Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman

Md. Akhtaruzzaman (born 1 July 1964) is a Bangladeshi academic who served as the 28th vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka. Prior to this position, he served in different academic, administrative and co-curricular development activities at the University of Dhaka including the pro-vice chancellor (administration), dean (Faculty of Arts), chairman, Department of Islamic History & Culture, and provost of the Kabi Jashim Uddin Hall, University of Dhaka.

Early life and education Akhtaruzzaman, the second son of Eron Banu and Abul Hashem Khan, was born in Kalipur, Patharghata Upazila, Barguna District. He earned Ph.D. in history from Aligarh Muslim University in 1997.

Career Akhtaruzzaman joined the University of Dhaka as a lecturer in 1990. This committee recommended for free distribution of textbooks for students up to class ten, and suggested reforms in printing and supplying textbooks.

From 2015 to 2016, Akhtaruzzaman was the Chairman of the Department of Arabic at the University of Dhaka. Following his appointment, 11 provost and members of the proctorial body resigned. There has been some controversy regarding the attack on 9 April as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the opposition party leader alleged that the attack was carried out to divert the quota-reform movement to different direction.

On 11 April 2018 when Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina announced in the parliament that all sorts of quota will be scrapped from public service, Akhtaruzzaman also expressed solidarity with the Quota Reform Movement. However, on 8 July 2018, during the second phase of Quota Reform Protests, he compared the mode of activities of quota reform protesters with that of Islamist militant outfits, which was questioned by human rights activists and international political analysts. Following the agitations of students, Akhtaruzzaman ordered a bar on the entry of general people to Dhaka University campus which was criticized heavily by the Supreme Court Bar Association of Bangladesh.

In May 2025, an attempted murder case was filed against Akhtaruzzaman over a student of Alia Madrasa getting injured in Old Dhaka during protests against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.