Honouring a trailblazer

More than five decades ago, Niloufer Manzur, a young teacher and mother of two, set out to establish a school that would provide children with a strong academic foundation while developing their conscience and sense of responsibility towards their country.

That aim led her to establish Sunbeams School at her home in Dhaka in 1974.

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Over the next 46 years, she transformed the small initiative into one of the country’s leading English-medium schools and helped shape generations of students.

The Daily Star yesterday paid tribute to the late educationist for her lifelong contribution to promoting quality education in Bangladesh.

The tribute was presented during the 25th The Daily Star Prime Bank O&A Level Awards 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal.

Munize Manzur, principal of Sunbeams and Niloufer’s daughter, received a commemorative crest on behalf of the family and the school.

Describing Niloufer as a pioneer in education, the organisers said she had dedicated her life to creating opportunities for young people and promoting excellence in education.

“Her influence reached far beyond the classroom, shaping generations of citizens who will continue to make Bangladesh proud,” they said.

“Though she is no longer with us, her vision, values and legacy continue to inspire us. With love and appreciation, we pay tribute to her lifelong contribution to education.”

The tribute was part of the awards ceremony recognising 2,545 high achievers from 121 English-medium schools across the country.

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Niloufer was the daughter of the late Dr Mafiz Ali Chowdhury, who served as a minister in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s cabinet in 1972.

Encouraged by her husband and supported by friends, she planned a school that would offer a solid academic foundation and instil conscience in its students.

After independence, she took a Tk 10,000 loan from Janata Bank and used the money to buy 10 desks and benches, which she had painted red, a colour she associated with prosperity.

At 8:00am on January 15, 1974, she wrote “Sunbeams” on a blackboard and rang a bell outside her home at 2 Indira Road in the capital.

Every morning, Niloufer and her colleagues Farida Taher and Mustari Khan moved aside the living-room furniture and arranged classes in two rooms.

They taught 15 children aged between four and eight. After lessons, they returned the rooms to their original setting.

Sunbeams opened its senior section in 1994 and introduced GCE Ordinary Level courses in 1996. Its first batch completed their O-levels in May 1998.

The school moved to its own campus, spread over more than two acres, in 2007. Its first batch of A-level students completed the programme the following year.

Niloufer remained principal of the school for 46 years. Under her leadership, Sunbeams placed importance on academic standards as well as students’ knowledge of Bangla, the country’s history and heritage, and their responsibilities as Bangladeshis.

She died from Covid-19 at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka on May 26, 2020, at the age of 74.