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Bangladesh, a developing country is riddled with problems, the major one being its large, dense population. The country is burdened with a huge human cargo proximate to 140 million or so. This is also a resource potential needed to be developed with the provision of education, training and many more things but most importantly health because healthy nation is a prerequisite to any sustainable development.

It is essential to reach the basic health care needs to the door steps of teaming millions to accomplish this gigantic task. But this goal will predictably go by default unless the dismal doctor population ratio of about 1:5000 is reduced to an acceptable standard of 1:500. Induction of about 2000 doctors per anum from Govt medical colleges can not cope with the need. To correct this doctor population imbalance the output per anum will have to be increased manifold. This can only be done by establishing more medical colleges both in public and private initiative and entrepreneurship

On this background a number of private medical colleges were established in different parts of the country based mostly on commercial consideration. But there was none in greater Sylhet region. Many felt the need but could not master the means. Happily Mr. Ragib Ali, a great entrepreneur with extensive commercial and industrial holdings came forward to add to his multifaceted philanthropic projects and charitable campaigns by establishing a medical college with the sole aim of promoting health care facilities for general upliftment of the society. This great man who is variously acclaimed as "Danobir Ragib Ali" and "Present day Mohsin" because of his endeavours in the fields of education, employment and medicine was willing not only to finance the project single handed but also to provide his talent, time and energy to the project. He provided land and money thus Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College was created.

The college is established with the aim to serve suffering humanity and to produce doctors with best possible professional knowledge and an attitude of service above self. It is now a full-fledged medical institution. The college has received permanent permission from the govt. It is affiliated with Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, registered with Bangladesh Medical & Dental Council (BMDC). The college is also honoured by international recognitions. It is enlisted in World Health Organization (WHO), International Medical Education Directory (IMED), Institute for International Medical Education (IIME) etc. IMED recognition is a pre requisite for post graduate medical education, training and service in USA. All the departments are well equipped and well staffed with highly qualified and experienced teachers. The college is housed in a multistoried building in a picturesque location having adequate accommodation for lecture, tutorial and practical classes of various subjects. It has an auditorium and a rich library.

Attached 875-bed hospital is well equipped and is capable of providing training to students, internee doctors, as well as providing modern treatment facilities to the teeming millions of the region. It may also be mentioned here that, the hospital is recognized for training in post graduate medical education in 10 (ten) subjects, Surgery, Medicine, Obs. & Gynae, Paediatrics, Cardiology, Psychiatry, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, ENT and Pathology. However to keep pace with the progress of medical science, development process will have to be continued. Efforts are being made to add more facilities for post-graduate training and study.

The college is run under a philanthropic trust named Ragib-Rabeya foundation. The management, administration and academic activities of the college is vested on different bodies namely the governing body which is the supreme body to manage the affairs of the college. Other bodies include academic council, disciplinary council etc.

In the transformation from a modest beginning to an apex institution of medical learning this college received help from many individuals. I express my thanks and gratitude to them. I acknowledge especially Prof. Md Abdur Rahim Chowdhury, Prof. Syed Luqueman Ali, Prof. Md Kamruzzaman, Dr. Moinul Karim, Dr. Wazir Ahmed Chowdhury and Mr. Mufazzal Karim for providing help in accomplishing this gigantic project. I also wish to express my thanks and gratitude to Mr. Wali Tasaruddin JPM BE and Dr. Akram Syed OBE for their kind advices and valuable contributions. I must also mention Dr. Moinul Islam, Dr. Enamur Rashid Chowdhury, Dr. Abdul Hye Minar, Dr. Shamim Ahmed, Dr. Shafiul Azam and Dr. Nasim for their enthusiastic efforts in making this enormous undertaking accomplished.

Finally I must express my gratitude to the glorious memory of late Mrs. Rabeya Khatun Chowdhury, the co-founder of this college, who passed away on 12th December 2006. We recall her relentless efforts and dedication in the establishment and development of this college. We pray for the eternal peace of the departed soul.

At the end I express my best wishes to all.