Al-Jameatul-Islamia Qasemul Uloom Charia
আল-জামিয়াতুল ইসলামিয়া কাছেমুল উলূম চারিয়া | |
 Charia Madrasa entrance captured from the main road | |
| Type | Qawmi madrasa |
|---|---|
| Established | 1944 |
| Founder | Saeed Ahmad Sandwipi |
| Affiliation | Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh |
Religious affiliation | Deobandi movement |
| Budget | BDT 3,00,00,000 |
| Director | Usman Saeedi (acting) |
Academic staff | 50 |
Administrative staff | 10 |
Total staff | 60 |
| Students | 1200 |
| Location | 22°32′10″N 91°48′06″E / 22.5360926°N 91.8015815°E |
| Campus | Rural |
| Website | chariamadrasha |
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Al-Jameatul-Islamia Qasemul Uloom Charia, commonly known as Charia madrasa, is a Qawmi madrasa located in Mirzapur union, Hathazari Upazila, Chittagong District, Bangladesh.[1] The institution was established in 1944 by Saeed Ahmad Sandwipi, who began teaching a small group of students under a mango tree near a local mosque. Unlike the conventional model followed by many madrasas in the country, which typically develop progressively from elementary to advanced levels, Charia madrasa initially introduced advanced religious studies and later incorporated primary and intermediate levels of instruction.[2]
Establishment
[edit]
The madrasa was established in 1944 by Saeed Ahmad Sandwipi, a former teacher at Darul Uloom Hathazari and the madrasa's first Sheikh al-Hadith.[3] Following the death of the founding director of Darul Uloom Hathazari, Habibullah Qurayshi, internal disagreements arose over the appointment of his successor.[4] While Qurayshi had appointed Shah Abdul Wahhab as deputy director during his lifetime—leading many local stakeholders and a section of the madrasa administration to support his succession—some senior teachers favored Saeed Ahmad Sandwipi due to Wahhab's junior position among the faculty.[5] The resulting conflict led Sandwipi and several senior teachers, including Charia resident Abdul Jalil, to leave Darul Uloom Hathazari. Later, Jalil with others approached Sandwipi, urging him to resume teaching, noting strong student interest in his Hadith instruction. Responding to their request, Sandwipi began teaching Dawra-e-Hadith books with a few students under a large mango tree near the Aliya Khan Mosque in Charia, marking the beginning of the institution.[5][6]
Development
[edit]
After news of the madrasa's establishment became known, several businessmen from Chittagong—Abdul Latif, Abdus Sobhan, and Miyan Khan—met with Sandwipi and, in coordination with local residents, facilitated the registration of eight kanis of land adjacent to the mosque for the madrasa, a portion of which was already designated as waqf.[7] Construction began soon after, and within a year, the institution was functioning as a madrasa. Unlike the typical development pattern of madrasas in Bangladesh, which often expand from lower to higher levels, this madrasa initially introduced higher-level classes and later added lower levels.[7][8] It now includes educational programs from pre-primary through postgraduate levels, with departments in Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Arabic literature, Bengali literature, Mutaferrika, Hifz-ul-Qur'an, and Noorani education.[9] A women's section was introduced on January 1, 2014.[9] The madrasa is located in Charia, along Nazirhat Road, about 22 kilometers north of Chittagong. After the death of Sandwipi, Abdul Jalil was appointed director, followed by Sandwipi's son, Abdullah Harun, who served until his death in September 2023.[10] Usman Saeedi subsequently took over as acting director.[11] The institution currently has approximately 1,200 students and 60 teachers and staff members.[9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Qasemul Uloom Charia Madrasa". Bangladesh National Portal. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ Sarwar, MD Ghulam (2013). Bengali Fiqh Practice (1947–2006): An Analysis of Its Forms and Features (PDF) (PhD thesis) (in Bengali). Bangladesh: University of Dhaka. p. 285.
- ^ Hasan, Shah Ahmad (2016). Ahmadullah, Hafez (ed.). Mashayekh-e Chatgam (in Bengali) (3rd ed.). Patiya: Ahmod Prokashon. p. 167. ISBN 978-984-92106-4-1.
- ^ Hasan 2016, p. 166.
- ^ a b Hasan 2016, p. 167.
- ^ Azami, Noor Muhammad (2008). Theoretical Framework and Historical Development of Hadith (in Bengali). Bangladesh: Emdadia Library. p. 295. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022.
- ^ a b Hasan 2016, p. 168.
- ^ Ahsan, Sayed (2006). Origin and development of Hadith practice in Bangladesh (in Bengali). Segunbagicha, Dhaka: Adorn Publications. p. 102. ISBN 9842000184.
- ^ a b c Annual Report (in Bengali). Hathazari: Al-Jameatul-Islamia Qasemul Uloom Charia. 2022.
- ^ "Maulana Abdullah Harun has passed away". Daily Kalbela. 13 September 2023.
- ^ Madrasa notification (in Bengali). Hathazari: Al-Jameatul-Islamia Qasemul Uloom Charia. 2025.
