Vanished Institutions: The Forgotten Legacy of Maulana Bhashani

 

Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani is not only a political leader but also an educationist. His political story is known worldwide, but his educational ideology isn't expressed like his political journey. Santosh, Mohipur, Sirajganj, Assam, etc., places are famous for his educational and sociopolitical institutions. Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani — a name deeply etched in the history of Bangladesh. Revered as the ‘leader of the toiling masses,’ he was more than a political figure; he was a visionary, a humanitarian, and a proponent of social justice. Yet today, more than five decades after independence, his dreams, his life’s work, and the institutions he established are fading away into neglect. The physical manifestations of his legacy are crumbling, and with them, the essence of a powerful chapter in national history.

The rural township of Santosh in Tangail was the center of Bhashani’s socio-political movement. There he implemented a model of society that harmonized religion, education, humanity, and environmental consciousness. During his lifetime, he founded nearly 25 educational institutions and 12 charitable organizations and planted hundreds of indigenous trees. His vision was to establish a self-sufficient society grounded in education, healthcare, and collective well-being.

Since independence, many of the institutions Bhashani established have vanished. Even the trees he personally planted have been cut down under the pretext of road expansion. What remains is rapidly deteriorating due to lack of preservation and government oversight. The once-thriving centers of education and public service now stand as relics on the edge of extinction.

A silent witness to history of Bhashani refers to Darbar Hall.  Built in 1970, the Santosh Darbar Hall was a hub for Bhashani’s political activities. It hosted the historic All-Party Conference on January 9, 1971, where the call for an independent Bangladesh was first publicly made. Although Pakistani forces tried to burn it down during the Liberation War, they failed. Yet today, neglect has succeeded where fire did not — wooden pillars have rotted, the structure is compromised, and the hall stands dilapidated. Just beside this hall lies the tomb of Bhashani, a silent testimony to both his greatness and our indifference. The government should take steps to properly care for it and give it a place in our national history. Political leaders and the younger generation can take lessons from Darbar Hall. When I visited Darbar Hall,  the instruments of the hall were totally damaged due to lack of proper responsibility of the authority. The Darbar Hall can be a significant term for historical research.  The Mawlana Bhashani Research Center goes ahead to save this historical Darbar Hall.

It’s true, The Museum and Trust Board is failing their purpose.The museum built in Bhashani’s memory is in poor condition. Priceless artifacts and historical materials are either deteriorating or already lost. We have seen in the world that other great world leaders’ memories have been collected properly, but the Bhashani museum authority is failing to keep proper collections of Bhashani memorial materials. It's a great opportunity for our upcoming generation to research Bhashani's memorial materials. Then they can be able to learn a good lesson about Bhashani's worldwide acceptance and his philosophy. For the inactivity of the Bhashani Museum authority, one day all the historical materials of Maulana Bhashani will be vanished. I think, from my tiny knowledge, the government has a lack of intention to save the Bhashani memory.  I hope it will rise as soon as possible.

A total of 12 institutions have become defunct out of the 25 institutions that were founded by maulana bhashani.  These 12 institutions are Santosh Islamic University Nursery Kindergarten (from nursery to class five),  Rabi’a Basri Hostel (hostel for girl students from nursery to class five), Pir Shahjaman Hostel (hostel for boy students from nursery to class five),  Babeya Basri Girls’ Hostel (government hostel for girl students from class six to ten), Shah Enayet Ullah Hostel (hostel for boy students from class six to ten),  Islamic University Handicraft School (handicraft training for underprivileged women), Technical Training Center (for drop-outs),  Hasan Basri Hostel, Syed Hossain Ahmad Madani Library (containing research-oriented books), Shanti Press (closed since 1990), Nursery Garden (a plantation of 10,000 saplings)

The Bhashani Trust Board, formed by the government in 1983, was meant to preserve his assets and institutions, including the proposed Islamic University. In 1999, instead of that university, the Maulana Bhashani Science and Technology University (MBSTU) was established. Although it bears his name, many argue it strays from his original vision. Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University isn't a total reflection of the Islamic University proposed by Bhashani. It has given a bit of satisfaction to Bhashani lovers, a university established after a long struggle. Other institutions that were founded by Maulana Bhashani have already vanished or are in a half-dead condition. But the history of these institutions was a gorgeous history. To understand the gorgeous history of these institutions, I will give you my personal experience. Sometimes,  I went to Professor Mohammed Hossen’s home for collecting my research information on Maulana Bhashani's educational ideology. He was the first headmaster of two schools—Islamic University Boy's High School and Islamic University Girl's High School—which were founded by Maulana Bhashani. He shared a memory with me. Maulana Bhashani published news in a daily newspaper about his educational institutions. To read this news , the high-class, middle-class, and low-class families' children participated in admission exams to admit them to these institutions. They moved from Dhaka to Santosh for admission to school. After admission exams , approximately 2000 students were fighting against approximately 300 seats. 

These 1700 children became very disappointed for not getting a chance in these institutions. To observe this children's mind upset, Maulana Bhashani admitted all children, and they were much happier. Maulana Bhashani's intention was to improve these 1700 children like these 300 children. They would become the same quality. What a great educationist Maulana Bhashani was! It's sorry to say these institutions are becoming hampered day by day for lack of care and proper activeness.

I watched a video news  in The Daily Star about it. In this video news , Maulana Bhashani’s grandson, Azad Khan Bhashani , laments the loss:  “ Maulana Bhashani had a dream of establishing an Islamic University in Santosh, where he launched many projects and institutions. Today, more than half of those institutions are lost, and the rest are barely surviving. This seems like a deliberate attempt to erase Bhashani’s contributions from history.” He urges the government and citizens to take immediate action to rebuild and preserve Bhashani’s legacy as a living monument to the values he stood for.

I talk with Md. Shahidul Hasan. He is a devoted follower of Bhashani's ideology and was a student of the first batch of Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, thinks , "The younger generation should be given perfect opportunities to practice the ideals of Maulana Bhashani. Therefore, the concerned authorities should pay proper attention to all the institutions established by Bhashani and take necessary steps to reopen the ones that have been shut down."

On the opposite side , university authority was responded in a published news.  Current Vice Chancellor of Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University ( MBSTU)  Professor Dr. Md. Anwarul Azim Akhand said,  “We have a Trust Board here. I’ve recently taken charge and will examine the situation. We’ll discuss with the authorities how we can protect and preserve these sites with government support.” He added, “Whether I remain here or not, I want to ensure that Bhashani’s memory and legacy are properly preserved at this university.”

 However, we hope not only university authorities but also the government will take proper steps to save Bhashani's educational institutions and memorial materials. The legacy of a national leader cannot be honored by mere words or occasional tributes. It must be upheld through the preservation of their dreams, institutions, and historical artifacts. Bhashani’s legacy is not just his ideology—it’s embedded in the educational and charitable institutions he left behind. To let them decay is to let a part of our national conscience vanish. We should remember Bhashani's speech: "There is no alternative to education for discerning right from wrong, truth from falsehood. We need an education policy that will foster the socio-economic and spiritual development of people and make them self-reliant."


Sheikh Saymon Parves Himel is a Bhashani researcher. He can be
reached at [email protected]