Feature

Nilphamari Government High School -The school we love

Z A M Khairuzzaman

WHEN I first became aware of Nilphamari High English School, I was a 5-year-old boy. My father Asir Uddin Ahmed, headmaster of the school, took me to his office in a magnificent red brick building and showed me all around the campus. I was fascinated by the view of the campus where he gave me a newspaper. He drew my attention to an announcement. Youngsters were invited to write stories on the Language Movement in its children's page.

My father and Nilphamari Girls' High School assistant headmaster Abu Nazem Md Ali were two language veterans at Nilphamari, then a sub-divisional town. My father narrated to me their glorious contributions towards language movement that created in me an interest in writing. Finally, I had written the story. I was very excited when I saw the story published in the newspaper. At school, I saw many of his students as passionate as me about writing. This is the school where I learnt to love writing at the influence of my father. I spent seven golden years of my student life here.

This year our school celebrated its 126th year. Founded in 1882, the magnificent red brick building of the school was built in 1914. After partition of India, my father became the first Bengali Muslim headmaster of the school. Because of his able leadership, the school rose to prominence from obscurity. Today I pay tribute to my father and the school we love.

There is a story behind my father's coming to the noble profession of teaching. On conclusion of education life in 1943, he took part in a competitive examination and became a civil servant. He was appointed as a jailor. During the anti-British movement, he faced various problems there and took teaching as his profession. He dedicated his life for his beloved students at Nilphamari High English School. He took retirement in 1968 when the government nationalized the school naming it Nilphamari Government High School.

My father's life as a role model has inspired all including his students to emulate his integrity.

During my childhood, I saw him visiting homes of poor students. He assured them free education. Because of his nobility, a lot of poor students became well-established in life. Many of them attribute their educational and vocational accomplishments to the support of their 'Head Sir'. He placed a premium upon educational attainment and urged students to strive for excellence in their scholastic endeavours. He really wanted to help his students achieve the best that they could in everything they wanted to.

Not only did he show interest in studies, but he went to football field, went to plays and dance recitals.

Because of proper guidance of him, the school produced many golden sons of the soil, including Capt Bashar, a veteran freedom fighter who laid down his life for the independence of Bangladesh, late Ambassador Humayun Kabir, Asaduzzaman Noor, a cultural personality turned politician who has committed to serve the downtrodden, Ahaduzzaman Md Ali (Mizan), a popular teacher of Dhaka University and former chairman of Journalism and Mass Communication Department.

Z A M Khairuzzaman is a Reporter of The Daily Star