Great Lives, Great Places: Hazrat Shah Jalal
VognoDuut933
Hazrat Shah Jalal
Hazrat Shah Jalal (R) was a major sufi saint of Bengal and is the most
celebrated personality of the region of Sylhet, Bangladesh. Shah Jalal (R)
commands great respect of Muslims of the subcontinent and is regarded as a
national hero by Bangladeshis. Shah Jalal's name is associated with the
Muslim conquest of Sylhet, of which he is considered to be the main figure.
He lies buried at Sylhet, Bangladesh
Early Life & Education
Born Shaikh Makhdum Jalal ad-Deen bin Mohammed, he was later affectionately
renamed Shaikh-ul-Mashaikh Hazrat Shah Jalal al-Mujarrad (the last name
meaning "the bachelor", on account of his celibacy). Shah Jalal's date and
place of birth is unclear. Various traditions, folklore and hostorical
documents suggest different ideas. A number of scholars claim that he was
born in 1271 in Konya, Turkey, and later moved to Yemen, either as a child
or adult, while others contest he was born in Yemen. He was the son of a
Turkish Muslim cleric, who was a contemporary of the famous Persian poet and
Sufi saint, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi. He was educated and raised by his
maternal uncle, Syed Ahmed Kabir, in Mecca. He excelled in his studies and
became a Hafiz (one who has committed the Qur'an to memory) and was
proficient in Islamic theology. He achieved Kamaliyat (spiritual perfection)
after 30 years of study and meditation.
Travel to India
According to legend, his uncle, Sheikh Kabir, one day gave Shah Jalal a
handful of earth and asked him to travel to Hindustan with the instruction
that he should settle down at whichever place in Hindustan whose earth
matched completely in smell and color the earth he was given, and he should
devote his life for the propagation and establishment of Islam there.
Shah Jalal journeyed eastward and reached India in c. 1300, where he met
with many great scholars and mystics. He arrived at Ajmer, where he met the
great Sufi mystic and scholar, Pir Khawaja Gharibnawaz Muinuddin Hasan
Chisty, who is credited with the spread of Islam in India. In Delhi, he met
with Nizam Uddin Aulia, another major Sufi mystic and scholar.
Conquest of Sylhet
Tradition goes that a Hindu king named Gaur Govinda ruled the Sylhet area,
then predominantly Hindu. Sheikh Burhanuddin, a Muslim who lived in the
territory under his control once sacrificed a cow to celebrate the birth of
his son. A kite snatched a piece of flesh of the slaughtered cow and it fell
from its beak on the house of a Brahmin Hindu, for whom cows were sacred.
According to another tradition, the piece of flesh fell on the temple of the
king himself, which he took as a great offence. At the order of the king,
Burhanuddin's hands were said to have been cut off and his son killed.
Burhanuddin went to the Sultan of Gaur, Shamsuddin Firuz Shah, to whom he
submitted a prayer for justice. The Sultan accordingly sent an army under
the command of his nephew Sikandar Khan Ghazi. He was, however, defeated
twice by Gaur Govinda. The Sultan then ordered his Sipahsalar (armed forces
chief) Nasiruddin to lead the war.
At this time, Shah Jalal (R) was requested by Nizam Uddin to travel to
Sylhet to rescue Sheikh Burhan Uddin. With his 360 followers, some of whom
were with him from Yemen and others from Delhi, including his nephew Hazrat
Shah Paran, he reached Bengal and joined the Muslim army in the Sylhet
campaign.
Knowing that Shah Jalal was advancing towards Sylhet, Raja Gaur Govinda, the
king, removed all ferry boats from the river Surma, thereby cutting off any
means of crossing into Sylhet. Legend has it that Shah Jalal crossed the
river Surma by sitting on a Jainamaz (prayer rug). Upon reaching the
opposite bank, he ordered the azan (call to prayer) to be sounded, at which
the magnificent palace of Gaur Govinda shattered. With Shah Jalal's help,
the king was defeated by the Muslim armies after a fierce battle, and the
King subsequently fled.
Later Life
According to legend, Shah Jalal found a match to the earth his uncle once
gave him, and according to his uncle's wishes, he settled down in Sylhet,
near Choukidhiki. It is from here that he preached Islam and became a
celebrated Muslim figure in Bengal. He and his disciples travelled and
settled as far as Mymensingh and Dhaka to spread the teachings of Islam,
such as Shah Paran in Sylhet, Shah Malek Yemeni in Dhaka, Syed Ahmad Kolla
Shahid in Comilla, Syed Nasiruddin in the region of Pargana Taraf, Haji
Daria and Shaikh Ali Yemeni.
Shah Jalal's fame extended across the Muslim world. The Persian explorer,
Ibn Battuta, came to Sylhet and met with Shah Jalal. The great Mughal poet,
Hazrat Amir Khusrau gives an account of Shah Jalal's conquest of Sylhet in
his book "Afdalul Hawaade". Even today in Hadramaut, Yemen, Sheikh Makhdum
Jalaluddin's name is established in folklore.
