# Kushtia High School

Kushtia High School (Bengali: কুষ্টিয়া হাই স্কুল) is an old secondary school located in Kushtia city of Kushtia District. The school was established in 1861. The chief grandfather of the property of this school is Debendranath Tagore, the zamindar of Shilaidah.

## History

In 1861, Kushtia Sub-Division Chief Clerk Gurdas Chakraborty, Police Inspector Jagat Chandra Lahiri, Ramjoy Saha and Ramsundar Pal established the school named Kushtia H.E School (Kushtia English High School) in present-day Kushtia city.

### British period

Initially, school activities were conducted in a shed. In 1887–1888, a four-roomed building named Jubilee Bhaban was constructed which is currently the oldest building of the school. Local landlords and businessmen provided financial support for the construction of the building. There is an inscription in the hall of this Jubilee Bhaban. This inscription contains the names of those who helped to build the building.
In 1910, a brick building for Muslim students named Ezekiel Islamia Hostel was constructed on the western side of Jubilee Bhaban . On 28 June 1910, with the efforts of Kumarkhali Anjuman Ittefaq Islam, Mahukuma Magistrate Maulvi Aminul Islam and Sub-Registrar Maulvi Masood ul Haque, the Administrator of the Presidency Division S.L. Maddox laid the cornerstone of the building. District Commissioner of Nadia J.A. The building is named after Ezekiel. On January 26, 1911, the administrator of the Presidency Division A.W. Collins inaugurated the Ezekiel Islamia Hostel.
As the majority of students in the school were Hindus, Hindu hostel was supposed to be built in the school first, but there is no clear answer as to why the Muslim hostel was built first. Finally, a separate hostel for Hindu students named Coronation Hindu Hostel was built on the east side of Jubilee Bhaban with the efforts of the energetic individuals of the Kushtia city. No exact information is available about the construction of Hindu Hostel. Recently both the hostel buildings were demolished during the construction of the new school building.
During World War II, in 1942, several educational institutions in Kolkata were shifted to the then East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) due to the threat of bombing by the Japanese Air Force. As part of this program, Bangabasi College in Kolkata was transferred to Kushtia High School. As a result, the high school activities were shifted to the English High School for Girls (now Kushtia Government Girls High School).

### Pakistan Period

After the partition of India in 1947, there were no buildings in Kushtia city suitable for setting up District Police Lines in Kushtia District of newly independent Pakistan. The East Pakistan Government acquired the school building. On a government initiative, Kushtia High School was merged with the then existing Municipal Academy at the site of Chand Sultana Secondary Girls School and renamed as The United Kushtia High School and Municipal School. The United Kushtia High School and Municipal School was functioning till June 30, 1965. On July 1, 1965, Kushtia High School returned to its building. It was only in 1947 that the school was recognized by Calcutta University and the recognition was revoked.

### Post-independence period

In its own building, the institution ran as United High School till 1972 and restarted as Kushtia High School. Due to the construction of the market by the Kushtia Municipality, the playground area of the school has decreased. Before the construction of Kushtia Stadium, independence and victory day parades, district sports competitions, football leagues were held in this school ground. In order to meet the financial solvency of the institution, 165 shops were constructed on the ground by the Kushtia Municipality. No school building is visible from outside for these shops.