Mymensingh Zilla School

Mymensingh Zilla School, also known as MZS, is a boys' public secondary school in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The school was established as Hardinge School during the British Raj in 1846 and got its current name, Mymensingh Zilla School on 3 November 1853.

The school was started as an English medium back in 1846. At present, it is a Bangla medium school and the medium of instruction is Bengali. Since 1991 the school has been running two shifts, Morning and Day. The Morning shift starts at 7:30 am and ends at 12:00 pm. The Day shift starts at 12:30 pm and ends at 5:30 pm. The school has two nearby campuses: one is meant for academic and administrative buildings while the other is for school hostel which is currently not in use for accommodation of the students but has other usages.

History
In 1846 it started as an English medium school called 'Hardinge School' at Mr. F. B. Camp's, the then Deputy Collector of the East India Company. On 3 November 1853 it started as a full-fledged English medium school near Kachari (present Laboratory School). However, it is no longer an English medium one; it follows the national curriculum of Bangladesh and the medium of instruction is Bengali. Bhagawan Chandra Bose, the father of scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose, was the first headmaster of the school.

It was called multilateral pilot school during the time of first Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh, S.M.A Kajmi, by the government. The main and present school structures were built in 1912. In 1965 the school compound was designed and reformed by an American science teacher, Mr. Dril.

The school had been used as a base of the British Army during World War II. It was also used as a training camp for freedom fighters during Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. And more than 40 students sacrificed their lives, that time, fighting against the Pakistan Army.

On 3 March 1981, police fired tear-gas to subdue rioting Mymensingh Zilla School students. Sixty people were injured in the clash, which began when the students attempted to reoccupy part of their school hostel building that the government had recently given over to an adjacent primary training institute.

Admission
Usually, aspirants of 2nd and 5th grade apply by December to sit for the admission test. Only the qualified aspirants get opportunity to be admitted to 3rd and 6th grade respectively.

Academics
The school provides education from the third through the tenth grade. Upon successful completion of the eighth grade, students have to choose to be in either the Science or Business Studies stream. However, joining science stream is contingent upon marks obtained in mathematics and general science in Junior School Certificate examination. Since the ninth grade the whole student body, thus, gets separated into two groups: Science and Business Studies. Upon successful completion of the tenth grade the students are allowed to sit for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination.

Sports
Students regularly participate in different sporting events and games at different levels—local, regional, national—for which prior training and coaching are offered. Popular outdoor games include football, handball, basketball, volleyball, cricket, hockey etc. In addition to this, facilities for different indoor games like chess, table tennis, carrom, etc. are also provided. Mymensingh Zilla School went to the 12th Nirman School Cricket Tournament finals in 1994 against Narayangonj High School. MZS lost by five wickets.

Debate and Public Speaking
The school has a debate team which participates in Regional and National Debate Competitions regularly with significant achievements. They have appeared in multiple National TV Debating Competitions. It recently won the Prothom Alo-Pushti Bitorko Protijogita. Besides, individuals from the school have won national public speaking competitions and the Creative Talent Hunt Competition.

Music
The school has a musical group who primarily performs Bengali Folk music and Modern Bengali music including Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Geeti in various occasions. The group usually plays harmonium, tabla and guitar while performing. During the school assembly before classes, they sing the national anthem.

Olympiads
Mymensingh Zilla School is one of the most successful schools in National and International Olympiads. Multiple students from the school has won various medals and honours in International Mathematical Olympiad, International Physics Olympiad, International Junior Science Olympiad, Asia Pacific Mathematical Olympiad, Asian Physics Olympiad, Iranian Geometry Olympiad, Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad, Bangladesh Physics Olympiad, Bangladesh Olympiad in Informatics, NHSPC, Bangladesh Chemistry Olympiad and various other competitions.

Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) and Bangladesh Scouts
The school has a BNCC team which is for all students. Interested students can join the BNCC. There is also scout activities in the school. The scouts are trained by Bangladesh Scouts. BNCC and School Scouts coordinate different school programs and social works.

School Magazine
The school has a school magazine that publishes poetry, short stories, comic pieces and artworks by the students. The magazine is called Oitijjho (Bengali: ঐতিহ্য).

Notable alumni

 * Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, the 2nd President of Bangladesh
 * Anandamohan Bose, an Indian political leader and social reformer, a president of the Indian National Congress
 * Jagadish Chandra Bose, a polymath: a physicist, biologist, botanist, archaeologist, and science fiction writer
 * Nurul Amin, the 8th Prime Minister of Pakistan
 * Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed, an attorney general of Bangladesh
 * Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta, an educator and humanist, martyred during the 1971 Dhaka University massacre
 * M. Anwar Hossain, an educator, scientist and the incumbent Vice-Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University
 * Syed Nazrul Islam, acting President of Bangladesh during the Bangladesh Liberation War
 * Abdul Monem Khan, Governor of East Pakistan from 1962 to 1969
 * Jamilur Reza Choudhury, National Professor of Bangladesh.
 * Md. Hafizur Rahman, Minister of Food and Agriculture of Pakistan (1958–1960); Minister of Commerce of Pakistan (1960–1962); Provincial Minister of Finance and Planning of East Pakistan (1962–1965)
 * Krishna Kumar Mitra, Indian independence activist and journalist
 * M. R. Akhtar Mukul, an author, and presenter of Chorompotro, the Ultimate Mail, during the Bangladesh Liberation War
 * Abu Zafar Obaidullah, a poet
 * Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, a musician, artist, writer, and printing pioneer
 * Mahmudullah, a cricketer
 * Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq, Bangladeshi writer, essayist, translator, critic, columnist

Notable headmasters

 * Girish Chandra Sen, Brahmo Samaj missionary, the first person to translate the Quran into Bengali language.
 * Bhagawan Chandra Bose, father of Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, the first Headmaster of Mymensingh Zilla School.