Rangpur Carmichael College
Type: Building / Skyscraper
Contributed By:
Brief
Carmichael College is a part of heritage and history of Uttar Bongo (northern Bangladesh). It is indeed one of the oldest colleges in the country.
Rangpur Carmichael College (রংপুর কারমাইকেল কলেজ) is one of the most prestigious colleges of northern Bangladesh. It has a campus of almost 300 acres and is possibly the largest in the country, in terms of its area. It was established in 1916, with the generous help of several landlords, including Gopal Lal Roy Bahadur, Mohima Ranjan Roy, Babu Monidra Chandra Roy, Radha Ballav Saha and others. It boasts a large lush green campus with several uniquely designed buildings.
The first three colleges of the country were named only after the district headquarters where they were located (Dhaka College, 1841, Chittagong College, 1869, & Rajshahi College, 1873). Similarly this new institution could have been named Rangpur College. However, several institutions that had been founded in the districts of Barisal (Brojo Mohan College, 1884), Sylhet (Murari Chand College, 1892), Pabna (Edward College, 1898), Comilla (Victoria College, 1899), Mymensingh (Ananda Mohan College, 1901) & Khulna (Braja Lal College, 1902) had taken names after their patrons. So when Lord Baron Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael of Skirling, the then First Governor of Bengal, formally inaugurated the institution, it naturally took up the name Rangpur Carmichael College.
From the outset, this was under the governance of Calcutta University, and was only permitted to teach Arts subjects, both at Higher Secondary and Graduation level. Lord Lytton, the Governor of Bengal visited the college in 1922. He was amazed at the beauty of the campus, the fascinating infrastructure, and the quality of education that was being offered here. He immediately permitted the college to begin teaching science subjects. The same year, Calcutta University also permitted the college to begin graduation courses in Bangla, Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Economics & Mathematics. Bachelor of Science degrees were introduced in 1925.
The college currently offers graduation courses in 17 disciplines and post graduation courses in 15 subjects. From the 2011-12 academic year, the college reopened the Higher Secondary courses, having put that on hold for 14 years.
Rangpur Carmichael College was under the purview of Calcutta University till 1947, Dhaka University during 1947-1952, Rajshahi University during 1953-1992, and the National University thereafter.
How to go
You can take a rickshaw or auto rickshaw (Battery Driven Rickshaw) to visit this place from Rangpur.
How To Reach: Rangpur District
Dhaka and Rangpur are linked by road. Some of the bus services are listed below for your assistance.
1. S R Travels:
Contact: 0119-1863689, 0119-1863691, 0119-863673
2. Green line Paribahan:
Contact: 00-02-9112287, 9133145, 017-300-60006
3. T R Travels:
Contact: Kaylanpur: 01711-394801, 9033793,
Gabtoli: 9031226
Mohakhali: 0155-231 5831,
Uttora: 01711-394 804.
4. Mim Paribahan:
Contact: Gabtoli: 01911-01 36 94, 01734- 42 29 71
5. Alhamra Travels:
Contact: Gabtoli: 88-02-9005612 Cell: 01721-802 031
6. Kurigram Paribahan:
Contact: 01924-469 437, 01914-856 826
Dhaka and Rangpur is also linked by railway. Some necessary information of train services are given below for your assistance.
Train Name: Rangpur Express
Train operates every day except Sundays.
Departure Time from Dhaka: 9:00
Arrival Time in Rangpur: 19:00
Where to Stay
The accommodation facilities in Rangpur are now much more developed than before. There are many hotels/motels in the district. Some of the places you may consider staying in Rangpur are listed below for your assistance:
1. Parjatan Motel
Contact: 0521-62111
2. Hotel North view
Contact: 0521-55405, 052155406
Web: http://hotelnorthview.com/
3. Hotel Caspia
Contact: +880521-61111, +8801977-227742
4. Hotel Golden Tower
Contact: 65920
5. The Park Hotel
Contact: 0521 66718
6. Hotel Tillottama
Contact: 0521 63482, 01718 938424
Eating Facilities
It won’t be a problem to find a suitable restaurant for dining at near this attraction.
Travel Tips
For shopping you can visit The Jelaporishod Super Market by the way which is located in the center of Rangpur City.
The splendid building still stands tall along the bank of the Kumar River beckoning the people passing by it to have a look of its grandeur and magnificence. None can resist the temptation of taking a look at the captivating old structure when one passes by it.
In the absence of proper maintenance and renovation, weeds have grown in and around the house while the mossy bricks are crumbling down from the decaying structure. The house has lost much of its charm of terracotta due to the authorities’ negligence. Locals have already taken away many of the bricks, plaques, wooden doors and windows. The house has become a safe haven for drug addicts and gamblers due to lack of proper initiatives for its preservation and maintenance. Local people use the building as their cowshed and it has turned into the public toilet.
