Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

Kumradi Darul Ulum Senior Madrasa (কুমড়াদী দারুল উলুম সিনিয়র মাদরাসা), a Madrasa which was built in 1927, by Late Mawlana Mohammad Abdul Aziz. It was the biggest madrasa and Orphanage in Bangladesh. Female and male Muslim students got their Islamic education from this institution. There are two large building might be used for students dormitory. We assume, it was a complete residential Madrasa.

It is located at Kumradi Village of Shibpur Upazila in Narsingdi District. It contains a large area where there are five separate building complex situated in a parallel line. But, four old building has been abandoned in course of time. Only newly built two storied building along with few old building used as Madrasa. Others are just existing as an evidence of time. Some age old people say that, once it was one of the most noisy place in that region, but now we have experienced it as one of the calm & quiet places in this region.

Architectural Layout:

The architectural properties of this Madarsa complex is very simple & regular. Rest of the building of this complex are one storied with plastered rooftop. But, the most front one, just beside the main road is two storied and recent one is as well. The grave yard of the founder of this Madrasa is situated in north-west side the main building. A large pond is situated just behind the grave. There are two main gateway to enter into the madrasa complex, one is in Southern part and another is in north-east side.

Present Condition :

Present condition of these building complex is in very sensitive state. Rest of the buildings are abandoned and has no use for a long time. If proper care is taken, then within a short span of time it could be reused or proper conservation treatment could make this place presentable rather just making it of no use.

Comilla Victoria Government College (কুমিল্লা ভিক্টোরিয়া সরকারি কলেজ) is a college in Comilla, Bangladesh. It is one of the oldest and renowned colleges in Comilla as well as in Chittagong division. The college is located on 29 acres of land including its intermediate and honors section. Landlord of that time, Roy Bahadur Anandra Chandra Roy, established the college on 24 September 1899. Anandra Chandra Roy was a renowned patron of promoting and developing education in the district. He was a contractor by profession and accordingly set aside a large amount of money to establish a college for the development of higher education in Comilla.

Comilla Victoria College was thus born to fulfill his long cherished dream. In recognition of his noble endeavor, the British Government awarded him the title “Roy Bahadur” after the establishment of the college. A white sculpture was built in front of the main gate of intermediate section of the college to keep the memory of Roy Bahadur alive. Queen Victoria was the empress of India from 1876 to 1901. At that time, Comilla was under the rule of the empire, hence the college was named as Comilla Victoria College.

Sattendranath Boshu was the first principal of the college. He was the headmaster of former Comilla Victoria School. He remained the principal of the college until his death. He was a scholar as well as a researcher of literature. He was also a professor of English and was awarded Rabindranath Prize for his outstanding contribution to literature. Prof. Fazlul Karim was the first Muslim teacher of this college in 1937. He later became the Vice Principal of the college in 1958 until his retirement in 1972 when the college was made a government college.

There are 129 teachers in this college against 150 posts. But this small number of teachers is not sufficient address such a huge number of students. The total number of departments of the college stands at 18. The departments are Accounting and Management department of Business faculty, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Zoology, Botany, Mathematics, Statistics of Science faculty and English, Social Science, Social Welfare, History, Islamic History, Political Science, Economics, Philosophy and Arabic of Arts faculty. At present, the college has 15,000 students and 147 teachers, of whom 36 are women.

The college always stands first in Comilla Board on the basis of good result in HSC. Meritorious students try to get admission in this college because of its name and fame. Students of the Honors’ section also do very well in examinations. Most of the time students of this college get top positions in exams held under the national university.

Students of the college regularly take part in debate. They won many prizes from BTV and others debate competitions. Bangladesh National Cadet Core (BNCC), Rover Scouts are also working at the college. Sandhani and Badhon, two leading blood donation organizations of the country, regularly organize blood donation programs on the campus where students and teachers participate voluntarily.

Cultural programs are also organized. Victoria College Chhatra Sangshad played a vital role during the 1952 language movement and the 1962 movement against Ayub Khan. It was also actively involved in the Liberation War of 1971. The Memorial inside the campus commemorating the sacrifice of the freedom fighters who were students of the college.

Many students of Comilla Victoria College joined the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. At least 334 students participated in the war of whom 35 sacrificed their lives for the noble cause. Major Rafiqul Islam, Saheed Khaza Nizam uddin got the recognition of "Bir Uttom" and Lieutenant Colonel Akbar Hossain, Saheed Abdul Momin got “Bir Protik” respectively who were the students of this college. Advocate Abdul Matin Khosru, Prof. Ali Asraf, AHM Mostafa Kamal (Lotus Kamal), AKM Baha Uddin Baher, who also participated in the war, were students of this college. A memorial has been built inside the campus commemorating the sublime contribution of the these freedom fighters. Comilla Victoria College has five dormitories: four for boys and one for girls. About 1,000 students reside in these dormitories.

