Pritilata, Novera's alma mater: Dr Khastgir School— a beacon of women's education

The day Mina pointed out that white-grey building by the roadside and said, "This is Pritilata's school," I didn't get a good look at it. All I could see was the school's tall wall as we passed by in the CNG (auto-rickshaw). That wall seemed massive, even though I didn't get to see much. 

Just knowing that this was the school where Pritilata studied made me feel a certain fondness, and it sparked my curiosity. The bold and brave Pritilata Waddedar passed her matriculation here; she must have walked through these grounds and studied in those classrooms.

I remember reading in Maleka Begum's book that Pritilata was admitted to Dr Khastagir Government Girls' High School when she was just seven years old. By third grade, she was already one of the top three students in her class. She was the top scorer among all students in Chattogram when she took the matriculation exam, which made her a favourite among the teachers.

One of Pritilata's teachers was Usha, her history teacher—who they fondly called Usha Di. She would often share stories about Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, the queen who fought against British soldiers disguised as a man. It was through reading Usha Di's book, Jhansi Rani, that Pritilata was deeply moved by Rani Lakshmibai's bravery and resolve.

Another of Pritilata's close friends was Kalpana Dutta. Yes, the same Kalpana Dutta who later became a fierce figure in the anti-British movement. She, too, studied at this school, though she was a few years younger. Pritilata and Kalpana would often play badminton together on the Khastagir school grounds. In her book, Kalpana Dutta later wrote, "Sometimes we dreamed of becoming great scientists. At that time, Rani Lakshmibai inspired our consciousness. We began to see ourselves as fearless revolutionaries."

But Pritilata and Kalpana weren't the only remarkable women from this school. Renowned sculptor Novera Ahmed, famous writer Maitreyi Devi, professor Shipra Dutta, esteemed Indian scientist Shobhana Dutta, researcher and social worker Jashna Ara, educationist Badrun Nahar, singer Raziya Shahid, and educator Pranati Sen were all once students here. What a legacy! 

Even Farida Akhtar, an advisor to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock of the current interim government, is a former student of this school. Being such a prestigious institution, I was very eager to know what lies beyond that high wall.

A white-grey building built during the British era

Dr Khastagir School is located on Jamal Khan Road in Chattogram, and from the outside, it doesn't really look like a typical school. As you enter through the main gate, the first thing you notice is a tall, white two-story building with a long veranda running along its entire length. To the right, there's another two-story building, but it's noticeably shorter. The taller one probably stands out more because it was built during the British era.

The school has a large campus, with five academic buildings in total, each housing different classes and departments. However, from the road, only the tall, white-grey British-era building is visible. The other buildings were added later—some during the Pakistan era, others after Bangladesh's independence, and a few in the 1980s.

Photo: Minhaj Uddin

When the school first opened in 1907, only the tall British-era building was there. The shorter one, on the right as you enter, was built during the Pakistan period, according to Kausar Ferdous, the assistant headmistress of the day section. Over time, the other buildings were added to accommodate the growing number of students.

The two-story building built during the British era housed classrooms, an office, and the principal's room on the ground floor. The school faced south, with a beautiful flower garden in front. There were various local and exotic flowers whose names are not known. Near the school gate, next to the watchman's room, there was said to be a Shefali flower tree. When autumn arrived, the ground under that tree would be covered with white-orange Shefali flowers, spreading their fragrance...

I have heard stories about the garden of Khastagir School from former students who are now in their sixties and seventies. From one former student's memoir, I learned that lotus flowers also bloomed here once upon a time. In that case, there should have been something like a pond or a canal. I've also learned that when entering through the gate, there were flower gardens on both sides. There were Bakul flowers, guava, Jalpai, Bilamb, and many more.

A paved road runs straight from the gate between the two-sided gardens. In the middle of the building, there is a large arched entrance like a portico. Ascending the stairs of the entrance leads to long verandas on both sides, where there were classrooms, teacher rooms, and office rooms. Straight ahead is a staircase that leads to the second floor.

The stairs leading to the second floor once took you to the girls' boarding section, which could house around 50-60 girls during the British and Pakistan eras. Back then, there weren't many schools, and when it came to girls' education, Khastagir was unmatched. As a result, girls from all over greater Chattogram came here to study. Students travelled from Noakhali, Feni, and even the remote hill tracts of Rangamati. 

