The Sylhet Government Pilot High School is one of the fourth oldest schools in Bangladesh as well as one of the oldest in Indian Subcontinent. It is also the first established high school of what is now Bangladesh. Founded in 1836, it is situated in the Kalighat area of Sylhet, on the bank of the Surma River.
History
In the 1830s, when the East India Company controlled what is now Bangladesh, the Governor General of India, Lord William Bentinck, tried to promote fluency in English. This was a primary factor for the establishment in 1836 of the Sylhet Government Pilot High School. Official records show that there were 74 students in 1841. Later, when Reverend Prize took over, he converted it into a missionary school and took over as Headmaster. Reverend Prize then handed over the mission to Reverend Jones. In 1897 the Prize Memorial Library was established following a fundraising campaign. After many years, the library merged with the Kendrio Muslim Sahitya Sangsad Library. In 1869 it was renamed Sylhet Government High School and Rai Sahib Durgakumar Basu was appointed Headmaster. The 12th June earthquake of 1897 completely destroyed the school building. Classes were later resumed at a different location, which became the current location of Sylhet Pilot Girls High School. In 1903, Rai Sahib Durga Kumar Basu retired from his government job and Baikunthanath Bhattacharya took over as Headmaster. Another earthquake in 1918 almost totally destroyed the school buildings, but the school resumed in 1919 after reconstruction. Once again the institution suffered a blow in 1926 when a fire burned down everything except the administration building. There was another fire in 1929. Khan Sahib Mofizur Rahman became Headmaster in 1934. After World War II in 1939, the school building was used by the military as a camp. Months later, when the military-backed out, the school resumed its operations. Khan Sahib was transferred to Shilchar Normal School in 1945. Upon his retirement, Srish Chandra Gupta took over followed by Abdul Gafur Chowdhury in 1947, and Chowdhury retired in 1951. Then, Syed Hafizur Rahman became Headmaster. After he was transferred to Comilla Zila School the next year, Badruddoza Chowdhury took over. Md. Idris, who took charge in 1954 and successfully recovered some valuable land from illegal occupants. Idris handed over the responsibilities to Assistant Headmaster Shah Syed Monirul Haque in 1962. Three months later, Abdul Wahid Chowdhury took over and improved the science laboratory as well as raising the number of teachers. He was adjudged the best Headmaster in the Chittagong division in 1967 before going to retirement in 1968. For his service to society, Chowdhury was also awarded the "Tamgha-E- Khedmat" by the government the same year. The same year assistant Headmaster of the school Riasat Ali was also adjudged best teacher in the Chittagong division. In 1967 Syed Amirul Islam took over. In 1971, the Pakistan Army set buildings ablaze, destroyed valuable documents, rare books, and other materials. Syed Amirul went on retirement after his eventful tenure in 1972.
Sylhet Gov. Pilot High School won the national prize in 2003. Sylhet Government Pilot High School celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2010 with a grand reunion on 20 and 21 January 2010 at the school campus.
