The Department of languages set out its academic activities under the Faculty of Arts of University of Rajshahi in the year 1962. As many as four languages were taught in this department namely Arabic, Urdu, Persian and Sanskrit as subsidiary languages at the very outset. In the year 1975 in this department one year certificate course in modern Persian, German and Russian Languages was introduced later on Japanese Hindi and Urdu were also inducted in this program. In 1978 Arabic department broke away from the department of Languages. From the academic session of 19 86-87 M.A courses in Urdu and Persian languages were started and afterwards in Sanskirit M.A course was also given effect to in the year 1993-94.The honours courses in Urdu and Sanskrit languages were introduced in the academic calendar year of 1996-1997and from the year 1997-1998 in Persian language honours courses were also opened. In the year 2016, Persian language opted out from the department of languages.

On the 14^th January 2018 the department of languages was abolished by an order and Urdu and Sanskrit two separate departments came into being. Professor Dr.Md Nasir Uddin was given the responsibility to run the department of Urdu as its very first chairman. Now the department is conducting Honours, Masters, M.phils and certificate course quite successfully.The department has a faculty strength of eight teachers and round about two hundred students.