User:Srejan Debnath/Writing for NDC
 Collage of "Mother Mary" at the entrance to Notre Dame College | |
| Latin: Notre Dame College, Dhaka | |
Former name | St. Gregory's College |
|---|---|
| Motto | Diligite Lumen Sapientiae |
Motto in English | Love the light of wisdom |
| Type | Private Higher Secondary and Degree College |
| Established | 3 November 1949 |
Parent institution | Congregation of Holy Cross |
Religious affiliation | Christians Catholic Church |
| Endowment | Christians, small ethnic group |
| Principal | Hemanto Pius Rozario |
| Vice Principal | Leonard Sankar Rozario |
| Students | 6400+ |
| Location | , 23°43′49″N 90°25′15″E / 23.7304°N 90.4207°E |
| Campus | City |
| Language | Bangla & English medium |
| Colors | Cream & Black color |
| Nickname | NDC |
Sporting affiliations | Basketball, Badminton, Football, Cricket, Sprint, Long jump, High jump |
| Website | www |
| The location of Notre Dame College on the map | |
Notre Dame College (ⓘ) (NDC) is a higher secondary and undergraduate educational institution established and run by the clergy of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. After receiving an invitation from the government in East Pakistan to establish a college after the partition of India, St. Gregory's College was established as an extension of St Gregory's High School in Luxmibazar, Dhaka on 3 November 1949 by the Roman Catholic clergy under the auspices of Archbishop Lawrence Leo Graner and according to the decision of the Congregation of Holy Cross. In 1954, the college was shifted to Arambagh under Motijheel Thana near Kamalapur railway station, and the college was named Notre Dame College by dedicating it to Mary, mother of Jesus. Although the French phrase "Notre Dame" means our majestic woman, Notre Dame College has been an absolutely boys' educational institution since its inception.
Notre Dame College became affiliated to the University of Dhaka in 1950 and was recognized as the best educational institution in East Pakistan in 1959. BA was introduced in 1955 and B.Sc. in 1960, although there were only humanities and business studies departments at the time of its establishment. However, B.Sc courses were declared closed from 1972-73 academic year. At present, the college offers higher secondary and BA courses in English and Bangla medium. The college was incorporated into the National University in 1992. The college has been recognized by the National University four times (1959, 1988, 1992, 1996) as the best educational institution at the national level. Run by a Christian missionary, the institute is primarily aimed at imparting education to the Christian community, tribals, minorities, and the impoverished, but is open to students of all faiths and communities, and most of its students have been Bengali Muslims since its inception. According to the statistics of 2019, 85 percent of the students of this institution are Muslims. Notre Dame College students are known as "Notre Damian".
Notre Dame College is one of the four institutions that got the opportunity to take students through its own admission test based on the judgment of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in 2012. The college, built on five acres, currently has three six-story and one three-story educational buildings, a four-story residential dormitory and a Clergy house for clergies. Institutional authorities run 24 clubs as co-educational activities.
History[edit]
The Beginning[edit]
After the partition of India in 1947, the newly formed government of Pakistan requested the head of the Catholic Church at that time to start several colleges in the country. After receiving an invitation from the government, Archbishop Lawrence Leo Graner instructed the priests of the "Congregation of Holy Cross" to set up separate colleges for boys and girls. St. Gregory's College was established on 3 November 1949 at 82 Municipal Office Street, Luxmibazar, Dhaka in the school building as an extension of St Gregory's High School by the Roman Catholic clergy in accordance with the decision of the Holy Cross. The college started its journey with only 19 students from the Arts and Commerce Department. The institute was relocated later to 61/1 Subhash Bose Avenue, Luxmibazar in December 1950. In the same year, the college became affiliated with Dhaka University. The Former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Kamal Hossain was one of the students who was admitted to the institute in 1951. In 1953, he became the first in the entire East Pakistan Higher Secondary Examination. In 1950, 6 students took part in the examination under Dhaka University, and 5 of them passed in the first class. In 1951, the number of students in the institution was 55. In that same year, the college students staged William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" on St. Gregory's High School campus for three nights. Serajul Islam Choudhury was among the students of 1952. In 1953, Richard William Timm started the first debating club in East Pakistan, Notre Dame Debating Club. In the academic session 1952-53, Notre Dame College got the approval of Dhaka University to start BA classes. In the academic session 1953-54, Principal Richard William Timm started a science branch in the college for the first time. Practical classes were arranged in a tin room next to the main building. On September 17, 1954, Richard William Timm founded Notre Dame Science Club, the first informal center for the study of science in the subcontinent. At the same time, the college started publishing its first weekly publication "Chit-Chat"[note 1] and the annual "Blue and Gold"[note 2]. At the same time, clubs called "Notre Dame Photography Club" and "Literature Guild" were formed. The college was shifted from Luxmibazar to Arambagh in 1954. Then it was renamed "Notre Dame College". The college first started teaching arts and commerce but later started a BA course in 1955. In 1959, it was recognized as the best college in the examinations of various universities of East Pakistan at that time. B.Sc course was also started in the college in 1960. Because of the shortage of teachers in the college that year, some volunteers of a British organization named the British Volunteer Service (British Voluntary Service Overseas) joined as teachers. They taught at Notre Dame College from 1963 to 1970. After the construction work of the new building was completed in 1960, former principal James L. Martin died of typhoid fever at Holy Family Hospital in Dhaka, on March 21 of that year. The new building is named "Father Martin Hall" according to his name. Then Theotonius Amal Ganguly succeeded James Martin as the first Bengali principal.[note 3] He was appointed as an assistant bishop of Dhaka Dharmapradesh after serving as the principal of this college for only seven months. He later became the first Bengali bishop and archbishop of Dhaka.
