HERITAGE • BROTHERHOOD • SACRIFICE 1971

DRMC & Remians:
A Legacy of Stature, Patriotism & Immortal Sacrifice.

From its foundation in 1960 as East Pakistan’s premier residential school to the harrowing crucible of the 1971 Liberation War, Dhaka Residential Model College became both a sanctuary for refugees and a cradle of freedom fighters and immortal martyrs.

Established 1960 (52 Acres)

Liberation War 1971 Sanctuary

Martyrs of DRMC 5+ Honored Souls

Freedom Fighters 20+ Heroes

Home
About Us
DRMC & Remians

Foundations (1960) DRMC in 1971 Immortal Martyrs Remian Freedom Fighters Naming of Houses The Remians & ORWA

INSTITUTIONAL ROOTS

Founding of Dhaka Residential Model College

Modeled after the Public Schools of the United Kingdom

Dhaka Residential Model College (DRMC) was established in 1960 in Mohammadpur, Dhaka on 52 acres of prime land by the then President of Pakistan, Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan. DRMC was established following the prestigious model of Public Schools in the United Kingdom, designed to instill rigorous academic scholarship, character discipline, and extracurricular vigor.

The formal inauguration was carried out by Mr. Habibur Rahman, the then Minister for Education, on 6th May 1960. Initially under the authority of the Central Government, responsibility was transferred to the Provincial Government of East Pakistan in 1962.

In the initial formative period, Mr. H. H. Siddiqui served as the Bursar, and Major M. M. Rahman (later Lt. Col.) became the founding Principal on 13th March 1961 (serving until 30 April 1964). His leadership shaped the school across all spheres — integrating residential routines from reveille to lights out, studies to exams, PT, debates, drama, and sports. After his departure in May 1964, Lt. Col. Shafi took over. Earlier, in December 1961, Mr. M. A. Majid had joined.

A vital milestone arrived in 1965 with the establishment of the Autonomous Board of Governors. In 1966, Mr. K. A. Rahman joined as Vice Principal, and on 1st May 1966, Mr. Q. N. Huque became Principal. That same year, the school was placed under the Ministry of Education without altering its autonomous governance.

In 1967, the institution upgraded to a Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) level, inaugurated by Education Minister Mr. K. A. Haque. In February 1967, East Pakistan Governor Janab Abdul Monem Khan donated funds for a college mosque and recreational facilities. The Annual Prize Distribution Ceremony for 1967 took place on 1st May 1968, presided over by Mr. M. O. Ghani, Vice Chancellor of the University of Dacca (Dhaka).

The Founding Decade 1960–1970

6th May 1960: Inauguration by Education Minister Habibur Rahman on 52 acres in Mohammadpur.

13th March 1961: Major M. M. Rahman (later Lt. Col.) assumes office as first Principal; Mr. H. H. Siddiqui as Bursar.

1965: Establishment of the Autonomous Board of Governors.

1966: Principal Mr. Q. N. Huque and Vice Principal Mr. K. A. Rahman take leadership.

1967: College upgraded to Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) level; Mosque & recreation funded.

“From reveille to lights off, from studies to exams, from PT to sporting matches, from debates to dramas... his students came to him first and his students came to him last.” — Tribute to Founding Principal Shaheed Lt. Col. Md. Manzurur Rahman

WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

DRMC in 1971: Sanctuary & Crucible of Resistance

The story of Dhaka Residential Model College during the 1971 Liberation War is an epic chronicle of fear, sacrifice, heroism, and survival.

The Tumultuous Days of March & April 1971

In March 1971, amidst the non-cooperation movement and the national yearning for independence, Dhaka Residential Model College — the premier institution in East Pakistan — stood directly in the vortex of turmoil. Following Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic declaration of independence on March 7, DRMC principal Kazi Nurul Haque declared holidays, sending most students home. However, students whose guardians could not reach them remained behind in the care of dedicated teachers — including freedom fighter Firoz Mahmud Hasan and candidates preparing for their SSC and HSC examinations.

