Pogose School
Encyclopedia
Pogose School was established in Dhaka
in 12th June, 1848, as the first private school of the country by JG Nicholas Pogose, who was an ex-student of Dhaka Collegiate School
, a leader of the Armenian community of Dhaka
, a merchant and a Zamindar
. At present it is located at Chittaranjan Avenue
. The school was managed as a proprietary institution and in 1871, about a year after the death of Pogose, it was taken over by Mohini Mohan Das, a banker and zamindar. After the death of Das in 1896, his estate kept the school up.
This school was named Pogos Anglo Vernacular School at Dhaka. The school might have started in his own house and later moved to his friend JC Paniati’s home. Paniati was paid 10tk as house rent. Former Head Master of the school Monindrachandra Vattachariya the school moved from Paniati’s house to the inside of Armenisa Church at the "Sudhamay House" or beside the Shabistan Cinema Hall. That house has a big balcony, a garden and a cricket ground.
In 1878 the school was taken over by Mohinimohon Das a famous Zamindar
and Banker after Pogose himself left Dhaka for London
. After the death of Mohinimohon Das in 1896 the school was looked after by the trustee board of the Zamindari Estate and moved it to Chittaranjan Avenue where at still belongs.Most probably, Mohonomohon's mother gave the responsibility to Headmaster Proshonnokumar and Asst. Headmaster Horihor Dhor in 1907.
N.P.Pogose was not only its founder, but also he was its headmaster of it. He knew both English and Bangla very well. So, he didn’t face any problem. It is found from a report of Dhaka College
that the income of the school on 1850 was 50 rupees, and expenditure was 90 rupees. N.P.Pogose paid the all of the expenses from his own pocket. He also managed 0-75 rupees donation from 'Company Government'. Mohini Mohon also donated three thousand taka every year when he was its owner.
Head Master of the school was Kali Kishore Chatterjee. In 1855-57 it had only 145 students and ten years later was increased to 562. In that year 27 students passed entrance
from the school and 8 of them achieved different kinds of scholarships.
According to the Jubilee report the third Head Master of the school was artist Charles Pott. The portrayed that he drawn of Pogose is still in the office room of the Head Master. Charles run the school until 1858 and then run a short term by Horokumar Basu and Kalikanto. Then famous Brahma personnel Dinnath Sen run from 1861 to 64. The most famous Head Master was probably Gopimohon Boshak
(1865-72). Later social constructor Nobokanto Chatterjee became the Head Master. Proshonno Kumar Guho was the Head Master for 35 years (1906-41). Julfa Mohammed was the Head Master from 1974.
Here below are the Head Masthers who worked in this school:
) and Ataur Rahman Khan
(of East Bengal
), as well as first Bengali doctorate Nishikanto Chatterjee and the first Indian Doctor of Science
Aghornath Chatterjee, who was the father of Sarojini Naidu
. There are a number of alumni who went on to become pioneers in their fields, including Dr. P K Ray, the first Bengali principal of Dhaka College
, Sir K G Gupta, the first Indian Privy Councilor and the first ICS officer from East Bengal, and Girish Chandra Sen
, first Quran translator in Bengali. Poet Shamsur Rahman
, Kaykobad
, editor Kaliprasanna Ghosh and comedian Bhanu Banerjee, as well as Zahirul Haque, Director of Banking Control of Karachi
, and Babu Mathuramohan Chakraborty, the founder of Ayurvedic medicine house Sakti Ausadhalaya studied here.
A lot of scholars also came to visit the school including Swami Vivekananda
, Michael Madhusudan Dutta, Rambai and others.
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
in 12th June, 1848, as the first private school of the country by JG Nicholas Pogose, who was an ex-student of Dhaka Collegiate School
Dhaka Collegiate School
Dhaka Collegiate School is a secondary school in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest school in Dhaka and one of the oldest and prestigious institutions in the country for more than a century.-History:...
, a leader of the Armenian community of Dhaka
Armenian community of Dhaka
The Armenian community of Dhaka played a significant role in Bengali trade and commerce in the 17th and 18th centuries.In the early part of 18th Century, Armenians settled in Dhaka, then one of the commercial centres in Bengal. They initially built a chapel and cemetery at Tejgagon, five miles...