During the Liberation War and subsequent history[edit]
Notre Dame College's teaching activities were disrupted due to various political unrests including the mass uprising of 1968-69. Richard William Timm was the principal of Notre Dame College during the Liberation War in 1971. During the war, Notre Dame College, like other educational institutions, was instructed by the government to continue regular activities as if the situation was completely normal. But the institution was closed due to student absence. At that time, the B.Sc. course that started in 1960 was discontinued. During the last few weeks of the war, the institution's premises were used as a safe shelter by the Red Cross-UN, and 44 UN officials chose the institution as their haven. On 14 December 1971, Azharul Haque and Humayun Kabir, two young doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, were abducted and tortured to death by members of the Al-Badr force, leaving their bodies next to Notre Dame College. I.Com was closed in the college from 1954 to 1961, which was reopened later. From the academic year 1972-73, the B.Com course was introduced in the daytime instead of the B.Sc. course.
The bodies of Dr. Azharul Haque and Dr. ABM Humayun Kabir were found near the boundary wall of Notre Dame College. There is currently a memorial there. After the War of Independence, Principal Richard William Timm quit teaching and took part in rebuilding the country. He played a role in the country's relief, rehabilitation, human rights, etc. through non-governmental organizations. Notre Dame College students also traveled with the teachers on behalf of the institution to help with relief and rehabilitation work in remote areas.
In 1973, some severe floods occurred in Bangladesh. Because of this, the college was closed and the manpower of the institution was employed in relief work. The then principal Richard Timm formed the relief and rehabilitation agency "CORE." Meals were provided on the institution's premises for about one thousand five hundred people a day. The administration also helped the government in dealing with the floods and famine of 1974. In recognition of his service, Principal Richard William Timm was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1987.
In 1974, when the government of Bangladesh made Bengali compulsory as a medium of education in schools and colleges, Bengali was also introduced in Notre Dame. As a result, education became easier for many. James T. Benas, a teacher in the English department of the college, introduced an English language course to teach English as a second language. Anyone who took the SSC exam could take part in the course. The course was originally introduced to teachers but was later opened to students. Launched in 1984, this course is still running today. The course is currently being conducted by the teachers of the English department of the college. The college became affiliated with the National University in 1992. In 1996, English was re-introduced as a medium of education in the college.
Description[edit]
Naming & Principles[edit]
The word Notre Dame is derived from two French words, "Notre Dame." The translation of which is "Our Majestic Woman." Roman Catholics refer to Notre Dame as Mary, the mother of Jesus. The college, run by Catholics, is named after mother Mary.
The principle of the college is written in Latin. This principle is used unchanged within the Logo of the college. The principle is Diligite Lumen Sapientiae, meaning "Love the light of knowledge." In Catholicism, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the symbol of wisdom. The word "knowledge" (Latin: Sapientiae) refers to the main purpose of the college, which is to acquire knowledge and gain the source of knowledge (God) at the same time. The word "light" (Latin: Lumen) refers to the ability to dispel darkness and distinguish between truth and falsehood. And the word "love" (Latin: Diligite) refers to the acquisition of knowledge with love.
Emblem and Philosophy[edit]
At the top of the emblem of Notre Dame College, there is an open book, on the left of which is the Greek letter Alpha (A) and on the right side, the Greek letter Omega (Ω) in capital form. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of Greek alphabet. These letters, simultaneously hint at all the knowledge and a quote of Jesus in the Book of Revelation of the Bible. Moreover, books are the carrier of knowledge. Unitedly, these symbols express: for ages, all knowledge that is derived is stored in books and life will become enlightened only if this knowledge is achieved.
At the bottom of the emblem, there are 3 fields. On the left, there can be seen 7 lotuses as fleurs-de-lis. The lotus is the symbol of purity. The 7 lotuses in the emblem express the seven sorrows of Mary's life. Remembering seven sorrowful incidents of her life, she is called the 'Mother of Seven Sorrows'. It indicates the difficult enlightenment. The watery river, moving boats, golden Paddy fields, and a limitless blue sky adorned scenery at the right corner symbolize the location of the college in the heart of green-verdant Bangladesh. Crosses radiating light from two anchors placed crosswise in the lower portion indicate the symbol of the Holy Cross Order. This symbol symbolizes: Just as the death of Jesus on the cross brought salvation to mankind, salvation is possible by clinging to the crucified Jesus as an anchor. The light radiating from the cross indicates the light of wisdom and greatness of Jesus Christ.
College authorities have institutionally defined its philosophy and mission. The message of the philosophy is "Students of Notre Dame College are: Devoted, Creative, Skilled, and Responsible." The institutional philosophy is-
"The target of the education of Notre Dame College is to develop the holistic development of the whole person – to develop students who are self-motivated, creative, service-minded, engaged, and skilled in the acquisition and application of learning and knowledge, and responsible for meeting the challenges of the age."
Infrastructure[edit]
Notre Dame College is run by Roman Catholic priests, but students of all faiths can study here. The college is run by priests from the Holy Cross Monastic Association. However, in addition to the priests, there are also non-priestly teachers. The college campus has an area of 5 acres (20,000 m2). In 2014, Notre Dame College authorities donated four bighas of land to Notre Dame University Bangladesh for the expansion of higher education, where the university's educational activities are currently going on.
Building[edit]
Presently Notre Dame college has a total of 4 educational buildings, a students hostel, a mosque, and a clergy house.
