Empire's Last Casualty: Bangladesh, Gopalganj, Tutamandra Sarajubala Girls’ High School

Bangladesh, Gopalganj, Tutamandra Sarajubala Balika (Girls’)

Bidyaloi (High School): From Mud-Floor Classroom

to Producing Top Scholars

Dr. Sachi G. Dastidar

Probini Foundation Report; January 20, 2019

In pre-partition India, educating girls was a big goal of nationalists. Thus the Tutamandra village Sarajubala School was built in a remote rural area of southcentral Bengal, now in southeast Bangladesh. Recently in January of 2019 a 3-member Probini Foundation delegation visited the school where they have built the Probini Girls’ Hostel. In early 2000s when Probini supporters first visited the school with the help of a Hindu Monk Rev. Swami Satyapriananda the Girls’ School had uneven mud floor. (Without the monk’s help this reporter wouldn’t have been able to reach such a remote corner without any easy public transportation.) A campaign by Probini Foundation raised funds for the dormitory allowing girls to complete high school especially for those girls who live beyond walking distance – which is the majority of the cases. Now “the school has produced top award winners in nationwide School Final Exams, eventually securing entry into law, administration, engineering, teaching, medical and other competitive disciplines” said Headmaster Arabindu Rai. Mr. Rai added, “we need funds to complete the second floor of the hostel, and some classrooms. Probini’s initial help was multiplied by local fund raising from the otherwise poor, mostly-peasant, oppressed community." When this writer appeared in January of 2019 there was a festive jubilatory atmosphere at the site with two Probini-supporter ladies in their late seventies from the neighboring West Bengal State of India.

The Probini Foundation Chhatribash (Girls’) Bhaban (Dorm) was built by the Members of Probini Foundation, Ms. Marta Delgado and Mr. Saumya Nandi, Master Akash Nandi, Dr. Joyeeta Ghosh Dastidar, Mr. Prabal Mukherji, Dr. Tom Angotti and Dr. Emma Matos, In Late Debashish Samaddar’s Memory by Mr. Pratip Dasgupta, Mr. Shuvo Ghosh Dastidar, Dr. Manjula Mukhopadhyay, Dr. Uwe Gielen, Mrs. Sibani Ghoshal, Drs. Shefali S. & Sachi G. Dastidar. Date of Opening: 18 Poush 1418 / April 1, 2009.

Check https://empireslastcasualty.blogspot.com/2008/12/educating-poor-and-orphaned-in.html for additional information.

Should anyone be interested in helping the Gopalganj school, they may write to probini@hotmail.com for further information.