, a merchant and a Zamindar
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
. At present it is located at Chittaranjan Avenue
Chittaranjan Avenue
Chittaranjan Avenue, more commonly C.R. Avenue, is the previous Central Avenue, a principal north-south thoroughfare in north and central Kolkata.-Stretch:...
. The school was managed as a proprietary institution and in 1871, about a year after the death of Pogose, it was taken over by Mohini Mohan Das, a banker and zamindar. After the death of Das in 1896, his estate kept the school up.
History
According to historian Muntasir Mamun Pogose School started in 1848. It was also found that the school may have started a few years back as 99 student were suspended due to inability to pay extended fees. After that former principal of that time Dr. A T Wise opened a school named Union School mainly for the poor and helpless students. But the school stopped after two years and then Pogose came to take over the school at his own expense. He gave the name Pogose School.This school was named Pogos Anglo Vernacular School at Dhaka. The school might have started in his own house and later moved to his friend JC Paniati’s home. Paniati was paid 10tk as house rent. Former Head Master of the school Monindrachandra Vattachariya the school moved from Paniati’s house to the inside of Armenisa Church at the "Sudhamay House" or beside the Shabistan Cinema Hall. That house has a big balcony, a garden and a cricket ground.
In 1878 the school was taken over by Mohinimohon Das a famous Zamindar
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
and Banker after Pogose himself left Dhaka for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. After the death of Mohinimohon Das in 1896 the school was looked after by the trustee board of the Zamindari Estate and moved it to Chittaranjan Avenue where at still belongs.Most probably, Mohonomohon's mother gave the responsibility to Headmaster Proshonnokumar and Asst. Headmaster Horihor Dhor in 1907.
N.P.Pogose was not only its founder, but also he was its headmaster of it. He knew both English and Bangla very well. So, he didn’t face any problem. It is found from a report of Dhaka College
Dhaka College
, located in Dhaka, is one of Bangladesh's earliest and most prestigious higher educational institutions. It offers both four years bachelor's and one years masters course in various majors, but it is best known for HSC...
that the income of the school on 1850 was 50 rupees, and expenditure was 90 rupees. N.P.Pogose paid the all of the expenses from his own pocket. He also managed 0-75 rupees donation from 'Company Government'. Mohini Mohon also donated three thousand taka every year when he was its owner.
Head Masters
NP Pogose was the first Head Master of the school. He was expert in different languages. One description shows that back in 1850 Pogose School profited 40 and spent 90 Taka where he donated the extra amount. In the Jubilee report of the school Monindrachandra Vattachariya mentioned Pogose was the head master until 1855 and were used to give Tk. 3000 per month even after his departure. However the first BengaliBengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
Head Master of the school was Kali Kishore Chatterjee. In 1855-57 it had only 145 students and ten years later was increased to 562. In that year 27 students passed entrance
Entrance examination
An entrance examination is an examination that many educational institutions use to select students for admission. These exams may be administered at any level of education, from primary to higher education, although they are more common at higher levels....
from the school and 8 of them achieved different kinds of scholarships.
According to the Jubilee report the third Head Master of the school was artist Charles Pott. The portrayed that he drawn of Pogose is still in the office room of the Head Master. Charles run the school until 1858 and then run a short term by Horokumar Basu and Kalikanto. Then famous Brahma personnel Dinnath Sen run from 1861 to 64. The most famous Head Master was probably Gopimohon Boshak
(1865-72). Later social constructor Nobokanto Chatterjee became the Head Master. Proshonno Kumar Guho was the Head Master for 35 years (1906-41). Julfa Mohammed was the Head Master from 1974.
