A brief history of Dhamura Secondary School (DSS)

In 1936, a junior high school was established in West Dhamura at the initiative of the local Mukharjee family. It started with a very small number of students attending classes in a basic temporary structure. During the partition of the country, the Mukharjee family moved away from Dhamura to Kolkata and the school was subsequently closed in 1948. In December 1950, Arshad Ahmed, then the headmaster of a well-regarded secondary school in Patuakhali, returned to Dhamura and took it upon himself to found a secondary school. The local community fully supported his effort. In mid-January 1951, Dhamura Secondary School began its journey in wooden walled classrooms beneath tin roof at the present location in Central Dhamura. The date of the establishment of the defunct Dhamura Junior High School was used to expedite the approval of the new co-educational school. In fact, the present Dhamura Secondary School was established in January 1951. DSS, led by educationist Arshad Ahmed, soon became well known in the Barisal district and across the country as a high-quality place of learning. It has a strong academic record and its students are consistently recognized for their achievements. Many students of this institution have achieved acclaim and success nationwide and abroad, a trend that still continues. Alumni include the Ekushey Padak winning, late renowned researcher Dr. Ghulam Murshid and eminent economist Dr. M.G. Quibria, a former Director of the Asian Development Bank. Currently, the student body at DSS numbers more than nine hundred. The overall support of the local community is one of the primary factors in the success of Dhamura Secondary School along with experienced teachers and professional office staff.