Notre Dame College, Dhaka

Notre Dame College, Dhaka

নটর ডেম কলেজ, ঢাকা
Seal of Notre Dame College
Other name	NDC
Former name	St. Gregory's College
Motto	Latin: Diligite Lumen Sapientiae
Motto in English	Love the light of wisdom
Type	Higher secondary school Degree college
Established	3 November 1949; 74 years ago (1949-11-03)
Accreditation	Dhaka Education Board
Affiliation	National University, Bangladesh
Religious affiliation	Catholic Church (Congregation of Holy Cross)
Endowment	Christians, Ethnic minorities
Principal	Fr. Hemanto Pius Rozario, CSC (2012 - present)[1]
Vice-principal	Fr. Leonard Sankar Rozario, CSC[2]
Students	7000 (As of 2019[update]) Male
Address	Arambagh, Motijheel , Dhaka , Bangladesh 23°43′52″N 90°25′15″E / 23.7310°N 90.4209°E / 23.7310; 90.4209
Campus	Urban, 5 acres (2.0 ha)
Language	Bangla and English
Demonym	Notredamian
Alumni name	Notre Dame Alumni Association
Colors	Cream (Shirt)   Black (Pant)
Website	ndc.edu.bd

Notre Dame College, Dhaka (Bengali: নটর ডেম কলেজ, ঢাকা), also known as NDC, is a higher secondary and degree level educational institution founded and managed by the priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross located in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.^[3] Upon the invitation of the then East Pakistan government after the partition of India, St. Gregory's College was founded on 3 November 1949, as an expanded iteration of St. Gregory's High School in Laxmibazar, Dhaka. This was undertaken by the Roman Catholic priest community at the initiative of Archbishop Lawrence Graner and the decision of the Congregation of Holy Cross. In 1954, the college relocated to Arambagh near Kamalapur railway station under the jurisdiction of the Motijheel Thana, and was dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, being named Notre Dame College. The French phrase "Notre Dame" signifies Our Lady, yet Notre Dame College has remained an all-boys institution since its establishment.^[4]

In 1950, Notre Dame College became affiliated with Dhaka University, and by 1959, it had earned recognition as the foremost educational institution in East Pakistan.^[5] Initially housing only Humanities and Business departments at its inception, the college later introduced BA in 1955 and B.Sc in 1960. However, starting in the academic year 1972-73, the B.Sc course was discontinued. Presently, the college offers higher secondary and BA courses in both English and Bengali mediums. In 1992, it gained affiliation with the National University. Acknowledged as the nation's premier educational institution four times (1959, 1988, 1992, 1997) by the National University, this institution,^[6] managed by Christian missionaries, primarily serves the Christian community, tribals, minorities, and the underprivileged.^[7] Nonetheless, it welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds. Since its establishment, a majority of the student body has comprised Bengali Muslims. As of 2019, statistics reveal that 85 percent of the institution's students are Muslims.^[4]

Notre Dame College is among the four institutions granted the privilege to conduct its admission test, as decreed by the Bangladesh Supreme Court in 2012.^[8]