The establishment of Leading University in Sylhet, a holy place of the country, was indeed a noble idea of a distinguished personality Danobir Dr. Syed Ragib Ali, who is well-known for his philanthropic contributions to educational institutions all over the country.

He established many educational institutions at different levels and of different kinds including a medical college-Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College and Hospital in Sylhet. Dr. Ragib Ali is a pioneer in establishing the first private university-North-South University in Bangladesh. He was the founder Vice-Chairman of North-South University and the Chairman of The University of Asia Pacific and later on he was the Chairman of North-South University.

He placed a proposal for establishing Leading University to the Ministry of Education on the 24th of August 1996 and the Ministry issued permission on the 28th of August 2001.

Leading University was inaugurated on the 4th of March, 2002 and it commenced its first trimester on that day. The University at first had an enrollment with 106 students in undergraduate programs that was marked a milestone for the university and reasonably a source of inspiration to the persons those are interested in education.