President Abdul Hamid, also the Chancellor of the university, gave the appointment as per clause 11 (1) of the Dhaka University Ordinance 1973, said a notification posted on the website of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Education Ministry.
On September 4, 2017, the President appointed Dr Akhtaruzzaman, a professor of Islamic History and Culture Department, as acting VC on certain conditions as the tenure of then VC Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique expired.
Before that, Dr Akhtaruzzaman was holding the post of Pro-vice Chancellor of the university.
Meanwhile, on July 31, 2019, a special senate session nominated Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman, Pro-VC (Admin) Dr Muhammad Samad and Prof Maksud Kamal as the members of Vice-Chancellor (VC) panel.
Dr Akhtaruzzaman joined the Islamic History and Culture Department of the university as a lecturer in 1990. He was promoted to professor in 2004. He was the chairman of the department from 2008 to 2011 and the dean of Arts Faculty from 2014 to 2016.
He was elected general secretary of Dhaka University Teachers’ Association (Duta) for three consecutive years (2004, 2005 & 2006), and vice president for two years (2009 and 2011).