Notable alumni: 1. Sachin Dev Burman, musician. 2. Abdul Awal Mintoo, passed HSC exam from this institute in 1966 in science group. 3. Kazi Shamsul Hoque, a journalist, editor of weekly Akhon Samoy, New York, USA passed B.A. from this college. 4. Professor Fazlul Halim Chowdhury (1 August 1930–9 April 1996) was the longest-serving (1976–1983) vice-chancellor of Dhaka University. He passed HSC exam from this college in science in 1947. 5. TV presenter Hanif Sanket 6. Rural development propagator and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan was a principal of the college in the 1950s. 7. Abdus Suttar Khan, a Bangladeshi Oxford Scholar and aerospace researcher. 8. Tapesh Chandra Bose (born. 1928 - died. 1985), S/O. Late Satish Chandra Bose,of( Bikrampur, Dacca )Ex- Finance Officer, PWD, Govt. Of Tripura, Vice president Of Biredra Club Agartala, Life Member Tripura Football association, Agartala, Tripura, present residence now at Dimsagar, Kunjaban Road, Agartala, Tripura & Inda Girls School Road, Inda, Kharagpur, Dist. Midnapore, and West Bengal was a student of Victoria College, Comilla, Bangladesh he was a Student of Economics and passed out from this college with highest distinction.

Comilla Zila School is a boy's school in Comilla City. It is one of the oldest schools in the country. It was the only school in Comilla for four decades before the establishment of Nawab Fayjunnesa Girl's High School in 1878. For decades the school has secured first place in scoring highest A+ among the schools under Board of secondary education, Comilla.

History: The school, in the center of Comilla, was established in 1837 by an Englishman named H. G. Legister. It was governmentalized as a high school by the government of British India for teaching English literature and science and named Comilla Zila School. In the 1850s the school building expanded and improved its teaching structure.

Facilities: These school has three academic buildings, an administrative building and two hostels. There is a big field in the school arena. Other facilities include mosque, workshop, auditorium, canteen, shaheed minar, and library. There are fifty teachers and twenty staff. The school has five laboratories. It is one of the best school in Bangladesh. Initially the school conducted only one shift. From 1991 two shifts were introduced: morning and day. Presently all the classes from 5 to 10 are running. There are six sections in each of the classes: ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ for class five to eight where ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ are in morning shift and day shift. There are two sections in nine and ten; they are 'A' and 'B'.

There are 60 students in each of the sections. For class nine and ten students are distributed into four sections following the same structure with a larger number of students in a class. Almost 2,000 students are studying in the school with 53 teachers. The uniform is a white shirt with white full trousers and white shoes and black belt. The school monogram is printed on the shirt pocket. Usually students are admitted in class 5 and 6. Admission can be considered in other classes if a vacancy is available or if someone is transferred from some other government school. The admission test is usually taken in the first week of January.

Extracurricular activities: Comilla Zilla School cricket team was champion in the National Nirman School Tournament in 1992. BNCC (Bangladesh National Cadet Core), Scouting, Games and sports (mostly athletics, cricket, Badminton, swimming and football), Debating etc.

Cultural activities: each year the students celebrate the Shorosoti Puja on the school field.

Math and language competitions: the school is the champion team of the national math contest, Science fair, Picnic, Social Development program, Participate in Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad held each year.

Notable alumni: Dhirendranath Datta: Bengali lawyer who was active in the politics of undivided Bengal in pre-partition India and later in East Pakistan (1947–1971). On February 23, 1948, in the Pakistan Constituent Assembly in Karachi, Dhirendranath, as a member of Pakistan National Congress, made a speech calling for Bengali to be made one of the official languages of Pakistan. He served as the Minister of Health and Social Welfare (East Pakistan) in Ataur Rahman Khan's cabinet (1956–58).

Shib Narayan Das: He designed the first national flag of Bangladesh. Muhammad Anwar Hossain, 2nd Lt. (1-E Bengal): He was the first Shaheed defense officer during Bangladesh Liberation War. Later awarded as Bir Uttom by Bangladesh Government. Nayeemul Islam Khan: A leading Bengali-language newspaper editor. General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan,Chief of Army Staff,Bangladesh Army. Himangshu Dutta, a music composer in the Bengali music industry. A.B.M. Khairul Haque: former chief justice of Bangladesh. Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad: served as the President of Bangladesh.

Connection classroom: Comilla Zila School always thinks one step ahead for assuring the highest learning facility for its students. On that note, in the year 2010, Comilla Zila School joined Connection classroom programme based on an enterprise for establishing an interrelationship among the students of some national and international schools of home and abroad (British school).Through the E-LEARNING system the students of Zila School get linked to that process under the kind observation of BRITISH COUNCIL. In Comilla 4 schools participated in that programme but like all the time zila school was the "SHOW STEALER". With the help of some experienced teachers, students represented the culture, archeology, tradition of Comilla by their rejuvenate presentation. At the same time, the students also rocked the cultural show of SHHEED ABU JAHEED AUDITORIUM.

