Dhaka College

Dhaka College

Dhaka College, located in Dhaka, is one of Bangladesh's most important and earliest higher educational institutions. It offers four years Honors and one year Masters program in various majors; also offers H.S.C. level. The college is affiliated with the National University. Several thousand students study here, it has a number of student halls and many students participate in Central and National politics. Dhaka College was established by Dr. James Taylor (Civil Surgeon at Dhaka) in 1835 as an English School (at present Dhaka Collegiate School). Dr. James organized a local Committee of Public Instruction with the help of district magistrate Mr. Grant. The school building was built partly out of public donations on the grounds of an English factory. The school rose to college status in 1841 and buildings were completed in 1946, with the aid of the Bishop of Calcutta. In the first graduating class there were both Muslim and Hindu students, as well as a number of foreign students, mainly from Armenia and Portugal. The college was relocated in 1873 to a large building to the east of Victoria Park in order to accommodate the physics and chemistry laboratories. Later it shifted in 1908 to Curzon Hall while the science departments were housed in the present chemistry building of the University of Dhaka. In 1921 the college shifted again to the present High Court Building. During the Second World War it moved to Siddique Bazar. At present, it has its own campus near Dhaka New Market