The
need for an Open University in Bangladesh was felt long ago. The history of
distance education in Bangladesh dates back to 1956, when the education Directorate
was assigned with the responsibility for distribution of 200 radio receivers
to educational institutions. This led to the creation of an Audio-Visual Cell
and later the Audio-Visual Education Centre (AVEC in 1962).
After Independence Bangladesh faced the challenge
of meeting the educational needs of mass people. To meet this challenge the
necessity for a new mode of education was widely felt. As a sequel to that feeling,
the School Broadcasting Pilot Project (SBP) was launched in 1978.Later in 1983,
the project was transformed into National Institute of Educational Media and Technology
(NIEMT).
NIEMT was later replaced by the Bangladesh Institute of Distance Education (BIDE) in 1985. Apart from producing audio-visual materials, BIDE offered the Bachelor of Education (B Ed) program in distance mode. The success of BIDE encouraged policy makers to take up a major plan for establishing an open university. The plan became a reality in October 1992 when the Bangladesh Open University Act 1992 was passed in the Parliament.