Pritilata Waddedar was born in Chattogram on 5 May 1911. She was a meritorious student at Dr Khastagir Government Girls' School in Chattogram and Eden College, Dhaka. She graduated in philosophy with distinction from Bethune College in Kolkata. In her college days, Pritilata was an activist in the anti-British movement. All through her life, she dreamt of two things: a society without gender discrimination, and her motherland free from British colonial rule. So she decided to fight against the British rule.

Soon after, Pritilata became the head teacher of Nandankanon Aparna Charan School in Chattogram. Gradually she involved herself in Surja Sen's armed resistance movement. Surja Sen was a famous anti-British movement organiser and revolutionary activist in Chattogram area at that time. In 1932, Surja Sen planned an attack on the Pahartali European Club. The club was well-known for its notorious sign at its entrance: Dogs and Indians not allowed. Surja Sen assigned Pritilata to lead a team of 10-12 men to attack the Club. The raid was successful but Pritilata, dressed as a man, failed to get out of the Club.

She committed suicide by taking potassium cyanide to avoid arrest. She proved that women can work like men. She also proved that women too needed to be prepared to sacrifice their lives for freedom from the British colonial rule. Her dream finally came true. The British rule came to an end in 1947 though she couldn't see it during her lifetime.

1.

Answer the following questions.

(a) What dual aspirations motivated Pritilata Waddedar throughout her life, leading her to join the anti-British movement?

(b) What discriminatory message at the entrance made the Pahartali European Club notorious and an ideal target for the revolutionaries?

(c) Why did Pritilata Waddedar choose to commit suicide by taking potassium cyanide immediately following the successful raid?

(d) How did Pritilata Waddedar attempt to conceal her identity while leading the team of 10-12 men during the raid on the Pahartali Club?

(e) What do you learn from Pritilata's life? Show some reasons in your answer.

2.

Match the parts of sentences given in column A, B and C to write five complete sentences.

Column A	Column B	Column C
The ancient mariner	saw an albatross	blew them quickly through the icy waters.
He and the other sailors	opened wide as the strong wind	about his last journey on the sea.
The big white sails of their ship	told the marriage guest	flying towards the ship.
The weather being very cold,	sailed away to the south	until they arrived in cold grey seas.
One day, the sailors	there were no	birds or animals in the sea.

3.

Put the following parts of the story in correct order to make the whole story. Only the corresponding numbers of the sentences need to be written.

(a) With eyes full of tears, they bade Socrates a last farewell.

(b) They burst into tears and cried loudly like children.

(c) Socrates met his friends and disciples for the last time.

(d) He argued with them about the immortality of the soul.

(e) He asked them to let him die in peace.

(f) At last the hours of departure had arrived.

(g) He told them that the soul of a man cannot die.

(h) His friends and disciples could not bear the sight.

4.

Answer any 5 (five) of the following questions based on poems.

(a) What recurring questions does the poet mention in the poem "O Me! O Life!"?

(b) What do the boatmen hear even today amidst the sands of Dee?

(c) How do books contribute to the formation of new ideas and the introduction to new people?

(d) What should children do to their mother and why?

(e) Which two cities have been mentioned in the poem "Time, You Old Gipsy Man" and why?

(f) What is the significance of 'sleep' in the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"?

(g) When do you have many friends and when do they leave you?

(h) Why do the mountains echo the songs that we sing but not our sigh in the poem "Solitude"?

Dhaka Residential Model College 2026

Unlock Dhaka Residential Model College 2026