Here below are the Head Masthers who worked in this school:
| No. | Name | Joining Date | Retire Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mr. N. P. Pogose | June 1848 | ..... |
| 2 | Mr. C. Pote | December, 1855 | November, 1858 |
| Mr. Hur Coomar Bose (incharge) | December, 1858 | ||
| 3 | Mr. Kashee Kantha Mookherjee | January, 1859 | December, 1860 |
| Mr. Hur Coomar Bose (incharge) | January, 1861 | February 12, 1861 | |
| 4 | Mr. Denonath Sen | February 13, 1861 | December, 1864 |
| Mr. Hur Coomar Bose (incharge) | January, 1864 | April 4, 1865 | |
| 5 | Mr. Gopee Mohan Byack | April 5, 1865 | December, 1872 |
| 6 | Mr. Kumud Bandhu Bose | January, 1873 | February 7, 1874 |
| 7 | Mr. Kailash Chandra Dutta | February 13, 1874 | April 12, 1875 |
| 8 | Mr. Amar Chand Laha | April 13, 1875 | January 24, 1876 |
| 9 | Mr. J. S. Rus (Superintendent) | January 25, 1876 | July 20, 1876 |
| Mr. Amar Chand Laha | July 21, 1876 | July 20, 1882 | |
| Mr. Mahesh Candra Datta (incharge) | January, 1883 | February, 1883 | |
| 10 | Mr. Brindaban Chadra Dhar | March, 1883 | October, 1906 |
| 11 | Mr. Prasanna Kumar Sen | November, 1906 | January 21, 1941 |
| Mr. Jogesh Chandra Sen (incharge) | January 22, 1941 | April 17, 1941 | |
| 12 | Mr. Manindra Chandra Bhattacharyya | April 18, 1941 | June, 1961 |
| Mr. Jiban Chandra Saha (incharge) | July, 1961 | November, 1961 | |
| 13 | Mr. Fazhul Huq. | November 19, 1961 | April 8, 1973 |
| 14 | Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim Khalil | April 9, 1973 | September 19, 1974 |
| Mr. Jiban Chandra Saha (incharge) | September 23, 1974 | November 17, 1974 | |
| 15 | Mr. Zulfa Mohammed | November 18, 1974 | June 27, 2010 |
| 16 | Mr. Syed Zulfiquiar Alam Chowdhury | August 4, 2010 |
Notable alumni
Many of the students of Pogose School became famous and successful. Among them are Chief Ministers Profullah Chandra Ghosh (of West BengalWest Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
) and Ataur Rahman Khan
Ataur Rahman Khan
Ataur Rahman Khan was a Bangladeshi lawyer, politician and writer, and served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 30 March 1984 to 9 July 1986.Early Life...
(of East Bengal
East Bengal
East Bengal was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal....
), as well as first Bengali doctorate Nishikanto Chatterjee and the first Indian Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
Aghornath Chatterjee, who was the father of Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu , also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet...
. There are a number of alumni who went on to become pioneers in their fields, including Dr. P K Ray, the first Bengali principal of Dhaka College
Dhaka College
, located in Dhaka, is one of Bangladesh's earliest and most prestigious higher educational institutions. It offers both four years bachelor's and one years masters course in various majors, but it is best known for HSC...
, Sir K G Gupta, the first Indian Privy Councilor and the first ICS officer from East Bengal, and Girish Chandra Sen
Girish Chandra Sen
Girish Chandra Sen , a Brahmo Samaj missionary, was the first person to translate the Qur’an into Bengali language in 1886. It was his finest contribution to Bengali literature.-Early life:...
, first Quran translator in Bengali. Poet Shamsur Rahman
Shamsur Rahman
Shamsur Rahman was a Bangladeshi poet, columnist and journalist. Rahman, who emerged in the latter half of the 20th century, wrote more than sixty books of poetry and is considered a key figure in Bengali literature. He was regarded the unofficial poet laureate of Bangladesh...
, Kaykobad
Kaykobad
Kaykobad or Mohakobi Kaykobad was the pen name of the poet Kazem Ali Quereshi.-Background:...
, editor Kaliprasanna Ghosh and comedian Bhanu Banerjee, as well as Zahirul Haque, Director of Banking Control of Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, and Babu Mathuramohan Chakraborty, the founder of Ayurvedic medicine house Sakti Ausadhalaya studied here.
A lot of scholars also came to visit the school including Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
, Michael Madhusudan Dutta, Rambai and others.