of the students' other demands. Among their complaints were insufficient classroom space, under-staffing of teachers (particularly in the Architecture, History, and Geography and Environment departments), under-resourced laboratories and library, inadequate student housing, poor quality and expensive food, and a shortage of bus transport.{{cite news |author=Nasir Uz Zaman |title=Pabna University of Science and Technology: Students constrained beyond comfort |url=https://www.newagebd.net/article/91509/pabna-university-of-science-and-technology-students-constrained-beyond-comfort |work=New Age |date=24 November 2019}}

In-person instruction, cancelled for more than 18 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed in October 2021.{{cite news |title=PUST reopens on October 25 |url=https://www.newagebd.net/article/150855/pust-reopens-on-october-25 |work=New Age |date=3 October 2021}}

Ali's term as vice chancellor expired on 5 March 2022 during renewed student and staff protests over allegations of corruption and nepotism on his part.{{cite news |title=Movement against PUST VC gears up |url=https://www.newagebd.net/article/162434/articlelist/323/index.php |work=New Age |date=11 February 2022}}{{cite news |author=Mahfuz Alam |title=PUST VC's term expires amidst protests |url=https://www.newagebd.net/article/164560/pust-vcs-term-expires-amidst-protests |work=New Age |date=6 March 2022}}

File:Independence square, PUST.jpg

PUST is located in Rajapur village, about {{convert|5|km}} northeast of central Pabna. The campus covers {{convert|30|acres}}. The Dhaka-Pabna highway passes along the northwest edge of campus and separates it from Pabna Teachers Training College.

At the center of campus are the Central Library and Information Center, Independence Square, and PUST Central Cafeteria. Roughly speaking, administrative offices lie to the north, academic buildings to the south, faculty and female student housing to the east, and male student housing to the west.

File:BSMRhall.jpg

File:শেখ হাসিনা হল ।.jpg

There are two student halls of residence: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall can accommodate 450 men and Sheikh Hasina Hall has beds for 216 women. Eighty-five percent of the student body lives off campus.

PUST owns five buses and rents two more from Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation to transport commuting staff and students.

PUST's original buildings are no more than 5 stories high. As of 2023, construction of five 10-storey academic and administrative buildings was being finished by Dhaka-based contractor Hossain Construction Pvt Ltd at a cost of 5.2 billion Bangladeshi taka ($48 million as of 2023).{{cite news |title=Inspection of lifts: PUST postpones Turkey tour by 6-member team |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/inspection-lifts-pust-postpones-turkey-tour-6-member-team-3336271 |work=The Daily Star |date=3 June 2023}}

• Vice-Chancellor: Dr. S M Abdul-Awal
• Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam{{Cite web |title=About Campus |url=https://www.pust.ac.bd/ |access-date=2021-03-14 |website=Pabna University of Science and Technology}}

• Md. Amin Uddin Mridha (2008 – 2009)
• Md. Mozaffar Hossain (2009 – 22 November 2013)
• Al-Nakib Chowdhury (2 January 2014 – 1 January 2018)
• M. Rostom Ali (7 March 2018 – 5 May 2022)
• Hafiza Khatun (13 April 2022 – 14 August 2024)
• Dr. S M Abdul-Awal (25 September 2024 – Present- )

PUST has 21 departments in 5 faculties.{{cite web |title=Departments |url=https://www.pust.ac.bd/academic/departments |website=Pabna University of Science and Technology}}

• Faculty of Engineering and Technology
• Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE)
• Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE);
• Department of Electrical, Electronic and Communication Engineering (EECE);
• Department of Information and Communication Engineering (ICE);
• Department of Civil Engineering (CE);
• Department of Architecture (ARCH)
• Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URP)
• Faculty of Science
• Department of Mathematics (MATH)
• Department of Physics (PHY)
• Department of Statistics (STAT)
• Department of Chemistry (CHE)
• Department of Pharmacy (PHARM)
• Faculty of Business Studies
• Department of Business Administration (BA)
• Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management (THM)
• Faculty of Humanities and Social Science
• Department of Economics (ECO)
• Department of Bangla (BAN)
• Department of English (ENG)
• Department of Social Work (SW)
• Department of Public Administration (PAD)
• Department of History (HIS)
• Faculty of Life and Earth Science
• Department of Geography and Environment (GE)

• B.Sc. (Engineering)
• B. Arch.
• B. URP
• B.Sc. (Honours)
• B.B.A.
• B.A. (Honours)
• B.S.S. (Honours)
• B.Pharm. (Professional)
• MBA (Regular)
• M.Sc. Engineering
• M. Engineering
• M.Pharm.
• M.Phil.
• Ph.D.{{cite web |title=Academic Programs |url=https://www.pust.ac.bd/academic/academic_program |website=Pabna University of Science and Technology}}

• Pabna University of Science & Technology Studies ({{ISSN|2308-6246}})
• Journal of Business Studies, PUST ({{ISSN|2410-8170}})
• Journal of Humanities and Social Science, PUST{{cite web |title=PUST Journals |url=https://www.pust.ac.bd/academic/pust-journals |website=Pabna University of Science and Technology}}

• [https://www.facebook.com/konthoswor18 কণ্ঠস্বর আবৃত্তি দল]

File:Pustcampus.jpg|Campus

File:Pustcampus2.jpg|Campus

Image:Pabna University of Science and Technology - PUST buildings.jpg|Science Building

Image:পাবনা বিজ্ঞান ও প্রযুক্তি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের কেন্দ্রীয় মসজিদ.jpg|Central Mosque

File:পাবনা বিজ্ঞান ও প্রযুক্তি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের কেন্দ্রীয় মসজিদের পশ্চিম দেওয়াল.jpg|Central Mosque

File:পাবনা বিজ্ঞান ও প্রযুক্তি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের ক্যাফেটেরিয়র পিছনের দৃশ্য.jpg|Cafeteria

Image:Department of Business Administration - BBA of Pabna University of Science and Technology - PUST.jpg|BBA Department

{{Reflist}}

• University of Dhaka
• Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
• Jahangirnagar University
• University of Chittagong
• Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX)
• Islamic University, Bangladesh
• Islamic University of Technology (IUT)
• List of universities in Bangladesh
• List of Islamic educational institutions

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• [http://www.pust.ac.bd Official website]

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{{Coord|24.0140|N|89.2797|E|display=title|region:BD_type:city_source:enwiki}}

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Category:Public universities in Bangladesh

Category:Universities of science and technology in Bangladesh

Category:Universities and colleges established in 2008

Category:Organisations based in Pabna

Category:Universities and colleges in Pabna District

Category:2008 establishments in Bangladesh