Late at night on March 25, 1971, the Pakistani Army began its brutal crackdown. Gunfire and leaping flames illuminated the college boundary walls. Mohammadpur, heavily inhabited by violent Bihari mobs, surrounded the college. Campus residents awoke to terror. When the pregnant young wife of sports teacher Mr. Mahbub Amjad began crying in fear, teacher Abdus Salam (whose own wife was also pregnant) sheltered them in his home.

On the morning of March 26, hundreds of Bengali families fleeing atrocities in Mohammadpur flooded into DRMC seeking sanctuary. The housemaster of Qudrat-e-Khuda House (then Jinnah House), Shah Mohammad Zahurul Haque (later vice-principal), unlocked the house, collected rice and lentils, and cooked hot khichuri with the staff to feed the terrified refugees.

“We will all die together if we have to die.”

— Late Shahanara Begum, Headmistress of Junior Branch (later Vice-Principal), rallying teachers and families who took refuge in the dark college building (now Shiksha Bhavan-1) without lighting lamps.

On March 27, when curfew lifted between 8:00 A.M. and 12:00 noon, many refugees and families ventured out searching for safer shelters. Yet Principal Kazi Nurul Haque and Vice-Principal Kazi Azizur Rahman made the courageous decision to remain on campus, guarding the institution despite the extreme peril.

In the first week of April, a Pakistani Army Camp was erected across the entire school building (presently Education Building-2). The campus became a virtual death trap. In Zainul Abedin House, housemaster Mr. Shamsul Haque and his family remained trapped inside for three days. Meanwhile, a secret 'defense cell' was formed by SSC examinee Firoz Mahmud Hasan (School No. 211) and teachers. When Pakistani commandos scaled the walls and surrounded the teachers' quarters, Urdu-speaking teacher Kalim Ahmed bravely stepped forward, speaking in Urdu and convincing the commandos to leave through the western gate without entering the homes.

“You will come, O freedom, Sakina Bibi's forehead was broken, and the vermilion of Sinthi was wiped off Haridasi's face.”

— Shamsur Rahman

“What value is this stream of blood of a hero, this stream of tears of a mother, will it be lost in the dust of the grave?”

— Rabindranath Tagore

Campus Protectors in 1971

Kazi Nurul Haque (Principal) & Kazi Azizur Rahman (VP)

Steadfastly refused to desert the college, staying on the premises through the violent siege of Mohammadpur.

Shah Mohammad Zahurul Haque

Housemaster who opened Qudrat-e-Khuda House as a refugee camp and cooked food for hundreds of fleeing Bengalis.

Omar Ali (Teacher) & Begum Omar Ali

Childless couple who took 3rd-grade student Md. Farid Bakht (School No. 759) under their protective custody as their own son.

Kalim Ahmed (Teacher)

Urdu-speaking teacher who faced down Pakistani commandos scaling the walls, saving the faculty from imminent massacre.

Historic Dual Identity

DRMC was not merely an educational institution; in 1971 it served as a civilian sanctuary, an emergency food kitchen, an occupied military zone, and a clandestine cradle of the Mukti Bahini.

🌹 ETERNAL HOMAGE

The Immortal Martyrs of DRMC

We bow in eternal reverence before the principals, teachers, staff, and students of Dhaka Residential Model College who made the supreme sacrifice for the freedom of Bangladesh.

Founding Principal (1961–1964) 1928–1971

Shaheed Lt. Col. Md. Manzurur Rahman

Founding Principal & Martyr of Jhenaidah

The founding principal who shaped DRMC’s academic standards, discipline, and residential culture. In 1971, as Principal of Jhenaidah Cadet College, he placed institutional safety above his own life. On 18 April 1971, Pakistani soldiers and razakars brutally murdered him in the garden of the principal's residence alongside teacher Captain Abdul Halim. Their tombs remain an immortal memorial.

“Duty is greater than running away. The institution is like my child.”

Former Student & House Prefect Martyred 1971

Shaheed Nizam Uddin Azad

Prefect of Zainul Abedin House & DU Scholar

Brilliant student, house prefect of Zainul Abedin House (then Ayub House), and 1st-year honors student at Dhaka University. Forsook family and career to join the Liberation War. On November 11, 1971, during a frontal battle at Matlab Police Station in Chandpur, he was injured, captured, and disappeared forever. His mother kept her door open for 16 years hoping for his return.

