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Sunday, April 28, 2013

Tangail; a City in Bangladesh

Tangail Town Bangladesh
Tangail (Bengali: টাঙ্গাইল) (Urdu and Punjabi: تانگیل) is a town located in the Tangail District, in the central region of Bangladesh. It consists of 5 corporations, 8 municipalities, 72 wards, and 211 mahallas. It is located on the banks of Louhajang River, and is part of the Dhaka Division. 

Education

Before the Liberation War, some educational institutions were established by notable persons in Tangail. Among those schools are Bindubasini Government Boys' High School (1880) and Bindubasini Government Girls' High School (1882). In 1926, the Sa'dat Government University College, Korotia, was established by Wazed Ali Khan Panni, a zamindar and one of the most prominent educationalists of Tangail. M.M. Ali Government College was established by Maulana Vasani at Kagmari (About 5 km away from the main city). Kumudini College was established in 1943 by Ranada Prasad Saha, a philanthropist of Tangail. Later the college was converted into Kumudini Government Women's College.
Shibnath High School in Tangail Town
Currently, there are 5 government-run high schools in the city. Among those schools are the two Bindubasini Government schools (situated in the center of the town) and Shibnath High School near the old bus stand in the city. There is a Technical University as well. 

Transport:

Tangail was once connected with Sirajganj by ferry leading to the western shore of the river at Sirajganj.

Tangail now has a station on a new broad gauge line of Bangladesh Railways which connects the western and eastern systems via the Jamuna Bridge. There is also a connecting road. Bus services are available from Mohakhali bus terminal such as Nirala super service, Jhatika paribahan, Dhalesswary and many more.

Maulana Abdul Hamid Bhashani
Cuisine

The dessert known as Cham Cham originated with Porabari of Tangail. The sweet is very popular in the Indian subcontinent. 

Notable People:
  • Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Popular political leader in Pakistan and Bangladesh 
  • Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain. 
  • Kader Siddique, known as "Tiger Siddique", incumbent MP and founder/leader of Kaderia Bahini, one of Mukti Bahini groups active in 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. 


Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury
  • Sayhanul Ehit (Bengali: স।য়হ।নুল, born 1950 Tangail), was a fighter of the Bangladesh liberation and was a member of the Kaderia Bahini, a small but effective group which were able to carry out many successful guerrilla operations in Tangail. The Kaderia Bahini is notable for the capture of a Pakistani ship with large quantities of arms and ammunitions at Bhuapur. He fought alongside an estimated 50,000-strong army of civilians in the Tangail region against the Pakistan Army. When Kader Siddique, a famous fighter and organizer, was wounded at the Makrar battle near Balla village Sayhanul Ehit was his top aid helping his recovery. Shomit Mian(his side kick) was also popular. He was also a fighter from the Bangladesh Liberation War. He was a Bengali. 
  • Md.Jinnat Ali Mia, Popular social worker in Tangail—won national prizes twice for social welfare. 
  • Nawab Ali Chowdhury, one of the mebers of the Nathan commission to establish Dhaka University. 
  • Justice Abu Sayed Chowdhury, former president, Bangladesh, Vice chancellor of Dhaka University.

Maulvi Bazar; a City in Bangladesh

Maulvi Bazaar Bangladesh
Maulvi Bazar (Bengali: মৌলভীবাজার জেলা Moulvibazar Zila) (Urdu and Punjabi: مولوی بازار) is a district of Sylhet Division in North-Eastern Bangladesh. 

Geography:

Moulvi Bazar is in Sylhet, a district to the North-East of Bangladesh. It is 2,707 km² in area, and has a population of 1.38 million. It is situated between 24.10 degree 24.35 degree north latitude and between 90.35 degree and 91.20-degree east longitude. It is surrounded by Sylhet District in the north, Habiganj District in the west and Indian States of Assam and Tripura in the east and south respectively. 

The main rivers of the district are the Manu, the Dholoi and the Juri which flow from India. Every year during the rainy season, when there is excessive rainfall in India, the surplus water flows through these rivers and causes floods in low-lying parts of Moulvibazar (for example, the villages of Balikhandi and Shampashi on the northern side of the river Manu). Unless the rivers are properly dredged the floods can be devastating.
A View of Maulvi Bazar, Bangladesh
In the last few years Moulvibazar has had a muti-million dollar flood defence system built, which is the only one like it in the whole country. 

Upazila (Subdivisions):

Maulvi Bazar is made up of 7 subdivisions or upazilas. They are: 
  • Moulvibazar Sadar 
  • Barlekha 
  • Juri 
  • Kamalganj 
  • Kulaura 
  • Rajnagar 
  • Sreemangal
There are 67 Unions, 2,064 Villages and 5 Pourashavas namely Kamalganj, Kulaura, Sreemongal, Barlekha and Moulvibazar. Almost 50,000 of the clan population belong to Manipuri, Khasia and Tripura clans. They tend to live in the areas of Kamalganj, Sreemongal and Kulaura Upazila of this district. There are 92 tea gardens in this district that has made it one of the most beautiful places in Bangladesh. 
 
Hazrat Shah Mustafa's Shrine in Maulvi Bazar
History

Islam was brought to the area hundreds of years ago by the famous Muslim Saint, Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA). The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Mustafa (RA) a companion of the greatest saint Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA) is located in Moulvibazar town. Originally, with the advent of a saint Hazrat, Syed Shah Mustafa Sher-E-Sowar Chabukmar Baghdadi (RA) for preaching Islam, Moulvibazar became famous. Moulvibazar got its name from one of the descendents of Hazrat Shah Mustafa,who was preaching there as a maulavi there. 

In the year 1882, it was declared a sub-division under the name of "South Sylhet". Later the Sub-division was renamed, during the Pakistan occupation of the region, as Moulvibazar. Moulvibazar was liberated on December 6, 1971 and the then Pakistani administration surrendered to the joint forces of the Indian Army.
A Masjid in Maulvi Bazar
Economy

The main exports of Maulvi Bazar are bamboo, tea, pineapple, cane, jackfruit, oranges, agar, rubber, mangoes and lemons. Ninety-one of Bangladesh's 153 tea gardens are located in Moulvi Bazar. The area is also home to the three largest tea gardens (size and production wise) in the world. Pineapples from the Sreemangal area are famous for their flavour and natural sweetness. Sreemongal is known as the 'tea capital of Bangladesh' due to the high frequency of tea plantations found there. 

Religion

The district of Maulvi Bazar consists 2967 mosques, 613 temples, 56 churches and 22 Buddhist temples.
Madhabkunda waterfall, Maulvi Bazar
Muslims are in majority followed by Hindus while Christians are the third largest religious community. They are 85%, 12% and 2.2% respectively. The very few remainig people belong to Buddhism. 

Places of interest

The shrine of Shah Mustafa, a companion of Shah Jalal, the man who brought Islam into what was then India. It is also home to many tea plantations.

Maulvi Bazar town now has a shopping mall and several Indian, Chinese and American eateries. Madhabkunda waterfall is one of the enchanting place in Barlekha. 

'Hakaluki Haor', 'Madhobpur Lake', 'Bilashchhara Lake', 'Lawachara National Park' in Kamalganj upazilla are other places of interest in the district.