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Spotlight

Mymensingh Girls Cadet College
Pioneer in Building Leaders

Aminul Islam

In 1984, the Mymensingh Girls Cadet College started its operations as the first Cadet College in Bangladesh for women. Today, 24 years after its inception, the college is being recognized as one of the best educational institutions in the country in all respects including some of the best performances in SSC and HSC examinations every year.

The district of Mymensingh is famous for many creative works from the past. Mahua, Malua, Chandrabati, Kajal Rekha, famous palas of Mymensingh Geetika have established Mymensingh as the birthplace of many source of our folklore. The district is also rich in agricultural production from the middle age. The economic solvency made the people of this region attracted towards cultural activities. The river Old Brahmaputra that flows through the district provides as a great source of water for cultivation throughout the region.

Due to the central location of Mymensingh district, many reputed educational institutions like Bangladesh Agricultural University, Ananda Mohan College, Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh Girls' Cadet College and Mymensingh Zila School were established here to satisfy peoples' need for education. Mymensingh Girls' Cadet College regularly produces female talents who are working at home and abroad following their commitments for the nation.

The Model Schools run by the then East Pakistan Government were later transformed as cadet colleges. The school Mymensingh Residential Model School for Girls located at the heart of the town was transformed as Mymensingh Girls Cadet College in 1982 on 23.95 acres of land.

The college started functioning on June 1, 1984 with the motto Rabbi Zidhni Elma (Oh lord, enhance my knowledge).

The college is now run by the Cadet College Council (Ministry of Defence) and Governing Bodies of Cadet Colleges.

Prof. Karim Uddin Ahmed (1982-87) was appointed as the first principal of the college. The other principals of the college who served were Prof. Syed Salim Ullah (1987-91), Prof. Ashraf Ali (1991-94), Prof. David Ashim Kumar Dewari (1995-96), Fazlul Kader (1996-98), Mizanur Rahman (1998-2004), Khademul Haque (2005-07) Ahmad Hasan (2008) and the present principal of the college Md. Fazlul Karim who took the post in 2008.

The college was established with a view to render a total education fit for both mental and physical development. The motives of the college were to provide a sound liberal public school education, to provide elementary military training to cadets, to provide training for growing leadership traits, to provide and promote Arts and Science among cadets and to act as a feeder institution of the Armed Forces.

Every year 50 students are admitted at class seven according to their merit and it is the main criteria of admission. Thousands of girls across the country vie for these seats but only 50 of them are admitted, according to sources. Now the number of cadets at the college is around 300 and there is a staff of 31 teachers. They all have residential facilities in a very congenial atmosphere.

The totally residential college has three dormitories for the cadets namely Shanti House, Sadachar House and Satya House. Every house has its own colour and a slogan; Shanti House (Red, Know Thyself), Sadachar House (Blue, Life of Action) and Satya House (Green, Truth is Beauty).

The college has large playgrounds, ponds, a swimming pool, health centre, computer and language labs, Internet facility and a huge library enriched with over 1800 books. In the computer lab, the cadets can browse Internet to communicate with the outside world for the latest knowledge. The language lab serves as a facility to learn English correctly.

The cadets can play different indoor and outdoor games at the college campus. Lawn tennis, table tennis, basketball, volleyball, badminton, chess and carom are examples of some of the sports from which they can choose. The cadets have to maintain a very tight schedule daily to ensure their all out developments.

The performance of the cadets at different stage competitions is also very praiseworthy. The stage competitions include poetry recitation, debate competition, dramatic dialogue (eloquence), impromptu speech, quiz, dance and music competition. The college became champion in 'Inter-Parliament Debate Competition' run by BTV in 2007. In 'Inter-Cadet College Literary Meet and Music Competition', the institution has been performing superbly every year.

The result of the college has made it a centre of excellence. The performance in SSC result is quite astonishing. All fifty candidates who sat for the SSC examinations this year from Science group obtained GPA-5. In 2007, 52 students sat for SSC examinations and of them 44 got GPA-5, including four from Humanities Group. The HSC result is also very satisfactory. A total of 54 students got GPA-5 out of 59 examinees last year. In addition to that, performance of the college in different extra curricular activities has proved the inner talents of the cadets.

The Principal speaks out…

The principal of the college, Md. Fazlul Karim shares his views about the college with Star Campus

We try to inculcate all the hidden talents of the cadets through various extra curricular activities so that she can stand as a complete citizen in the later stages of her life to serve the nation according to the commitment given to the nation. She will not be a typical woman but a woman enriched with the latest knowledge of the world along with various other human qualities.

The cadets are committed to the nation and they should not consider what they are getting from the nation but should think that what they can give back to it through their philanthropic activities.

It is very hopeful that the cadets are running 'Free Friday' clinics through out the country to render free medical services for the poor and distressed people.

The cadets will become worthy citizens bringing honour for the nation. I suppose the purposes to establish the college has been served and the government's supports in this field has not been a waste. I am proud of my cadets as they are growing up as good citizens. Cadets, graduating from different cadet colleges in Bangladesh, in their hundreds now, are proving their excellence at home and abroad.