Ayub House was renamed in his honor as Shaheed Nizamuddin Azad House after independence.

DRMC Faculty & Student Martyred 1971

Shaheed Abdur Rahim & Teenage Son

Beloved Faculty Member & Remian Boarder

A converted Muslim from a Brahmin background who taught Bengali, English, and Arabic. Known affectionately as "Abdur Rahim the Second" (BUET Prof. Dr. Nizam Uddin Ahmed: "Number two in name, number one as a teacher and person"). While returning to college with his teenage school-going son, both were martyred together by Pakistani military outside the south-eastern boundary.

Father and son martyred together in service to their alma mater.

DRMC Ground Staff Martyred 1971

Shaheed Md. Jalal Uddin

College Fourth-Grade Ground Staff

Ground man of DRMC. Attempting to seek safety through the eastern gate, he was ambushed by Biharis, dragged to the DRMS Sonali Bank gate, and brutally murdered with repeated knife blows near stones where Ganabhaban stands today. He left behind a pregnant wife, Joytun, and a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Joshana.

His humble sacrifice is forever enshrined in the history of DRMC.

Child Martyr (Age 12) 28 April 1971

Shaheed Abdul Khalek

Son of Teacher Syeda Jahanara Mansur

The brave 12-year-old boy travelling with his mother, DRMC teacher Syeda Jahanara Mansur. When violent mobs attacked their rickshaw near Asad Gate on 28 April 1971, Abdul Khalek attempted to climb over the college boundary wall to enter the safe campus. The mob caught and killed him at the wall. His mother still keeps his memory alive in tears.

An innocent child martyr whose soul watches over the college boundary.

Remian Freedom Fighter 1954–1975

Shaheed Sheikh Jamal (School No. 598)

Nazrul Islam House Resident & Army Officer

Second son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Boarder of Nazrul Islam House and SSC candidate in 1971. Escaped Pakistani house internment in Dhanmondi to join the Liberation War. Classmates announced: "Sheikh Jamal has gone to the Liberation War." Later trained at Sandhurst, London, commissioned in the Bangladesh Army, and martyred on 15 August 1975.

Victorious in 1971; martyred alongside Bangabandhu on 15 August 1975.

MUKTI BAHINI HEROES

Remian Freedom Fighters of 1971

Dozens of students and faculty members answered the call of the nation, forsaking their youth, homes, and careers to fight on the frontlines.

School No. 71 Bir Protik

Bir Protik Habibul Alam

DU student in 1971 who joined Sector-2 under Khaled Mosharraf. Visited DRMC in early April 1971 to assure terrified teachers that freedom fighters were guarding the campus. Author of the acclaimed Liberation War chronicle 'BRAVE OF HEART'.

Sector-2 Commander's Guerilla

S.S.C-65, School No. 249 Bir Bikram

Major Shamsher Mubin Chowdhury

Wounded in action during fierce frontal combat with Pakistani forces, earning the gallantry award 'Bir Bikram'. After independence, he distinguished himself as Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh.

Bir Bikram & Former Foreign Secretary

School No. 831 & 832 First War Course

Major Syed Mizanur Rahman & Bir Bikram Major Syed Munibur Rahman

Twin brothers studying at Dhaka Medical College who joined the First War Course of the Bangladesh Army. “We abandoned our simple, bright youth and became a fierce guerrilla force.”

Twin Heroic Guerilla Officers

School No. 350 BUET Professor

Professor Dr. Nizam Uddin Ahmed

Joined the active resistance against Pakistani occupation as a 2nd-year cadet college student. After liberation, he went on to become a distinguished, respected professor at BUET.

Freedom Fighter & BUET Academician

School No. 779 First War Course

Major Abdul Qayyum Khan

First-year honors (Physics) student at Dhaka University who threw himself into the war as a member of the First War Course of the Bangladesh Army.