Even the daughters of kings from Rangamati and Khagrachari stayed in the school's boarding. There's even a story of a princess named Yuthika, the daughter of the king of Manikchhari in Khagrachari, who came here. At that time, the only way to travel to her area was by elephant.

Thursday was the day of joy

Thursdays were special—a day of joy. But besides all the fun, Khastagir has always been known for its discipline, and even today, it's considered one of the top schools among mothers. From the very beginning, the school had strict rules. A former student shared that according to hostel rules, every morning at 6:30, the caretaker would ring a handbell throughout the dorms. As soon as the bell rang, students had to head down to the field for PT (physical training).

"Besides all the fun, Khastagir has always been known for its discipline, and even today, it's considered one of the top schools"

After breakfast at seven, they would study in the classroom under the supervision of the hostel superintendent until 9:30. Then, they had to bathe and be ready for school by 10:30. Behind the school, where the science building stands today, there used to be a well with four bathrooms around it, fenced for privacy. Two students would share a bathroom, and everyone had about 20-25 minutes to finish up. There was a strict schedule for bathing, and by 9:30, they had to be dressed, have eaten, and be ready for class.

They would stand in line in front of the class singing the then Urdu national anthem, "Pak Sar Zameen Sad Baad." After school was over, they would wash their hands and face, fold their clothes, and go down to play. By six in the evening, they had to finish dinner and enter the study room. After finishing their studies at nine-thirty at night and having their late-night snacks, everyone would go to their beds.

Thursday was the day of fun. After Maghrib (evening prayers), there would be a Milad (prayer gathering), and at night there would be a feast of parathas and mutton. The next day, Friday, was the day of dressing up and wearing new clothes. 

A student named Shakina Yusuf wrote in the school magazine, "My classmate Juthika, the daughter of the king of Manikchhari, lived in the hostel. She had fresh chiffon, georgette, and other expensive sarees. On Fridays, we would take turns wearing Yuthika's sarees. Additionally, on special occasions, the dress code was white sarees with red borders, white blouses, and white frocks for younger girls."

The spiral iron staircase

On the second floor of the building, four hall rooms were allocated for the 50-60 students, with each room accommodating 14-15 girls. The headmistress and the hostel superintendent also lived on this floor, occupying the remaining three rooms. The room facing the road served as the prayer room during the hostel days. Aside from prayer time, the girls were not allowed to enter that area, so it remained untouched by the students.

To move between floors, the girls used a historical wrought iron staircase. During school hours, the hostel girls would navigate this back staircase to reach the second floor. However, this once-busy staircase now sits in a nearly dark, cramped room, looking abandoned and suffocating. It's so narrow that it might barely fit two people going down together! Just imagining how the students managed to make their way up and down that rusty iron staircase is truly remarkable—it must have taken a lot of courage.

Girls would go outside in groups for fear of ghosts

Like the iron staircase, there are various fascinating anecdotes about the hostel life of Khastagir students. As the former student Roshida Majid shared, "Girls at that time were always scared. They believed that the school was haunted by ghosts. If we ever went outside the gate of the hostel, we had to go in groups. There was a thick forest right behind the school where spirits roamed, and there was a rumour that a girl was even lost in that forest. Therefore, fear would always linger among us."

Pritilata Waddedar walked through this corridor and studied in these classrooms. Photo: Rafia Mahmud Prato

However, despite their fear of ghosts, they would always share secret plans, especially about matters of love. A secret letter from the nearby boys' school would make its way into the girls' hostel. If there was a proposal, the girls would giggle together and leave those letters beneath the candle lights in their dormitories. They would tie the letters with a thread so that no one could open them. The letters usually contained sweet words like "I love you," "I miss you," "I adore you," or "Will you marry me?" Eventually, they would take those letters and decide to throw them away in the river.

A living history of women's education

Dr Khastagir Government Girls' High School is a living history of women's education in Bangladesh. With its profound legacy, it not only paved the way for the fearless revolutionaries like Pritilata and Kalpana Dutta but also nurtured countless other bright minds who contributed to various fields. The memories etched within those walls of the school tell tales of struggle, friendship, and unwavering courage.

Today, as I stand in front of that tall white-grey building, I can't help but feel a deep sense of respect and admiration for the generations of women who walked those halls, their dreams and aspirations echoing in the very air. The school is a symbol of resilience, empowerment, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge—an institution that continues to inspire young girls to aim high and dream big.