# Sylhet Government Pilot High School

The Sylhet Government Pilot High School (Bengali: সিলেট সরকারি পাইলট উচ্চ বিদ্যালয়) is one of the oldest schools in Bangladesh as well as in Indian Subcontinent. Founded in 1836, it is situated in the Kalighat area of Sylhet, on the bank of the Surma River.

## History

Around 1830, during the rule of the British East India Company, Lord Bentick ordered the establishment of this school in order to make the people of the region speak English properly. In 1841, only 41 students were studying here. Reverend Price then took charge of the school as headmaster and transformed the school into a missionary school. The school was then handed over to Reverend Price. In 1869 the name of the school was changed to "Sylhet Government High School" and Roy Sahib Durga Kumar Bose was appointed as the headmaster of the school. The school was destroyed in the earthquake of 1897 and later the school was moved to its present location (Kalighat). When Roy Saheb Durga Kumar Bose voluntarily retired in 1903, Baikunthanath Bhattacharya took charge as the headmaster of the school. Another earthquake destroyed the school in 1918 and the school was rebuilt in 1919. In 1926, the school was damaged by a severe flood and in 1929, the entire school, except for one building, was destroyed by fire. During World War II in 1939, the school building was used as a camp for soldiers, and after the soldiers left, the school resumed its work.In 1955 the school was named Sylhet Government Pilot High School by the project of piloting schools by East Pakistan Government. In 1962, Abdul Wahid Chowdhury took over as headmaster and improved the science lab and increased the number of teachers. In 1967 he was selected as the best head teacher of Chittagong division. In the same year. He was awarded "Tamga-e-Khedmat" for his radical transformation of the school. In 1971, Pakistani soldiers set fire to the school, destroying many important documents and burning books. In 1999, the school was divided into morning and day shifts.

## Events

Sylhet Gov. Pilot High School won the national prize in 2003.
Sylhet Government Pilot High School celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2010 with a grand reunion on 20 and 21 January 2010 at the school campus.

## Notable alumni

Alphabetically listed according to the last name.
* Rafique Uddin Ahmed [bn] - scientist, electrical engineer
* Syed Mujtaba Ali - writer
* Abdul Malik (physician)
* Arup Ratan Choudhury - dental surgeon
* Humayun Rashid Choudhury - Speaker of the National Parliament (1996–2001)
* Mahmudul Amin Choudhury - Chief Justice (2001–2002)
* Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury - Chief of Army Staff (2002-2005)
* Jamilur Reza Choudhury, Structural Engineer
* Sadruddin Ahmed Chowdhury - professor and founding vice chancellor of SUST
* Sundari Mohan Das - medical doctor
* Shuvro Dev - Singer
* Faruk Rashid Chowdhury - Minister of State for Finance (1987–1991)
* Mohammed Farashuddin - Governor of Bangladesh Bank (1998–2001)
* Syed Manzoorul Islam - writer, winner of Ekhushe Award
* Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran - Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation (2003–2013)
* Faruq Ahmed Choudhury - diplomat
* Ariful Haque Choudhury - Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation
* Khalil Ullah Khan - film actor
* Abu Sayeed Ayyub - Philosopher
* Abdul Malik - National Professor of Bangladesh
* AK Abdul Momen - Foreign Minister
* Abul Maal Abdul Muhith - Minister of Finance (1982–1984 and 2009–2019)
* M. A. G. Osmani - Commander in Chief, Bangladesh Liberation Army, 1971
* Abu Nasr Waheed - educationist