About Zahira OBA

Zahira College Colombo is one of the oldest schools in the country with a heritage of over 130 years. OBA has a proud and vast history, spanning nearly 100 years, and has always been at the forefront of impactful and crucial matters relating to the School. Its achievements have been numerous and multidimensional over the decades.

OBA has always been at the core of organizing events and campaigns beneficial to the School. OBA’s historical “take over” campaign against the government to wrest Zahira under its control is unparalleled in the annals of its history.

Had it not been for the prudent initiative of the Zahira College Old Boys’ Association, under the able leadership of the then President late A. C. M. Ameer (QC), Zahira would have been another state-managed government school with a bleak future. They were resilient in the pursuit to have the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka’s decision in 1961 quashed and did not hesitate to take the legal battle even up to the Privy Council (UK) where they finally emerged victorious.

Each one of us who has received an education at Zahira, no matter in which period, would have spent 10 years or more of our formative years in college. After the customary farewell party, we all bid adieu to Zahira.

It was a bitter-sweet experience to depart from the portals of the college, and from there onwards, to borrow the phrase of ‘Hassan Sir’ (one-time headmaster of the junior section) we became ‘architects of our own future’.

Some pursue higher education, some engage in business and some seek employment in other fields. Despite these differences, we are proud to be Zahirians. The purpose of forming an OBA is to bring back all the Zahirians under one umbrella to make them stakeholders in the development of the college.

Since Mr. M. Fouzul Hameed became the Chairman of the Board of Governors in 2006, a well-coordinated and systematic programme to improve the infrastructure development, as well as upliftment of the standards of education, sports, and extracurricular activities have been methodically executed with commendable success.

OBA was instrumental in procuring two school buses for the College. It was also an initiation by the old Boy’s Association under the theme “Let’s Pool”, which paved the way for the construction of the present swimming pool in a three-story building including an auditorium. Zahira College achieved this after 120 years.

Now Phase I of the state-of-the-art Sports Complex is being completed and Phase II is progressing. Upon completion, the Sports Complex will be a jewel in the crown of Zahira.

At present, there are over 30 affiliated old boys’ groups which are rallying around to support the college in every possible way to regain its pristine glory. Hence, it was due to OBA’s untiring and selfless efforts, today one could proudly see the green, white, and maroon coloured flag soaring high at the iconic Gaffoor Hall building.