Notre Dame College was located in Luxmibazar from 1949 to 1955. In 1952, the number of students increased to 92. When the lack of space in the residential and educational buildings occurred then the search for a new place for the college started. In January 1954, new land for the college was bought in the Dhaka Motijheel area. Cardinal Valerian Gracias of Bombay laid the foundation stone in a grand ceremony on 17 January and the college was named "Notre Dame College" after Mary, the mother of Jesus. The then Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University W. A. Jenkins and Governor of East Pakistan Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman were present at the foundation stone laying ceremony of "Father Harrington Building". Soon after the construction of the "Father Harrington Building" at Motijheel, the college left Luxmibazar in May 1955 and moved to a new location and the first class started in the new building on 8th July. The tin room used for practical classes was moved to the rear of the present Mathis House and was being used as a refectory. At that time Notre Dame College achieved exceptional results in the I.A. examination under Dhaka University. In seven out of these eight years, the students of the college stood first in the combined merit list. At present, the ground floor of the building is used for the principal's quarters and administrative functions. The second floor houses the Information and Communication Technology and Chemistry laboratories, Vice-Principal, and Principal's rooms. The third floor is used for educational purposes.
In 1954, as the number of college students continued to increase, an initiative was taken to construct another four-story building to the north of the main college building. The residential dormitory is on the second floor of the building and the auditorium is on the ground floor. After the completion of the construction of the new building in 1960, Principal James L. Martin died of typhoid on March 21 of that year at Holy Family Hospital in Dhaka. The new building was named “Father Martin Hall” after him.Theotonius Amal Ganguly then succeeded James Martin as the first Bengali principal. In 1964, Mathis House for priests was added to the south of the main building. Principal Amal Ganguly laid the foundation stone of the building on December 8 of that year on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The building was named after Michael Mathis, one of the founders of the missionary activities of the Holy Cross Fathers in East Bengal at that time. Since 1972, the ground floor of this building has been used as a library for seminarians and brothers.
Later in the 1990s, the six-storeyed "Archbishop Ganguly Building" was established due to a lack of student space. The ground floor of Ganguly Building is used for administrative purposes. The sixth floor is used for club management. Educational activities are conducted on the remaining floors. Presently normal classes and practical classes for all groups of science are conducted in “Father Harrington Building” and “Archbishop Ganguly Building”. A small hospital was also constructed to provide emergency healthcare and first aid to the students.
On December 12, 2012, the construction of the "Father Timm Building" began after Fr. Hemanto Pius Rozario joined as the principal.
In 2016, a six-storied “Father Timm Building” was established to expand the range. All group classes of Business Education Branch and Humanities Branch are conducted in the Father Timm building. In November-December 2017, the head of Christianity Pope Francis visited Bangladesh. On December 2, he addressed a youth rally at Notre Dame College premises. On the same day, he inaugurated the nameplate of the newly constructed "Father Timm Building" and the under-construction "Father Peixotto Building" of the college.
Work on the “Father Peixotto Building” began in early 2018 and was inaugurated in November 2019. The ground floor of the Father Peixotto building is occupied by the canteen and the college gymnasium is on the second floor. An office of the “Notre Dame Alumni Association” was established in the new building.
MATA MARY[edit]
The most iconic site of Notre Dame College is MARY's collage “Seat of Wisdom” just in front of the main entrance and the neighboring area, popularly known to every student as MATA MARY. This 6-foot × 8-foot collage is standing on a free-standing foundation to the east of the “Harrington Building”. After long planning, it was constructed as a symbol of the college as this institution is dedicated to the memory of Jesus' mother, Mary.
It shows MARY teaching the baby Jesus the alphabet while the bright “light” from the side illuminates the whole environment, symbolizing the idea of Jesus being the light source of the earth according to Christianity. It shows Mary wearing a simple Bengali sari and Jesus wearing Pyjama-Punjabi, which represents the universality of their education. [note 4]
The artist of the collage is Mirza Rabiul Alam Khokon. He spent a month with his team behind this collage of Notre Dame College. Besides Dhaka and Chittagong, some tiles were brought from Sri Lanka as they were not available in Bangladesh. It was inducted on October 29, 1999.
Campus[edit]
In 1965, under the guidance of environmentalist Professor Dwijen Sharma, tree planting began on the college premises. In 1962, he joined Notre Dame College as a lecturer in Botany. Though plantations were done on a limited scale only for the convenience of students' practical lessons, later the college was extensively greened with the encouragement of the then principals William Timm and James Benas and for its maintenance, the then gardener of Dhaka University was brought. Cannonball tree or Nagalingam tree is notable among the rare trees on Notre Dame College campus. These two trees can be seen in the area adjacent to the boundary wall, beside the auditorium of the campus. Among the 52 Nagalingam trees left in the whole of Bangladesh, these two are here.
In 2010, three Talipam saplings were planted by the initiative of Notre Dame Nature Study Club. These are the descendants of the last wild Talipam tree of the world in the Dhaka University premises. There are various known, rare flower and fruit trees and even large woody plants which are adoring the college premises. Among the flowering plants are: Leichhardt Pine, Pride of Burma, Silk Cotton, Palash, Golden Shower Tree, Ochna obtusata, Lalsalu, Mimusops elengi etc. Among the rare flowing plants are: Vachellia aroma, Mountain-ebony, Weeping bottlebrush, Erythrina variegata, Portia tree, Indian rose chestnut, Southern magnolia, Acalypha hispida, Plumbago indica, Plumeria rubra, Frangipani, Holarrhena pubescens etc. Among the ornamental trees there are: Ficus benjamina, Camphorwood, Corymbia citriodora, Barringtonia acutangula, Blackboard Tree, Albizia richardiana, Leucaena leucocephala etc. The other beautifying plants are: Casuarina equisetifolia, Cycas revoluta, some species of Garden croton, Poinsettia, Traveller's palm, Polyalthia longifolia etc.
Apart from conserving rare species of plants on its own campus, Notre Dame College also plays an active role in national and international environmental movements. International Nature Conference was held at Notre Dame College on 23-24 January 2015 with the participation of 17 countries of the world, in which a significant number of students from Bangladesh and outside Bangladesh participated. In 2020, on the occasion of Mujib Year, hundreds of plants were planted on the premises of the institution in the initiative of Bangladesh Jubo League.
