The Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, is located in the premises of Curzon Hall campus of the University. Established in 1954, it is one of the oldest departments in the university and the pioneer institute in the country to introduce teaching and research in animal Sciences. Since its inception, the students graduating from this department have been receiving an intensive training in most major branches in Zoology.
Courses Offered: The department offers the degrees of B.Sc. (Honours) M.S., M.Phil. and Ph.D. in different specialized branches of Zoology, Viz. Entomology, Fisheries, Genetics, Parasitology and Wildlife Biology. B.Sc. Honours is a four year integrated course comprising of based on course and laboratory works. Students are to complete a total of 32 courses in zoology and 14 courses in two subsidiary subjects (Botany, Biochemistry and Microbiology) in four years. M.Sc. Final is a one-year degree based either on course works (Group A) or, research and course works (Group B). Students after completing B.Sc. :Honours degree are enrolled to take a research project along with the specialized courses and submit a thesis. Alternatively, Group A students take a practical examination in lieu of thesis. The research is carried out under the supervision of a member of the academic staff of the Department. M.Phil. is normally a two-year degree based on course works and research. The research results are submitted in the form of a thesis. An oral examination is also required. Ph.D. is normally a four-year degree based completely on research. On completion of the research a candidate must submit a thesis embodying the results of his work. He is also required to take an oral examination.
RESEARCH FACILITIES The Department is moderately equipped with Laboratory Facilities in all the branches of Life Science. A pond of 0.99 hectare is available for aquatic research. Animal garden. An animal garden of 0.5 hectare is maintained for breeding, rearing and monitoring the growth of different animals. A part from this, the Department undertakes research with research institutions outside the University. These are : The Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Bangladesh Jute Research Institute, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, National Institute for Preventive and Social Medicine, Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization, and Fisheries Research Institute, ICDDR’B, BIRDEM, BSMMU. Also, a number of private and Non-Government Organizations can be used for sampling and experimental works. Some of these organizations are: The Proshika, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, CARITAS etc. Funds from a number of organizations are available for research. These are: University Grants Commission, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, Ministry of Forestry and Environment, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestocks, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Education.
LIBRARY A seminar library is available in the department. It is named as Professor Yousufzai Seminar Library after the name of the first Head of the Department. The library contains a reasonable number of books, journals, these (regularly submitted by the research students of this department), thesis, project reports, etc. Some scientific journals are received in exchanged of the Bangladesh Journal of Zoology published by the Zoological Society of Bangladesh.
MUSEUM The department has a teaching museum which is the largest of its kind in the country and holds a large number of animal specimens (representing all major phyla and common local species), embryological and histological slides, animal skeletons, models, etc.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMME The department offers the degrees of B.Sc. (Honours), M.S., M.Phil. and Ph.D. in different specialized branches of Zoology, viz. Entomology, Fisheries, Animal Genetics, Parasitology, and Wildlife Biology. B.Sc. Honours is a four year integrated course comprising of both theory and practical lessons. As with the faculty plan, for the honors degree, the students need to completed 27 Departmental and 5 extra-departmental courses. The courses for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year are common to all students. However, in the 4th year, only two courses are common for all students, while the rest of the courses are optional. One may choose courses from any specialized discipline of zoology offered in the department, viz. Entomology, Fisheries, Genetics, Parasitology and Wildlife Biology. The choice of courses from more than one discipline is not allowed. A wide range of basic and applied courses are offered at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The courses are designed to give an updated knowledge to the students in various disciplines of zoology. The students need to sit for the examinations at the end of each academic year and qualify for the next year’s course. The students also need to take incourse examinations, which comprise 20% of the theory course and 40% of the practical course, at the midway of each course. M.S. is a one-year degree based on Course and Research works; the students after completing their theory courses submit a thesis based on their research works. Before submitting the thesis, the students present their thesis work before a panel of teachers mainly the teachers of the respective Examination committee and the supervisors. A certain number of marks are allocated for this presentation. The research is carried out by the students under the supervision of a member of the academic staff of the department. Based on the nature of work a co-supervisor may be selected for the students either from the departmental academic staff or from a teacher/researcher from other department of the University of Dhaka or any other university or research organization in the country. M.Phil. is normally a two-year degree course. It is based on course and research works. Students appear in a course examination after the 1st year and at the end of the 2nd year a dissertation is to be submitted. An oral examination is also required. Ph.D. is normally a three-year degree based on theory and research. The students appear in a course examination after the 1st year. A candidate must submit a thesis on his/her research work usually at the end of the 3rd year. The students are also required to give seminar lectures in the department of their research findings prior to thesis submission. Finally an oral examination is taken. M.S. students willing to enroll for M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees need to contact the respective teacher of their area of research interest before applying for enrolment.
RESEARCH AREAS The research areas in the Department include Entomology, Fisheries, Parasitology, Wildlife biology and Genetics and Molecular biology.
On Going Research Projects: The teachers and research students are involved in the research programmes of these branches. The department is however carrying out a number of collaborative research programmes with various organizations at home and abroad.
These are:
i) Project Title: Insect biodiversity with special reference to the biodiversity of butterflies and the conservation of plant animal association in the forests of Sylhet district and in the Modhupur Sal forest. Six Ph.D., two M.Phil. and two M.S. students are working as Research Fellows in the project. Principal investigator: Professor Dr. M.A. Bashar Associate investigators: Professor Humayun Reza Khan and Dr. Shefali Begum, Associate Professor.
ii) Project Title: Feasibility study of the application of sterile insect technique in the marine fish drying industry. Period: 2004-2006 Financing agency: FAO/IAEA Project Personnels: Dr. Reza Md. Shahjahan and BAEC Scientists.
iii) Project Title: Ecological approach to Lepidptera insects in relation to environmental management. Period: 2005-2010 Financing agency: IFRB (Bangladesh) and Yamaguchi University (Japan). Project Personnels: Dr. Reza Md. Shahjahan and other BAEC Scientists.
iv) Project Title: Capacity Build-up for the Enhancement of Genetics Teaching and Research in Zoology. Peiod: 2004-2006 Financing agency: Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology (MOSICT), GoB. Project Personnels: Professor Dr. Anwara Begum, Dr. Reza Md. Shahjahan, Dr. Rawshan Ara Begum, and Mr. Mohammad Shamimul Alam.
v) Project Title: Toxicity and Resistance status of the Mosquito of Dhaka city and the associated suburbs. Duration: 2003-2006 Financing agency: Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology (MOSICT) GoB, supported project. Project Personnels: Dr. Reza Md. Shahjahan and Mr. Mohammad Shamimul Alam.
vi) Project Title: The genetics of esterase & Karyotyping of the economic fruit flies Bactrocera sp. and fish (cat fish and carps). Project Personnels: Professor Dr. Anwara Begum, Dr. Reza Md. Shahjahan, Dr. Rawshan Ara Begum, and Mr. Mohammad Shamimul Alam.
Field Studies: · Local Excursion · Study Tour [in different areas of the country with biological interest]
Extra-Curricular Activities: · Indoor Games · Outdoor games · Cultural Program
