Tale of a century-old institution

St. Gregory's High School, Bangladesh, is a Catholic High School founded in Dhaka, British India, in 1882 by Father Gregory De Groote, a Belgian Benedictine priest. The school, located on Subhas Bose Avenue of Luxmibazar neighborhood of old Dhaka, was named after Pope Gregory I (540-604). It has produced Prime Minister, Nobel laureate, President of People's Republic of Bangladesh, world famous lawyers, educationists, architects, engineers, business personalities, teachers, politicians, musicians and social workers. In a word, the Gregorians are spread all over the world.

The century old institution, Saint Gregory's High School was founded in memory of Gregory's-1, the great saint, Pope, Theological physicians of souls. In 1888, the American priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross took over the Vicariate of East Bengal from the Benedictine Fathers. At the time, Mr. and Mrs. Wise - who were Protestants - ran a school at present Wiseghat area near the River Buriganga. In this school, most of the students were of European and Anglo-Indian Catholic communities. Anglican and Baptist pastors were allowed to teach religion at this school. Father Francis Boers, C.S.C. tried many times to be a teacher of Catholic religion to the Catholic students at the school, but was not allowed. Out of frustration, he started an English-medium school on the grounds of the present adjoining St. Francis Xavier's Convent and girls' high school, that came into being later. The renamed St. Gregory's School shifted to the present site in 1896.

Until 1912, both boys and girls were students of St. Gregory's High School. When St. Francis Xavier Girls' School came into being in 1912, it became a boys' school. After creation of Pakistan in 1947, the school started the Bengali medium section. After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the school has only a Bengali medium section. Early in 1914, a one story building was torn down to make room for the present "Darjeeling "building and the latrines. Also the scout troop, the first in Dhaka, was started and had 40 scouts. Bengali replaced Latin as a second language in 1915. Later that year Father Crowley resigned as headmaster.


Professor Amartya Sen who won a Nobel Prize for Economics in 1998 had been a student of St. Gregory's. During a visit to Dhaka on December 19, 1998, he visited the school of his childhood and was present at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new school building. Students of the school are known as "The Gregorians". The "Gregorian Association" is the official alumni club of this school.

Recently the institution has celebrated its 135th founding anniversary. Founded in January 1882 by Rev Father Gregory De Groote, a Benedictine priest, the school set many historical records in education and humanitarian activities. Last but not least, Brother Prodip Placid Gomes (c.s.c), the current hea-dmaster of the school uttered in an assembly that "all students must visit Ekushey Book Fair and buy books and the students must show their books as proof of their visit to Book Fair."  After this declaration, students have started visiting Book Fair and buying books. No doubt, Brother Gomes has played a vital role in encouraging students to buy and read books. In the era of science and technology, students have forgotten reading books. Students now pass their leisure times browsing internet or playing games in computes. But the initiative of Brother will help students grow love for books. If other educational institutions follow the holy step of Brother a book-friendly generation will be created.