Administration[edit]
Notre Dame College is governed by a governing body. Archbishop of Dhaka Dharmamahapradesh ex officio presided over the governing body. The college has a vice-principal and a student director under the principal to conduct the administrative activities. It is run by Catholic priests and missionaries of Christianity on the orders of The Congregation of Holy Cross. Since its inception, 10 priests have been the principals of the college. The first Bangladeshi and Bengali principal of the institution was Theotonius Amal Ganguly.
| Serial No. | Principal (Birth - Death) |
Duration | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John J. Harrington (22 December 1905–1967) |
1949-1954 | |
| 2 | James L. Martin (1918–21 March 1960) |
1954-1960 | |
| 3 | Theotonius Amal Ganguly (18 February 1920–2 September 1977) |
29 March, 1960 - October, 1960 | |
| 4 | William Graham | 1960-1967 | |
| 5 | John Vanden Bossche (18 May 1924–9 November 2014) |
1967-1969 | |
| 6 | Richard William Timm (2 March 1923–11 September 2020) |
1970-1971 | |
| 7 | Ambrose Wheeler (1918–10 July 2011) |
1971-1976 | |
| 8 | Joseph Stephen Peixotto (6 May 1933–4 February 2021) |
1976-1998 | |
| 9 | Benjamin Costa (26 September 1942–13 August 2017) |
1998-2012 | |
| 10 | Hemanto Pius Rozario (Birth: 1962) |
12 December, 2012-present |
A total of 90 teachers (till 2020 AD) are employed to conduct educational activities in the college. Further, 31 employees work for other administrative work of the college and 36 employees work under one manager for the management of the college. Besides, a team of 5 people conducts study programs in exchange for college work. Two teachers are engaged in free educational activities for the poor and street children. Benjamin Costa, former principal of Notre Dame College, Mizan Rahman, current lecturer in Bangla, and Dwijen Sharma, former professor of Biology are the authors of the Bangladesh National Encyclopedia Banglapedia.
Educational activities and methods[edit]
Admission System[edit]
From the beginning, Notre Dame College followed its own assessment method and took admission tests to admit new students. However, on May 10, 2012, the Ministry of Education issued a policy for the admission of students in class XI with instructions to complete the admission process online, based on the results of the secondary examination. Alumni and institution authorities expressed concern that the learning environment of the college may be disrupted if no admission test is taken. Because of this, they founded a non-political organization named "Notre Dame Education Heritage Preservation Committee". Advocate Kadam Ali Mallick filed a writ petition in the High Court against the online admission process. In the hearing, lawyer Dr. Kamal Hossain worked in favor of the petitioner. As a result, the institution's online admission program was suspended. Many alumni, 115 barristers, and about 300 professors from government universities in Bangladesh, including Dhaka University, supported Notre Dame College Alumni Association and Notre Dame Education Heritage Preservation Committee in their legal battle. The state appealed against the court's decision, which was dismissed by the appellate division headed by then Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha. On the basis of the court's judgment, Notre Dame College, St. Joseph's High School, Holy Cross College, and St. Gregory's High School and College, run by the Holy Cross Association, admitted students using their own assessment system. Smokers are not allowed on the campus of Notre Dame College. So, in the application form, the college authority mentioned that no smoker should apply. On June 2, 2020, the 4 colleges were ordered to finish their admission process by June 20. However, on June 3, 2020, considering the overall situation of the coronavirus pandemic in Bangladesh, the Dhaka Board of Education announced the suspension of their admission process. Subsequently, the college authorities had to keep the process suspended till further notice from the government. On July 16, the Ministry of Education gave an announcement, which instructed the colleges to start their admission process on August 9. Because of that, the Dhaka Board of Education permitted Notre Dame College to take an online admission test. After that, on August 29, Notre Dame College arranged an online admission test for the very time.
Teaching System[edit]
In order to regulate the day-to-day activities of the college, two designations: "Director of Studies" and "Director of Sports" were created. [1] But currently, "Director of Guidance" oversees the curricular and disciplinary matters of the college. [2] If the attendance of a student is less than 80 percent, disciplinary action is taken against him. The students are required to take part in two mandatory "quiz" examinations every week and the marks obtained in the quizzes add up to the overall results of the student. The laboratories for scientific experiments of Notre Dame College are considered superior to those of other similar institutions. [1] Students from the science group have to compulsorily perform practical activities of four subjects for an average of three and a half hours a week. If the slightest error or negligence in lab classes and report preparation is noticed, approval for the next academic year is suspended for the student. [2] Even in the devastating post-independence situation of Bangladesh, the slightest concession was not spared to these activities. Despite facing various problems such as time crisis, shrinking income, excessive increment in the number of students, unethical political interference, and challenge to finishing the curriculum, regular attendance has been ensured in adverse conditions for the students in classes. Those who refused to coerce were handed a transfer certificate. [3]
Every week, a minimum of one hour of time is allotted only for co-curricular activities. Almost every weekend, festivals of one or the other clubs/co-curricular organizations are arranged in the institution. At least once every month, the values-lesson program is organized utilizing the time allotted to co-curricular activities to implement full-fledged education as per the norms of the institution. The presence of each and every student is compulsory here. [2]
Faculties and Ancillary Matters[edit]
Notre Dame College offers education in 3 different groups (Science, Business Studies, and Humanities). There are a total of 15 departments in the college. higher mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology are taught to the students of the science group. The subjects of the business studies group are accounting science, management, finance, statistics. The students in the humanities group are taught philosophy, economics, geography, history, sociology, and politics. A present The students of the college are divided into 25 groups. 16 of them are for science students (groups 1 to 14 are for the students of the Bangla version and groups 15 and 16 are for the English version students). While there are 6 groups (groups A to F) for the Business studies students and 3 (groups G, H, and W) for the Humanities students.
