Our History

As we look in retrospect, the inception of Badi- Ud - Din Mahmud Girls College dates back to the 1950s. It was a school with humble beginnings. With the dawn of independence the nations stalwarts envisioned their primary concern over education.

Yet better late than never, Mr. M.A.S. Marikkar, Mr. M. Jameel and Mr. Rahmathullah were some of the gentleman of wisdom in Kandy. They unleashed their dynamic personalities, with the hindsight for a Muslim Girls school in the hill capital. Their dreams came true in the year 1956. On the 16 ^th of January 1956 they established the school at the premises of the Line mosque in Kandy with a mere 52 students and 3 teachers, with the name bearing “Muslim ladies college”. It was indeed a milestone in the annals of Muslim female education in Sri Lanka.

The school functioned as a co-educational institution with Sinhala as the medium of instruction. However it was a mixed school then. It functioned under the stewardship of Mrs. Cristine Pollypulle. Mrs. Pollypulle and her assistant Mrs. Fowzia Raheem expanded their immense sweat and toil during those formative years

On the 1 ^st of January 1963, the school was acquired by the government consequently to the implementation of the new educational reforms. There by it was enlisted as a full-fledged government school.

With the increasing number on roll, the school was shifted to ‘Hang coke’ building. This was a single building nestling in the suburbs of the historic Kandy Lake. The school comprised of 300 students and 16 teachers including 3 graduate teachers. S.I Mudannayaka (1959) and Mrs. C. Wickramasinghe (1964) who rendered a yeoman service as the principals at that time was later succeeded by Mrs. A.M.M.Shanina in 1969.

The year 1971 was a great turning point in the schools history. There by ushering the ‘Golden era’ the school pioneered with remarkable changes in academic and co-curricular activities thereafter.

With this zest in his mind he spearheaded the task of relocating the school to its current location in 1973, thereby providing all the amenities to the dawn of a new era for the Mahamudians. By and large his heart and pride masterminded for a balance education with sports, aesthetics speech and drama and all other extra –curricular activities. Needless to say the College western band was initiated with his supreme guidance. The college was named after this great leader as a tribute for his laudable services.

We will be failing in our duties if we do not mention the magnanimity of our great benefactor Alhaj A.C.A.Gafoor. To him we owe a great deal of gratitude. B.M.G.C. that proudly stands today was originally the Gaffor villa, The holiday home of the great philanthropist cum merchant. In fact he had been a tower of strength, to the revival of Muslim education in Sri Lanka.

Nevertheless the stark edifice was first transformed into the Kandy education office. Later on the successful intervention of Dr.Badi-ud-din Mahmud the minister of education of the time, initiated the Great leap forward to the school with it’s relocation to the present site at D.S.Senanayaka Street.

A new era dawned in the history of B.M.G.C with the first formally appointed principal by the department of education in Sri Lanka. She was no other than Mrs Naleema Faleel With the passage of time this great institution had homed the multitude of female students regardless of class and creed. To hold with it, Muslim students from suburban schools were absorbed further to make this a full fledged leading college. In fact a fair number of Buddhist and Hindu students have found the school life at B.M.G.C most memorable and wonderful, being, clustered and alloyed in to the big family we call Badi ud din Mahmud Girls College. In 1974 school name was changed as Badi Ud Din Mahmud Girls’ College.

Certainly the beginning was not so rosy. The dilapidated classroom did not attract many students initially. In fact the paltry classroom of Gaffor building is in stark contrast to the spacious classroom at that we see today in the sprawling three story building donated by the benevolent proprietor Al Haj N.M.M Buhardeen of Fair line Garments in 1985.

In 1991 B.M.G.C was accredited the status of National School being among the 13 leading schools of sri Lanka. The introduction of Bilingual education in 2002 is another hallmark in the history of the college. Certainly, the emergence of the above has unwittingly endeavored the college to greater heights and wider accolades. We were privileged to amalgamate Sauladiya Vidyalaya to our school in 2009.

Today we are blessed with a dynamic principal with a visionary leadership and a healthy sustenance comprising 154 staff members,19 non academic staff members and 2270 students, rooted in an awe inspiring environment in its’ current location.

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