Army Officer & Frontline Combatant

St. Joseph's / DRMC Disappeared 1975

Syed Aman Mansur (Babla)

Son of DRMC teacher Syeda Jahanara Mansur. Fought bravely in Colonel Taher’s regiment. Returned home victorious in December 1971, but mysteriously disappeared in November 1975.

Colonel Taher's Regiment Fighter

School No. 674 BBC Newsreader

Sohel Samad

Fought under Nasir Uddin Yusuf Bachchu in Manikganj. A brilliant student who later became an international BBC newsreader before dying prematurely in a tragic road accident.

Freedom Fighter & BBC Broadcaster

School No. 211 & 420 Manikganj Front

Firoz Mahmud Hasan & Ariful Mawla Chowdhury

Organized early resistance on the DRMC campus and participated in active guerrilla battles under commander Nasir Uddin Yusuf Bachchu in Manikganj and Dhaka.

Frontline Mukti Bahini Combatants

8th & 9th Graders Youth Courage

Hammadur Rahman Rupin, A.K.M. Zaman & Aman Ullah

Young teenage school boys — including 8th-grader Hammadur Rahman Rupin, 9th-grader Aman Ullah Khan, Zakir Ahmed (No. 174), and Selim Ahmed (No. 594) — who displayed fearless patriotism on the frontlines.

Teenage Heroes of DRMC

POST-1971 INSTITUTIONAL MEMORIALIZATION

The Historical Naming of the DRMC Resident Houses

Following the triumph of Bangladesh’s independence in December 1971, the college immediately stripped away Pakistani symbols and honored its fallen martyrs:

From Jinnah House →

Shaheed Colonel M. M. Rahman House

Immediately after independence, the former Jinnah House was renamed in honor of founding principal Shaheed Lt. Col. Md. Manzurur Rahman, recognizing his foundational leadership and martyrdom in Jhenaidah. In 1981, it was re-dedicated as Qudrat-i-Khuda House.

From Ayub House →

Shaheed Nizamuddin Azad House

The former Ayub House was renamed in honor of heroic former house prefect and martyred freedom fighter Shaheed Nizam Uddin Azad, celebrating the student courage that liberated the motherland. In 1981, it was re-dedicated as Zainul Abedin House.

THE ALUMNI FRATERNITY

Who are Remians? & The Role of ORWA

Old Remians Welfare Association • Registered with Ministry of Social Welfare in 2001

The term "Remians" refers to the proud alumni of Dhaka Residential Model College. They share a bond forged in early morning PT, strict academic discipline, collegiate sports, and the immortal legacy of their alma mater.

“If you ask any student who studied at least for a day, a month, or his whole school and college life, he will tell you what this word means to them.”

Remians have made decisive contributions across Bangladesh and internationally — in government service, education, healthcare, engineering, corporate enterprise, and the arts.

To organize this vast global brotherhood, the Old Remians Welfare Association (ORWA) was officially registered as a Voluntary Social Welfare Organization with the Ministry of Social Welfare in 2001. ORWA’s mission is to strengthen connections across graduating batches, support the welfare of current and retired teachers and staff, and contribute directly to DRMC’s infrastructure and development.

Through grand reunions, cultural festivals, student scholarships, life-saving blood donation drives, winter clothing distributions, and national emergency relief, ORWA keeps the sacred torch of Remian fraternity burning bright.

About ORWA Association → Explore Recent Activities → Join ORWA Membership →

ORWA Community Commitments

✦

Alumni Grand Reunions: Uniting generations of Remians on campus in friendship, networking, and cultural celebrations.

✦

Teacher & Staff Welfare: Supporting current and retired faculty and staff members who gave their lives to DRMC.

✦

Student Scholarship Programs: Need-based stipends and Shaheed Farhan Faiyaz Scholarships for deserving students.

✦

National Disaster Relief: Emergency relief during cyclones, floods (Flood 2024), and pandemic assistance.

✦

Emergency Blood Network: 24/7 life-saving blood donation drives saving lives throughout Bangladesh.

Are you a Remian?

Reconnect with your batch, claim your digital membership, and uphold the legacy of our alma mater.

DRMC & Remians: A Legacy of Stature, Patriotism & Immortal Sacrifice.