The first-year classes are taken every week from Sunday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 12:40 pm and the second-year classes are from 1:00 pm to 5:45 pm. There are weekly holidays every Friday and Saturday. However, the college remains open on the weekly holidays as most of its club activities are carried out on these two days of the week. The college puts emphasis on the practical education of its students. That's why it has been made compulsory for students to attend practical classes in physics, chemistry, biology, higher mathematics, and ICT.
Library[edit]
In 1949, when the college was established, a library by the name "St. Gregory's Library" was founded in the college. Later, in 1954, as the college's name was changed to Notre Dame College, the library's name was also changed to Notre Dame College Library. On the 21st of August 1995, dedicating the library to the college's former professor in philosophy of logic, Father Richard J. Novak, C.S.C., it was named "Father Richard Novak Memorial Library". Archbishop Michael Rozario and the then Minister of Planning, Abdul Moyeen Khan, were present during the inauguration of the library. During the East Pakistan riots of 1964, on January 16, Richard Novak fell into the hands of extremists while crossing the Shitalakshya River on his way to Narayanganj to visit a family. He was stabbed to death and his body was dumped into the Shitalakshya river. Richard Novak's elder brother Michael Novak, an American writer, donated many of his own writings and books from his collection to the library. He also made regular donations to the library up until his demise. He also donated a portion of the Templeton Prize money to the library in 1994. He also provided grants for the construction of new library rooms.
The library, located on the fourth floor of the Archbishop Ganguly building, has two reading rooms with a total of 130 seats. Upon entering the college, the students become members of the library and receive library cards. The library regularly keeps 6 daily newspapers, 4 weekly, and 4 monthly magazines. In addition, many important periodicals and articles are kept sometimes. Students can borrow books by using the library card they have. However, rare books like dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, etc. can be used only in the library. One can also make a photocopy of a book in the library if needed.
Publications[edit]
The main publication of Notre Dame College is "Blue and Gold". It was given this name because of the fact that blue and gold are the symbolic colors of University of Notre Dame, USA. This magazine is officially published every year for the students of HSC. The college also publishes a quarterly magazine called Dhak Dhol-Chit Chat.
Student life[edit]
Dress code[edit]
The students of Notre Dame College must wear the stipulated attire. However, from the time of its establishment till 2012, there was no specific dress code. At that time, the students used to wear suitable clothes according to their choice. Then in 2012, the college authorities made the stipulated uniform compulsory. Now, students are required to wear cream-colored shirts, black pants, and black shoes. Light blue shirts, black pants, and black shoes are prescribed for degree students.
Student Politics[edit]
Student politics at Notre Dame College was completely banned from its beginning. But all kinds of institutional support are provided to strengthen the co-curricular organizations. But in the mid-sixties, as political instability continued to grow in then East Pakistan, the pressure was mounting on the head of the institution to start student union activities at the institution as well. At one stage, the college authorities took the whole issue positively, and in 1975 by formulating clear policies and constitutions, allowed the formation of student unions. They were even given the responsibility of doing some important work in college. But instead of behaving expectedly, the organization continued to show detrimental tendencies.
The students of the 1972 academic year, who got the opportunity to enter the college without taking the exam from the school due to the liberation war, tried to get permission to take the HSC exam with the help of the student union, realizing that they would not get the opportunity to give HSC with the required result as per the rules of the college. When the situation became heated during the union elections, the help of law enforcement agencies was taken. But due to political pressure, they moved away. At one stage, looting and vandalism were carried out on the college campus. However, within a few days, ordinary students reacted negatively and boycotted the student union elections. This marked the end of the institution's nine-year history of student politics.
Later, a policy was formulated banning any kind of student politics in the institution.
Extra-curricular organizations[edit]
From the very beginning, Notre Dame College placed great emphasis on co-curricular activities. The institute has several specialized and regulated clubs for regular practice, research, and dissemination of extra-curricular subjects. Clubs lead themselves in the practice and promotion of their subjects. In addition to thematic knowledge, clubs also work to develop students' leadership, loyalty, and organizational skills.
The club activities were further streamlined after the ban on student politics. At present, each month the college authorities conduct a one-hour value class to develop the values of the students and to build their character. The principal himself acts as the "chief patron" of any co-curricular activities of the institution and the vice-principal acts as the main supervisor of the clubs as the "club coordinator". As a representative of the authority in each organization, a teacher is specially appointed to the position of “moderator” or “director” and maintains direct control over his/her organization by the authority and power conferred by the authority. The executive committee, consisting of experienced and senior members nominated in each club, leads the club as directed by the director or moderator. Notre Dame College has a total of 24 co-curricular organizations (clubs) by 2020. "Honorable Mention" is given to the students who have passed the overall assessment of the college while being engaged in club activities. Notre Dame Science Club is the first science club in the subcontinent. And Notre Dame Debating Club is the first organizational debate center in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). Notre Dame English Club is also the first & the largest English club and the host of the largest English Carnival in Bangladesh. The Notre Dame Nature Study Club and its affiliate, the Nature Study Society, lead environmental movements in educational institutions in Bangladesh, including the Bangabandhu Award for Wildlife Conservation (2014) and lifetime membership of the Nature and Life Foundation. The organization was a major benefactor to the two International Nature Conferences held at Notre Dame College with the participation of more than 17 countries.
Sports[edit]
The college campus has a huge field to facilitate outdoor play like footballs, cricket, etc. There is also a basketball court. The college has a total of 3 fields including the basketball court. There is a sports equipment lending office to provide sports facilities to college students. There, students can collect various types of sports materials for free by showing their college identity cards. On the annual sports day or any special sports festival, various sports including running, high jump, long jump, badminton, basketball, shot put, and balance running are organized.
