Madrasah derived from an Arabic word darsun meaning lesson, is a Muslim educational institution, a centre for studies, teaching, research etc. In its popular usage, the term stands for an institution specialising in the teaching of the Arabic language and Islamic studies. The primary stage of madrasah is called Maqtab or Nurani Madrasah or Furqania Madrasah ('Furqan' is derived from Al-Furqan) . The primary education centres giving lessons on reading and reciting the Holy Quran are known as Darse Quran. Usually the local mosques serve as the centres for primary education for boys and girls of nearby families. The imams and muazzins of local mosques work as teachers.

In Islam, Madrasah education started from the first word of the divine revelation, iqra or 'read'. The first schooling of madrasah education started at the house of Zaid-ibn-Akram in the valley of the Safa Hills, where the Prophet (S.) himself worked as a teacher and some of his early followers became his students. After hijra, a madrasah, namely the Madrasah Ahle-Suffa was established on a site adjacent to the east of Prophet's mosque at Medina. Ubada-ibn-Samit was the teacher there. Abu Huraira Mu'az-ibn Jabal (R.) and Abu Zar Gifari (R.) were among the students. The syllabuses of early madrasahs included the Quran, Hadith, farayez, primary healthcare, genetic science, and tajwid. In addition, horse riding, war skills, calligraphy and physical exercise were also included. The first phase of madrasah education continued for about 100 years from the day of nubuwat to the end of the rule of the Umayya dynasty.

The early maqtabs or forqania madrasahs in India were established in Delhi, Lucknow, Madras (Chennai) and Dhaka, and in a few largely Muslim populated areas. The first madrasah is said to have been built by Sultan Nasiruddin Kubja in Multan with Maulana Qutubuddin Kashani as its chief. Sheikh Baha'uddin Zakaryyia Multani received education in this madrasah in 578 hijri. During the Sultani period the madrasah syllabus included Arabic, nahu (syntax), sharaf (morphology), balagat (rhetoric), mantik (logic), kalam (divinity), tasauf (mysticism), literature, fiqh (jurisprudence) and falsifa (philosophy).

Ikhtiaruddin Mohammed bin Bakhtiar Khalji, the first Muslim ruler of Bengal, built a mosque and madrasah in his capital gaur in 1197, or according to some historians, 1201 AD. Sultan Giasuddin established a madrasah in 1212 AD. Later, his descendant Sultan Giasuddin II established another madrasah. These two madrasahs went by the name of Lakhnawti and Gaur Madrasah. Hussain Shah and his son Nusrat Shah established a number of madrasahs in Gaur. The ruins of many of these madrasahs are still extant. In 1664 AD, a madrasah and a mosque were built on the bank of the river Buriganga in Dhaka at the initiative of Subedar Shayesta Khan. Nawab Zafar Murshed Ali Khan established Murshidabad Madrasah, which still exists. Munshi Syed Sadruddin al-Musawl established the Burdwan Madrasah at village Buhar in 1178 hijri and appointed Maulana Abdul Ali Baharul Ulum of Lucknow as a teacher. During the nawabi period, government made extensive lakheraj or rent free lands towards the maintenance of madrasahs. Government also disbursed allowances and scholarships to madrasah teachers and students in the form of land grants called maadat-e-maash.

Madrasah education took a new turn during the British rule. Most of the lakheraj lands granted to madrasahs and to teachers and students were resumed to rental during company period. Consequently many madrashas were closed down in the early nineteenth century. Governor General Warren Hastings established an official madrasha called Calcutta Madrasah in 1780. But it was intended to produce a limited number of graduates for serving the colonial government as law officers. Being deprived of official support madrasah education declined in the nineteenth century.

Guided by government and headed by a European, the Calcutta Madrasah set a new trend in the madrasah education in Bengal, which favoured teaching Muslim law and jurisprudence rather than all round education of the Muslims. The first head Maulvi of the Madrasah, Baharul Ulum Mulla Majid-ud-Deen, was influenced by the Darse Nizami system of madrasah education while he made the syllabus for the Calcutta Madrasah. Mulla Nizamuddin of Lucknow, founder of the Darse Nizamia system, was Maid-ud-Deen's direct teacher. Instructed by Hastings, Majid-ud-Deen made the syllabus giving priority to Islamic law and jurisprudence which were the focus of the Darse Nizami system of madrasah established since then.

In imparting education most madrasahs of Bengal followed the darse nizami system and it continued till early 1970s. According to darse nizami syllabus, a student had to complete his studies at the age of 17/18 to be able to read and understand any of the 99 prescribed books written in Arabic and Persian. The curricula included the unani method of medicine, cottage industry, and technical training. The period of studies under darse nizami was 9 years.

The old darse nizami courses are still in existence in many self-supported madrasahs in line with Dewband Darul Ulum Madrasah of India established in 1280 hijri by Maulana Qasim Nanutabi. In many towns and villages of Bangladesh, there are branches of Dewband model of madrasahs. These are locally called qaumi madrasah and are financed by subscriptions, sadiqa, zakat etc. Most imams or muazzins or teachers of nurani or furkania madrasahs come from the qaumi group.

In order to induce Muslims to English education a new type of madrasah was introduced by the colonial government in the 1890s. It was called New Scheme Madrasah. In its syllabi were included all Islamic subjects and vernaculars. English language was made compulsory. All New Scheme Madrasahs were government aided. New scheme madrasahs had two streams, junior and senior. The junior madrasahs taught up to class five and senior up to secondary level. Muslim students aspiring to government jobs and services were attracted to the New Scheme madrasahs.

At present, there are three systems of madrasah education in Bangladesh, viz. the old darse nizami system, the revised and modified nizami system, and the alia nisab (higher syllabus). The first two categories are popularly called quawmi or non-government madrasahs. To co-ordinate these madrasahs a government body called Non-government Education Board was established in 1978. In 1998, there were 2,043 quawmi madrasahs registered with this board and a total of 7,711 students of seven standards took part in its 21st central examinations, in which 5,348 passed. The seven standards are: Taqmeel (post graduation), Fazeelat (graduation), Sanubia Ulya (Higher Secondary Certificate), Mutawasita (Secondary School Certificate), lbtidaia (standard V), I'imul Qiraat Wat Tajuid (higher qiraat), and Hifzul Quran.

At present madrasah education is an integral part of national education system. All categories of madrasahs are entitled to receive government aid if they fulfil prescribed conditions of the state authorities like the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board and National University of Bangladesh. Now Bangla, English and sciences have been introduced in most government aided madrasahs. Students having recognised diplomas from madrasahs are also entitled to obtain transfer for themselves from madrasahs to colleges and universities.

As of the year 2002, the number of Ibtidaia madrasahs was 14987, Dakhil 6402, Alim 1376, Fazil 1050 and Kamil 172. Besides, there are about three thousand qaumi Madrasahs.