Guru Griho

From Bogra

Bogra Central High School: Out of Breath

Selina Sheuly

WHEN asked which is the city's oldest school, Bogra Central High School is the first name that comes to mind. This school has overcome lots of barriers throughout the years, but it still stands, although burdened by lots of problems. Even though the school has been converted into a secondary school from a high madrassah, development hasn't really touched the school. After running for 100 years, the school seems to be out of breath. But it is probably out of breath because of the resource shortage. A lot of kids have passed out of this school, gone on to do well in life, but nobody has come back to help the school. Former Minister Mamdudur Rahman belongs to the family that established the madrassah back in the day. Now he is back to try to save this school.

The school is located just 200 yards south-east of the centre of Bogra. It started in 105. There really wasn't any education in the area back then. Only in the district schools was there a little bit of modern education. The initiative to create this school was taken by the Nabab family, particularly Nabab Altaf Ali Chowdhury, Khan Bahadur Hamidur Rahman Chowdhury and other Bogra bigwigs. The district magistrate J. N Dasgupta lent a helping hand. With the support of a whole lot of people, Bogra central high madrassah got up and running. The same institute had both religious and general education. The people were filled with hope. People started sending their children to the madrassah. This went on for 49 years. Madrassah as well as general schooling.

In 1955 the then East Pakistan Secondary Education Centre gave the school a grant to turn it into Bogra Central High School from High Madrassah. The Superintendent Abdul Jabbar took on the duites of principal. This is how its present journey started.

The school was established on 4 acres of land, says teacher Chaitannya Das. In the past both teachers and students were enthusiastic about learning. Now, nobody seems to care. He fondly recalls the names of many of his students, such as Saiful Islam, teacher at Rajshahi University, Judge Mostakinur Rahman, Professor Ashekul Islam, now in Japan. He says those who graduated from here never came back. He says back in the day the school building was quite a terrible construct- since then a new building has been erected with government funds.

Principal Md Jahangir Alam has said that even though the school has boundary walls, there is no way to watch the gate. This causes problems. And the high school along can't control entrances, since the school grounds contain a mosque, a primary school and an eidgah field. Although there used to be over a thousand students, now there are only about 300.

Now the schools donours and the School Managing Committee started the Mahbubur Rahman Chowdhury (Putu Mia) and Begum Sayera Chowdhury Kalyan Trust, which would award scholarships. The poor but talented students received not just this scholarship but free school uniforms as well.

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