Cultural Carnivals[edit]
The biggest carnival arranged centrally at Notre Dame College, Dhaka is the freshers' orientation. On June 13th, 2016, and ICT-related project display and seminar were organized on the occasion of "ICT Day" with the assistance of the US Department of State. Mohammad Jafar Iqbal, Mohammad Kaykobad, and other renowned Information and Communication Technology individuals joined the ceremony. Pope Francis, the supreme leader of the churches, visited the college premises on December 2nd, 2017. A youth conference was organized followed by the arrival of the religious leader. Over 10,000 young people attended the meeting. On 20th February 2015, Notre Dame College arranged "Mayer Kache Mayer Vashay Cithi (Letter to Mother in Mother Tongue), where around 3100 students participated and wrote a letter to their mothers. Later, the letters were delivered to their mothers through the mail. "39th Science and Technology Week" and "Science Olympiad 2018" were organized on the premises of Notre Dame College. Notre Dame Science Club helped the authorities to organize the event. In 2015, the regional round of the "National Science Olympiad" was arranged on the college premises where students from five districts of the country took part. In 2019, Notre Dame College hosted the two-days long prize-giving ceremony of the "World Literature Center". 1998 students from 28 different educational institutions were awarded in that ceremony. Furthermore, Notre Dame College organizes festivals in the red-letter days of our history to promote awareness among the people in general.
Notre Dame Debating Club, the torchbearer of debating communities in Bangladesh, organized the first national debate competition entitled "NDDC Nationals" in 1982, and the legacy is being continued today. Also, the club introduced a new method of debating, the so-called "Debating League". Dr. Kamal Hossain, famous for writing the constitution of the nation, was also a debater of the club. Notre Dame Nature Study organized the "6th National Nature Festival" in 2015. At that event, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) arranged workshops and open discussions as a partner of the festival to engage young minds in the conservation of nature under the "Updating Species Red List of Bangladesh" project. More than one thousand students from 90 students took part in the festival. In 2015, Notre Dame Science Club organized a national science festival and general knowledge competition, where 6349 students from 90 institutions participated. The national science festival organized by Notre Dame Science Club is one of the biggest science festivals in the country. The 8th National Drama Festival and workshop were organized in 2017 by Notre Dame Natya Dal. At the festival, along with students from more than 50 institutions, Mustafa Sarowar Farooki, Nusrat Imroz Tisha, and members of Rock Band Chirkutt were present. In February 2018, Notre Dame English Club organized the "4th National English Carnival" where students from almost 400 institutions gathered under the umbrella of Notre Dame English Club, the first Organization of its type working to diffuse the aura of English. Here's to mention that, It was the largest English language festival organized till then.
The silver jubilee of Notre Dame College was celebrated in 1974-1975. The ceremony unified the alumni and the incumbent students. 25 years later on, the college stepped onto its 50 years in 1999. The very day was observed as the golden jubilee of the institution. Shahabuddin Ahmed, the then President of Bangladesh and former Chief Justice, was the Chief Guest of the ceremony. Mother Mary Sculpture was established on the college premises as a memorial to the event. The diamond jubilee was celebrated in 2009. Dr. Kamal Hossain presided over the meeting with Hasanul Huq Inu, Rasheda K. Chowdhury, and Syed Abdus Samad present as a guest. A remarkable ceremony was organized in 2019 in its platinum jubilee with "70 er Ahobane Jiboner Joygane (Come following the Calling of 70, Life's Victory)". Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the founder of BRAC, adorned the ceremony as chief guest.
Religious practice[edit]
As the college is run by Catholic priests, Christian students at the college are required to attend special prayer meetings every Sunday. However, students of all religions have complete freedom to practice their religion in college. There is a one-story Panjegana Mosque and Ojukhana (place of ablution) in the garden next to the basketball court on the college premises. In addition, there is a religious library on the ground floor of the Ganguly building of the college. Books of all religions are preserved there.
Social activities[edit]
Study in exchange for work[edit]
Notre Dame College has a system called "Study in exchange for work" or Notre Dame College Work Program to help indigent students. Like other social programs, it started in 1972. The program was originally started by the then principal J. S. Peixotto. He was assisted by two other clergymen in charge of the organization, Tim Benas and Steve Gomez. On the recommendation of Christian clergy and schools in different parts of the country, students are selected for the program through nine days of rigorous experimental work sessions or trial work sessions in May-June each year. During the election, the personality, talent, needs, work ethic, etc. of the students are verified. The program is managed by a director, supervised and assisted by a few assistants. The selected students work as laboratory assistants, office accountants, security guards, telephone operators, gardeners, and even cleaners. Through this project, the students also go to various human rights organizations, including Caritas, under the management of the authority and help them in their work every week. Most of the current employees of the institution are selected through this project. About 125 students pay for their education and accommodation under this system.
Notre Dame Literacy School[edit]
Notre Dame Literacy School, a night school, is actually a welfare initiative that is not directly affiliated with Notre Dame College. This project is part of Notre Dame College's Student Working Program. Although it was established in 1972, it has been providing education to wage earners and disadvantaged children along with juveniles since 1982. This school was established with the help of Christian fathers as a part of social opulent service activities. Initially, there was an opportunity only to study up to the fifth grade, but later it was augmented to the eighth grade. A good number of students after making headway from this school even get the competency to qualify for studying at Notre Dame College. Notre Dame Literacy School currently consists of 425 students from 180 families. On the whole, the students of Notre Dame College are voluntarily teaching in this social welfare project. However, in addition to Notre Dame College, many university students have also volunteered as teachers. The management and expenses of this institution are met by the college’s teachers, and students, and from various grants. This school comprises Morning Shift, Day Shift and Evening Shift. In addition, this project is also supported by Notre Dame Jagarani Co-operative Credit Union Limited, Notre Dame Navin Sick Shelter, Notre Dame Feeding Program, Notre Dame Sewing Center, and Notre Dame Boys' Home. During the Corona epidemic, Notre Dame Literacy School handed out food to students from 85 of the involved 180 families, with an estimation of 330 grantees.