Old cadets reminisce their days at MCC

Aminul Islam

Today, the cadets from Mymensingh Girls' Cadet College are established in their respective fields at home and abroad. They still maintain a sincere, disciplined life, the habit that they acquired from the daily schedule of the college during their student lives. Here, they reminisce about their good old days at the college campus.

Nazmun Nahar
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Environment
University of Dhaka
Hailed from the Pirojpur district, Nazmun Nahar, daughter of late Shafi Uddin Miah and Azizunnesa was the student of the fifth batch of the college. She finished her SSC and HSC from this college in 1987 and 1989 respectively. She was placed in the 10th position in the HSC exams from Humanities Group under the Dhaka Board.

When we our college performing well in the news papers, we return to our past days with 'boyhood spirits' and discuss about the result with our colleagues about the glorious days of my college, said the DU teacher.

Sonia Mahmud
Manager, Novartis, Bangladesh.
Sonia Mahmud, daughter of Abdullah Al Mahmud and Ishrat Jahan finished her SSC and HSC from this college in 1986 and 1988. Originally from Sirajganj, Sonia was admitted at this college in 1983 in class eight. Later she did her M.Com with Honours from Dhaka University in Finance.

The cadet college constructs a base within the cadets that can lead a cadet to become a human being with various human qualities necessary for the betterment of the society as well as for the state, said Sonia Mahmud.

I also feel that the discipline that we gathered from the college has helped us move forward in a balanced way, Sonia said. When I have time to relax, the memories of the flamboyant days of my college life and the faces of my classmates take me in a world of nostalgia, Sonia added.

Deloara Begum
Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Mymensingh Girls' Cadet College
Deloara Begum, an ex student, is now a lecturer of Political Science Department of this college. After completing her post graduation from Dhaka University, she joined the college in 1996.

Deloara said that every day of my student life here was beautiful. Following the daily schedule, we had the scope to learn new items every day that made us more curious.

She remembered the name of two principals - Prof. Karim Uddin Ahmed and Prof. Syed Salim Ullah for their all out cooperation to develop the inner talents of the cadets. Terming Prof. Ahmed as a very jolly man, she said that the principal said that his cadets would perform their best in all respects, not only in education. In my time, I was the best athlete in the college and I also participated extensively in the cultural events and so enjoyed the college days more than others, she went on.

Nazmun Nahar
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Environment
University of Dhaka
Nazmun Nahar, Assistant Professor of Dhaka University expressed her good feelings with this correspondent over telephone. When she heard that a story is going to be published in Star Campus, a magazine of the Daily Star, she started to speak spontaneously about the days left at the college campus.

Hailed from Pirojpur district town, Nazmun Nahar, daughter of late Shafi Uddin Miah and Azizunnesa was the student of fifth batch. She passed her SSC and HSC from this college in 1987 and 1989 respectively. She made an tremendous result obtaining 10th position in HSC level from Humanities Group under Dhaka Board.

That something good, we inherited from my college and all that still now the support to conduct my social and family life as a complete citizen, Nazmun Nahar expressed her gratitude in this way. When we see the excellent result in the daily news papers, we return to our past days with 'boyhood spirits' and discuss about the result with our colleagues about the glorious days of my college, said the DU teacher.

Sonia Mahmud
Manager, Novartis, Bangladesh.
Sonia Mahmud, daughter of Abdullah Al Mahmud and Ishrat Jahan passed her SSC and HSC from this college in 1986 and 1988. Hailed from village Ullahpara Nabagram in Sirajganj, Sonia was admitted at this college in 1983 n class eight. Later she did her M.Com with honours from Dhaka University in Finance.

I also feel that the discipline that we gathered from the college has been a scope for us to forward in a balanced way, Sonia told this correspondent. When there is a little time to relax, the memories of the flamboyant days of my college life, the talent faces of the classmates take me in a world of nostalgia, Sonia said in emotion chalked voice.

Dr. Begum Mushaheda Annur
At DG Health.
Dr. Begum Mushaheda Annur, a student of this college passed her SSC and HSC in 1985 and 1987 respectively. Daughter of late Osman Gani and late Jahan Ara Begum of Mymensingh town, Mushaheda Annur said that we feel a strong relationship with college. I want to get my daughter admitted in this college because the college renders proper services to grow up a girl with all types of qualities and social securities, Dr. Annur told this correspondent.

A human being needs discipline to run his life in a best way and this college renders such scopes to become a worthy citizens of the country, Dr. Annur said terming the college as one of the best educational institutions of the country.

Noor Jahan Begum Sheuly
Assistant Teacher, Bidhamoyee Govt. Girls School
Noor Jahan terms the college as a bondage of generations with her. Out of my three daughters, one who is a medical student now passed her SSC and HSC from this college and another is also a student of this college, Noor Jahan informed.

Daughter of late Nazrul Islam and late Hafiza Akhtar Khanam of Mymensingh Municipality, Noor Jahan was the first batch student of this college. The sweet memories of those days can only be enjoyed in dreams now, said Noor Jahan. We arranged picnics in the college campus in which all the cadets and our beloved teachers joined to make the day more enjoyable, Noor Jahan reminisces.

A post graduate in Agriculture from Bangladesh Agricultural University, Noor Jahan said that her teachers were very cooperative and acted as like as guardians in all respects. I want to see my college as the best college of the country for ever, she prayed.