নীল দর্পন (ঝিনুক)

Dinabandhu Mitra

Dinabandhu Mitra Mitra was born at Chowberia village in Gopalnagar P.S., North 24 Parganas and was the son of Kalachand Mitra. His given name was Gandharva Narayan, but he changed it to Dinabandhu Mitra. His education started at a village pathshala. His father arranged a job for him on a zamindar's estate in 1840. But the small boy fled to Kolkata, where he started working in the house of his uncle, Nilmani Mitra. Around 1846, he was admitted to the free school run by James Long. Dinabandhu was a bright student and won a number of scholarships. In 1850, he enrolled in Hindu College and was awarded scholarships for academic excellence. However, he did not appear in his last examination, and, instead, started working as a postmaster in Patna in 1855. He served in various posts in the Postal Department in Krishnanagar, Nadia, Dhaka and Orissa. In 1870, he was made supernumerary postmaster in Serampore. In 1872, he joined the Indian Railway as an inspector.