Awards & Recognitions[edit]
Notre Dame College has been recognized as the best educational institution at the national level four times (1959, 1988, 1992, 1997). In 1959, during the Pakistan period, the institution was recognized as the best college in East Pakistan for achieving commendable success in the examinations of various universities. From 1952 to 1959, the institution ranked first in the Higher Secondary School Certificate Examination seven consecutive times. In recognition of the expansion of education after the independence of the country, the institution was recognized as the best educational institution at the national level in 1988, 1992, and 1997. In 1994, Professor Shushanto Kumar Sarkar of Physics and in 2010, Gazi Ajmal of Biology department were awarded as the best college teacher at the national level. A special honor was given to the then Principal Hemanto Pius Rozario for his great contribution to environmental conservation in a program called প্রকৃতি মেলা arranged by চ্যানেল আই and প্রকৃতি ও জীবন Foundation in 2014. In 2019, at the invitation of Tokyo International University authorities, Notre Dame College Principal Hemanto Pius Rozario visited the university.
Extra-curricular Recognitions[edit]
In addition to institutional achievements, Notre Dame College has a significant number of achievements in co-curricular programs. For preparation and participation in significant national and international events, training and practice activities are conducted under the supervision of the respective specialized extracurricular organizations under the direct sponsorship of the institution authorities. Delegations from co-curricular organizations participate in almost all national and international competitions on behalf of the college. The honors and success achieved in these fields are considered the success of the college. In the year 2016, a student of this institution won the Paper of Congress Award for his Mpemba Effect project which was nominated as the best project in the BFF-SPSB Children's Science Congress. During the same year, in Kathmandu, Nepal, a representative team of Notre Dame College became champions in the SARC General Quick Quiz Competition, in Hong Kong, a student of this college got the opportunity to represent Bangladesh in the 57th International Mathematical Olympiad, also in Bali, Indonesia, another student of this college won a bronze medal in the 13th International Junior Science Olympiad, and a delegation of this institution won a silver medal in the 28th Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad, APMO, all in the same year. A student of this institution won a silver medal in the 48th International Physics Olympiad held in Indonesia in 2017. In the 59th International Mathematical Olympiad held in Romania in 2018, some students of this institution and two members of Notre Dame Science Club won bronze medals separately and one member received Honorable Mention. Two students of this institution won bronze medals separately in the 49th International Physics Olympiad held in Portugal in 2018. In the সৃজনশীল মেধা অন্বেষণ প্রতিযোগিতা that started in 2013, every year till 2019, a student of Notre Dame (two students in 2017) received an award from the Prime Minister as one of the best twelve students in the country and got the opportunity to travel abroad on a study tour as a winner. Noble Quiz Mania 6, an international competition held in Nepal in 2018, was won by a two-member delegation from Notre Dame College and won five lakh Nepalese Rupees. In 2019, PlantiBot, the representative student team of the institution, won the bronze medal in the 21st International Robot Olympiad held in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Representing Bangladesh in the 53rd International Mathematical Olympiad, a student of this college received the Honorable Mention. Moreover, he became a six-time champion in the Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad. A student of this institution represented Bangladesh and won a bronze medal in the 61st edition of the International Mathematical Olympiad organized online from St. Petersburg, Russia in 2020 in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.In the same year, three students of this institute represented Bangladesh in the Global e-Competition on Astronomy and Astrophysics held in lieu of the International Astronomy Olympiad, an international competition on astronomy and astrophysics and one of them got a silver medal, one got a bronze medal and the other received Honorable Mention. Three students of the college represented Bangladesh in the International Physics Olympiad held in 2020, out of which two won bronze medals and one got Honorable Mention. Moreover, two students of the college won bronze medals by participating in the International Olympiad in Informatics held in September 2020. A student from this institution won a bronze medal in the Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad held in 2021. During the same year, a six-member Bangladesh team got a chance to compete with students from all over the world in the 62nd International Mathematical Olympiad conducted virtually from St. Petersburg, Russia, and two students from that team won bronze medals and both of them were from this college. In the 51st International Physics Olympiad organized by Lithuania in the same year, three students of the six-member Bangladesh team were students of this institution. Of the three, one won silver and the other two won bronze medals. During the same year, one of the students of this institution received Honorable Mention in the 32nd International Biology Olympiad organized by Portugal.
Brotherly Institutions[edit]
Notre Dame College is mainly an educational institution, administrated by the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cristhian Missionary Organisation. The Congregation of Holy Cross Association has been continuing its educational program since the 19th century. Among these, are the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College in the US state of Indiana, the University of Portland in Oregon, King's College in Pennsylvania, Stonehill College in Massachusetts, Notre Dame High School in Illinois, Notre Dame College in Montreal, Canada, Saint George's College in Chile, South America, and Notre Dame College in Brazil are noteworthy.
There are many institutions spread around Bangladesh that are administrated by the Congregation of Holy Cross. These institutions take advice about education and other matters from Notre Dame College. The college also coordinates with many institutes run by the Holy Cross on the national and international levels. These are considered the brotherly institutions of Notre Dame College. The notable ones among them are in the list below.
Notable alumni[edit]
Freedom Fighter[edit]
Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu, a former student of the institute, was one of the key figures behind the organization of the liberation war of Bangladesh. Besides, Mahfuz Anam, editor of The Daily Star is also one of the former students of this institution who took part in the liberation war. In the liberation war, former students of Notre Dame College Lt. Abu Mayeen Ashfakus Samad and Mohammad Nasim Mohsin self-sacrificed themselves. Cricketer Abdul Haleem Chaudhri Juwel, a young guerrilla from the then Dhaka Guerrilla warfare Crack Platoon, is also a former student of the institute.
