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Guru Griho

From Mymensingh

Nagendra Narayan Pilot Girls' High School: 101

Aminul Islam

Zaminder Nagendra Narayan Acharya Chowdhury is no more but an institution bearing his name lives. Nagendra Narayan Pilot Girls' High School located at Muktagacha Upazila headquarters here has been an ideal school for girls of this upazila, some 15 kilometers from Mymensingh town. The school is now 101.

The centenary program of Nagendra Narayan Pilot Girls' High School in Muktagacha Upazila was celebrated with an elaborate function. A colorful rally was brought out with beatings of drums and horse-driven carts. Hundreds of current students and alumni, guardians and teachers attended the rally, which paraded through Muktagacha.

A discussion was held with Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Muktagacha AKM Tipu Sultan, and president of the school governing body. Mymensingh Deputy Commissioner Md. Shamsul Alam was the chief guest. Among others were Khandaker Abdul Malek Shahidullah, AZM Imam Uddin Mukta and Abdus Salam, President and Secretary of Muktagacha Press Club, Ex-Headmaster of the school Shashanka Mohan Dey, Vice-President of the School Managing Committee Abdul Karim, Atikur Rahman, Molina Dutta, and Advocate Khandaker Monju spoke on the occasion. Headmaster Md. Wazed Ali delivered the welcome speech. The chief guest distributed crests among the meritorious students of the school. A souvenir was also published marking the centenary festival. A cultural function was also held marking the daylong centenary program.

Zaminder Nagendra Narayan established the school and decided to name it after himself. This was at a remote area so education didn't reach girls here before. The activities of the school started on January 17, 1907. An abandoned house owned by Nagendra Narayan was used to house the school. Now the old building is being used as the quarters for the schoolteachers. As the number of students increased, more classrooms were needed. The school activities were shifted to another adjacent building with the assistance of another Zaminder of Muktagacha, Shurjo Kanta Acharya Chowdhury, another landlord of Muktagacha. Then the school had two parts - Primary and Junior levels.

In the beginning, the school was only meant for zaminder girls. But in the early 1930s, the girls employees were allowed to take admission. Later the girls of aristocratic Muslim families were also allowed admission. This trend continued for years and in the early 1950s, the school was full of girls of all social classes. As the weekly bazaar sat on Wednesdays, the school ran a half-day on Wednesday instead of Thursday. It still runs this way.

Babu Jagabandhu Raxit, a prominent educationist of Muktagacha was appointed as the first headmaster of the school. After dividing the school's activities into two levels, Babu Neelkanta Chakrabarti was appointed as the head of the junior level. After several years, the students increased in many folds, the activities of the school were shifted again to the library of the Zaminder Surjo Kanta. In 1940 the primary level of the school was named Nagendra Narayan Poura Girls Primary School. A local committee was formed to supervise the school. After the retirement of Babu Jagabandhu Raxit, Chhaya Rani Dey, daughter of an employee of Nagendra Narayan took the charge as its head.

After the retirement of Babu Neelkanta Chakrabarti in early 1950s, Minati Dutt, daughter of a most prominent headmaster of greater Mymensingh Babu Gopinath Dutt took over as head of the Junior level. At that time the enthusiasm for female education among the common people increased.

The names of other heads who served the school are - Shashanka Mohan Dey, BA B.Ed (1967), Nasima Begum, MA (1967), Mohammed Aynul Haque BA (1967-1968), Morium Akhtar Khanam, BA B.Ed, (1968-1969), Rahima Akhtar Khanam, BA B.Ed (1970- 1972), AS Mansura Khanam (In-Charge), BA B.Ed, (1972-1975), Khadiza Khanam, MA B.Ed (1975-1977), Razia Khatun, BA B.Ed (1977-2006) and the present headmaster of the school Mohammed Wazed Ali, BA B.Ed (2006- present).

Now the school has some 1000 students and a staff of 19 teachers. It also has a vocational section. The results in the SSC level and scholarship examinations at junior and primary level is satisfactory

Headmaster Mohammed Wazed Ali said that the school has some problems including insufficient classrooms and that these problems should be addressed immediately for the best interest of the students.