Dhaka Madrasah to Kabi Nazrul Govt Degree College

Dhaka Mohsania Madrasah (photo 1890), now Kabi Nazrul Government College

Madrasah hostel, now Academic block Kabi Nazrul Govt. school

Now an office block

Dhaka Madrasah: It was originally established at Dhaka by a grant from the ‘Mohsin Fund’ in 1874 as Mohsania Madrasah, in the model of Calcutta Alia Madrasah established in 1780. Later, it came to be known as Dhaka Madrasah. It was the first government educational establishment for Muslims in East Bengal. The Madrasah aroused great interest among the Muslims of East Bengal. 400 students applied for admission in the first year, but due to shortage of accommodation, only 168 could be admitted. A new building for Madrasah was established on a piece of land east of Bahadur Shah Park (Victoria park) bought with a fund provided by Nawab Abdul Ghani.

The Madrasah opened an Anglo-Persian section that soon distinguished itself with excellent academic result. In 1882, the students appeared in Entrance Exam. Among its notable students were Sir Abdullah Sohrawardy, Justice Zahidur Rahim, Poet Kaikobad and Syed Mohammad Taifoor.

With introduction of a ‘New Scheme’ course in 1915, it was converted into Dhaka High Madrasah. In the following year, its Anglo-Persian department got separated and became the Dhaka Government Muslim High School. With the establishment of the University of Dhaka in 1921, the school was upgraded into a college and got a new name, the Islamic Intermediate College. It offered courses to prepare entrants in the Islamic Studies Department of the University. It continued to operate as a school-cum-college till 1968, when the college section got separated to form a new institution named Government Islamia College, Dhaka. Following the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the college was renamed as Kabi Nazrul Government College in 1972, and in the same year, it was upgraded to a Degree College.