Politics and Military[edit]
Famous lawyer and politician Kamal Hossain, the framer of the Constitution of independent Bangladesh, is a student of this institution. The current Cabinet’s four members - Architect Yeafesh Osman, Golam Dastagir Gazi, Zahid Maleque Swapan and Murad Hasan who are alumni of this institute. Besides, among the former ministers, there are - Abdul Moyeen Khan, Promode Mankin, Hasanul Haque Inu, and eminent politicians as well as MPs - Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu, Shamsher M. Chowdhury, Salman F Rahman are also alumni of Notre Dame College.
Former Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed, former Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat and former Chief of Army Staff Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury were students of this college. Former ambassadors of Bangladesh - John Gomes and Mohammad Ziauddin studied at Notre Dame College.
Entertainment and Media[edit]
There are also a good number of Notre Damians working in the entertainment world. Among them, the remarkable ones are - Actor Alamgir, Enamul Haque (actor), Tareque Masud, Aly Zaker, actor Siam Ahmed and Hollywood VFX expert and animator Wahid Ibn Reza. Among the alumni, those who are working in the music world are - Hamin Ahmed and Shafin Ahmed of Miles (band), Bappa Mazumder of Dalchhut, Tahsan Rahman Khan, Ziaur Rahman Zia of Shironamhin and many more. Among the media personalities - Shykh Seraj, Faridur Reza Sagar, and Mahfuz Anam are noteworthy students of this college.
Others[edit]
Among the intellectuals, there is Ainun Nishat, a climate expert and former Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University. Besides, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Serajul Islam Choudhury, and martyred intellectual Ghyasuddin Ahmed are alumni of this institute. Pastor Patrick D'Rozario, Gervas Rozario and Moses Costa, and the late Kya Sign Pru Chowdhury, the 16th Bomang king, were students of Notre Dame College.
Notre Dame College Alumni Association[edit]
The Notre Dame Alumni Association, in short NDAA, started its journey on January 30, 2011. Although, in 1959, the then principal J. L. Martin created a draft constitution as part of this initiative. During the celebration of 50 years (golden jubilee) of the college in 1999 and 70 years (diamond jubilee) in 2009, the students again expressed their interest in this regard, and therefore the then principal Benjamin Costa made the official announcement on January 30, 2011, at a meeting with 18 former college students. Later, the Notre Dame Alumni Association began its journey with a 19-member ad hoc committee, with Kamal Hossain, a former student of the college, as the honorary president, Benjamin Costa as the president, Professor Rashiduddin Ahmad as the first vice president, Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan as the second vice president, Bangladesh Ambassador of Philippines, retired Major general John Gomes (officer) as the general secretary, Bakul S. Rozario as acting general secretary and Adam S. Pereira as the treasurer. After that, on 22nd December 2012, the voyage of the organization was officially promoted by organizing the annual general conference on the college premises. As the constitution of the organization, the constitution drafted by J. L. Martin on December 7, 1959, was amended and adopted on June 30, 2012.
According to the constitution of Notre Dame College Alumni Association, the principal of the institution will be the president of the organization. Hence, the current president of the organization is the current principal Hemant Pius Rozario. Under his supervision, the Alumni Association became active again. Due to his efforts, an alumni reunion was organized in the college on March 2, 2016.
The students of Notre Dame College, who are present all over the world, establish branches and conduct activities of the Alumni Association in their place. The Notre Dame College Alumni Association of Australia, an Australia based organization of Notre Damians, hosted a reunion with 285 guests on February 29, 2020, at Sydney's Ride Civil Hall, in presence of Principal Hemanto Pius Rozario.
Criticism[edit]
In 2019 AD, during the construction work of Father Peixotto Building , two construction workers fell from the fifth floor of the building under construction. A construction worker died on the spot. In this, the construction company and the Notre Dame College authorities were accused of neglecting to take adequate safety measures for the workers.
Gallery[edit]
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Father Harrington Building -
Mathis House -
Archbishop Ganguly Building -
Decoration in Father Harrington Building on the 70th Anniversary -
Forefront of Father Timm Building -
Forefront of newly built Father Peixotto Building -
Flower garden behind Archbishop Ganguly Building -
Playground of Notre Dame College -
Basketball ground of Notre Dame College -
West side of basketball court -
Stage in front of Father Timm Building
See also[edit]
- Notre Dame College, Ohio, USA
- Notre Dame College, Mymensingh
- Notre Dame University Bangladesh
- Notable alumni of Notre Dame College, Dhaka
- Bengal Bouts
Notes[edit]
- ^ The weekly publication later became a quarterly publication called Dhak-Dhol and Chit-Chat.
- ^ The main ideology of the college is the symbolic color of the Notre Dame University, "Blue and Gold".
- ^ Prior to this, he was promoted to the post of Assistant Director of Studies on 26 October 1956 and later to the post of Director of Studies on 8 January 1956. Shortly after becoming director of studies, he resigned from responsibility for an accident and resumed his duties on January 7 of the following year. On November 1 of the same year, he was appointed as a Vice Principal in charge and as an assistant House Superior in charge. On the 14th of that month, he was appointed the prefect of the discipline of the college. Amal Ganguly was appointed as a vice president on March 29, when President (at that time) James Martin was preparing to return to the United States at the beginning of 1959. In the 1960s, Amal Ganguly conducted a course on ethics for higher secondary science students. When Principal Martin became seriously ill and was admitted to Holy Family Hospital, he became the principal in charge, and later he was appointed by the college's governing body on 30 August after Martin's death.
- ^ When one imagines higher education as a seat of learning, it is seen that Jesus, while sitting on Mary's lap, enters all the realms of knowledge, including the Scriptures. Therefore, according to Christianity, Mary is called the "seat of Wisdom."