100 years of Latif Seminary
Patuakhali Latif Municipal Seminary, a famous non-government secondary level educational institution, is celebrating its 100th founding anniversary this year.
The institution started on January 1 in 1916 with only 16 students, and has around 750 students now. A two-day-long programme, including a colourful rally, cultural function and discussion meeting, has been drawn up to celebrate the centenary on December 22 and 23.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The school was set up on 4.88 acres of land in front of Patuakhali municipality office in the centre of the district town. It is the third oldest educational institution in the district, with Jubilee Government High School set up in 1887, and Bibichini Niamot Ali United High School set up in 1912 being the first two, school sources said.
It was named after the then administrator of Patuakhali sub-division Abdul Latif as he took the initiative to set up the institution.
The school was recognised by Kolkata University five years after it was established. It ran under Dhaka University from 1947 to 1950 and then under Dhaka Education Board from 1951 to 1963. Later it came under Jessore Education Board and is now under Barisal Education Board.
The school held classes from Class I to Class X in the beginning. Its primary section was separated and named Latif Government Primary School on the same campus after nationalisation of primary education in 1975.
The school started in a tin-shed house but now it has six separate buildings with 32 rooms. It also has a hostel, science building, library building with around 4,500 books, computer building, Red Crescent building and mosque on its campus. It has a large playground.
Ashutosh Chakrabartee was the first headmaster of the school, said headmaster Md Zakir Hossain. Many other prominent educationists were also headmasters of the school, among whom Gonesh Chandra Sen, Raj Kumer Sen, Surendra Nath Roy, Asita Ranjon, Moazzem Hossain, MA Gafur and MA Rob are mentionable.
The school has a good reputation in academic results and achievement in sports.