For that programme, students were selected from different classes who made presentation on different topics related to the city Comilla. Students of CZS showed their both technical and marital skill. A cultural function was organized by the authority to add a new dimension to this programme. That programme was a joint venture of two rival schools COMILLA ZILLA SCHOOL and NAWAB FAIZUNNESA GOVT. GIRLS' SCHOOL. Whole programme was anchored by the students from both institution. Audience were amazed to enjoy that types of function for the first time at the present of two different schools. Principals from three different schools of BRITAIN were the chief guests. And the honorable Headmaster along with two asst. Headmaster were the special guests. And all the teachers from both day and morning shifts were present at that function. The whole programme was a little contribution to establish a friendship among the students of two different country. Actually, it's a part of modern globalization process by which students from every corner can have the same view and same knowledge. And as a part of that motto, the programme of Connection classroom was a huge success.

History of Bangladesh Tea Research Institute dates back to 1840 when a pioneer tea garden was established on the slopes of the hills in Chittagong where the Chittagong Club now stands. First commercial tea garden was established in 1857 at Mulnichera in Sylhet. During the partition in 1947, Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) owned 103 tea estates, covering 26,734 hectares of tea plantation with annual production of 18.36 M. Kg. with a yield of about 639 Kg. per ha. Home consumption was around 13.64 M. Kg. up to 1955. After that home consumption went up rapidly and Government imposed 3% mandatory extension of tea area per year in 1961. Ten years later by 1970, tea area was extended to 42,658 hectares and production was increased to 31.38 M. Kg.

Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI) is an autonomous organization under the Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB). The tea industry had very limited access to technology immediately after the partition of India in 1947. To solve various problems of growing and manufacturing tea, and to establish the industry on sound scientific footing, the Pakistan Tea Board decided in 1952 to establish a tea research station of its own. As a result the Pakistan Tea Research Station came at its present location at Srimangal on the 28th February, 1957. After liberation, the research station was raised to the status of an institute and names the Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI) in 1973. Now BTRI is one of the 10 National Agricultural Research System (NARS) institutes of the country.

বাংলাদেশ চা গবেষণা ইন্সটিটিউটের ইতিহাসের আরম্ভ হয় ১৮৪০ সালে যখন চট্রগ্রামের পাহাড়ের ঢালে (বর্তমানে যেখানে চট্রগ্রাম ক্লাব অবস্থিত) স্থাপন করা হয়েছিল একটি চা বাগান। ১৮৫৭ সালে সিলেটের মালিনীছড়া চা বাগান প্রতিষ্ঠিত করা হয় বাণিজ্যিকভিত্তিতে প্রথমবারের মত চা উৎপাদন করার জন্য। ১৯৪৭ সালে দেশবিভাগের সময় বাংলাদেশে (তদানীন্তন পূর্ব পাকিস্তানে) চা চাষ করা হত ২৬,৭৩৫ হেক্টর জমিতে ১০৩টি চা বাগানে। সেসময় সারা বছর ১৮.৩৬ মিলিয়ন কেজি চা উৎপাদিত হত যা ছিল  প্রতি হেক্টরে ৬৩৯ কেজি । ১৯৫৫ সাল পর্যন্ত গৃহ্পর্যায়ে চায়ের চাহিদা ছিল ১৩.৬৪ মিলিয়ন কেজি। এরপর চায়ের চাহিদা দ্রুত বৃদ্ধি পেলে ১৯৬১ সালে সরকার প্রতি বছর চা চাষের জন্য ৩% হারে জমি বৃদ্ধি করা বাধ্যতামূলক করে। এরই ফলশ্রুতিতে দশ বছর পর ১৯৭০ সালে চা চাষের জমির পরিমান বেড়ে দাড়ায় ৪২,৬৫৮ হেক্টরে এবং বার্ষিক উৎপাদন বেড়ে দাড়ায় ৩১.৩৮ মিলিয়ন কেজি।

বাংলাদেশ চা বোর্ডের (বিটিবি)অধীনে একটি স্বায়ত্তশাসিত সংস্থা হল বাংলাদেশ চা গবেষণা ইন্সটিটিউট (বিটিআরআই)।  ১৯৪৭ সালের দেশ বিভাগের পর এ দেশের চা শিল্পতে প্রযুক্তির ব্যাবহার ছিল সীমিত। চা চাষ এবং উৎপাদনের ক্ষেত্রে বিভিন্ন সমস্যার সমাধান এবং বিজ্ঞানভিত্তিক চা শিল্প প্রতিষ্ঠার লক্ষ্য নিয়ে তৎকালীন পাকিস্তান চা বোর্ড ১৯৫২ সালে তাদের নিজেদের একটি গবেষণা কেন্দ্র প্রতিষ্ঠা করে। সেই ফলশ্রুতিতে ১৯৫৭ সালের ২৮ ফেব্রুয়ারি তৎকালীন পাকিস্তান চা গবেষণা কেন্দ্র শ্রীমঙ্গলের বর্তমান ঠিকানায় যাত্রা শুরু করে। স্বাধীনতার পর ১৯৭৩ সালে এই কেন্দ্রটিকে একটি বাংলাদেশ চা গবেষণা ইন্সটিটিউটে (বিটিআরআই) রুপান্তর করা হয়। বর্তমানে দেশের ১০টি জাতীয় কৃষি গবেষণা পদ্ধতির (এনএআরএস) একটি হল বাংলাদেশ চা গবেষণা ইন্সটিটিউট।