The exact date of his death is unknown, but he is reported by Ibn Battuta to
have died in 746 AH (1347 A.D). He left behind no descendants, as he
remained a bachelor his entire life, hence the name "al-Mujarrad" ("the
unmarried"). He is buried in Sylhet in his Dargah (tomb), which is located
in a neighbourhood now known as Dargah Mohalla, named for his Dargah. His
shrine is a siginificant place of interest in Sylhet, with hundreds of
devotees visiting daily. At the Dargah is also located the largest mosque in
Sylhet and one of the largest in Bangladesh.
nkdat...@bigmailbox.net
VognoDuut933 wrote:
> Great Lives, Great Places
>
Great Lives, Great Places: Bangladesh Army Battles Citizens Demanding
Democracy .....
Deja Vu In Bangladesh As Army Fights Citizens 16 Years After Fall Of
General Ershad
http://thedailystar.net/2006/12/22/d6122201011.htm
Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Friday, February 22, 2006
Army used to tackle hartal after 16 years
For the first time since restoration of democracy through a mass
upsurge in 1990, the government that too a caretaker one yesterday
employed the army to tackle political demonstrations in the city and
elsewhere in the country.
Deployed on December 9 following a unilateral decision of President and
Chief Adviser (CA) Iajuddin Ahmed, the armed forces swung into action
against the pickets in Dhaka yesterday.
The armymen chased the 14-party alliance supporters as they clashed
with the police and set fire to two vehicles in Shyamoli in the
morning.
Besides, they patrolled the streets across the city during the hartal
hours.
Talking to The Daily Star, some of the advisers to the caretaker
government expressed ignorance of the army being engaged in countering
the newly forged grand alliance's agitation. They came to know about it
only later through television news. Still, they sought to justify the
military's action.
Two former advisers told The Daily Star that the army should not have
been used in tackling the political programme.
The BNP however defended the army's action, saying it is part of their
responsibilities to foil attempts to create anarchy.
The CA on December 13 ordered the army to be on standby and not to
engage actively in routine law enforcement, but the home ministry did
not issue any directives to the field level administrations in line
with the new decision, said sources.
The home ministry on Wednesday night asked the local administrations to
keep the army on alert along with the regular law enforcement agencies
to tackle the AL-led alliance's agitation.
The Jatiya Party (Ershad), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and several
other parties at a grand rally on December 18 formally joined the
14-party alliance in calling for Iajuddin's resignation as the CA and a
level playing field before the upcoming general election. From that
rally, they called the dawn-to-dusk hartal.
In accordance with the laws, the police commissioners can seek
assistance from the army in maintaining law and order in the
metropolitan areas if an assembly or gathering cannot otherwise be
dispersed.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Commissioner (DMP) ABM Bazlur Rahman did not
clarify under what circumstances he had to ask for military help.
Despite repeated attempts, The Daily Star could not have any comment
from Bazlur Rahman. He even hung up on this correspondent.
Adviser Shafiqual Haque Chowdhury yesterday told The Daily Star,"I saw
on the television news that suddenly the situation in Shyamoli got
explosive. And that is why the troops on standby had to be on the go to
have the people relieved."
Earlier on December 13, citing a decision of the advisory council
Shafiqual said that the army would be kept on rest and would not be
used in routine law enforcement activities.
"Not only me but everyone will say that the army has done the right
job. They have successfully tacked a dangerous situation," he said,
referring to the troops' taking action against 14-party workers in
Shyamoli.
Replying to a query, the adviser said had the army not intervened, the
situation would have become even fiercer.
"The army did not foil any political programme. Rather they have saved
life and property by timely action," he said adding, "The political
programme should confine to procession or hartal. Damaging vehicles or
public properties cannot be acceptable."
Meanwhile, CA Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday claimed that all conditions set
by some political parties for participation in the upcoming election
have been met.
Sticking to his stance on the army deployment, the CA yesterday told
the visiting European Union delegation that the armed forces have been
deployed in aid of the law enforcement agencies to create and maintain
an atmosphere congenial to free and fair election.
Already four advisers have resigned following differences of opinion
with the CA over implementation of the package proposals and army
deployment.
Prof M Moinuddin Ahmed, another adviser appointed after the four's
resignation, yesterday defended the deployment and said the army was
deployed as a precautionary measure and has made a difference in
improving the law and order across the country.
"It's a fact that the army deployment has contributed to bringing peace
and a sigh of relief among the people," Prof Moinuddin added.
He however said that yesterday's situation did not call for the troops
on standby to come out on the streets.
This time, the military deployment came 43 days before the polling day,
which is January 22 according to the current schedule.
In previous elections, the army was deployed only 14 days before the
election in 2001, 18 days in 1996, and 23 days before the polls in
1991.
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http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-bangladesh.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
REUTERS
December 21, 2006
Filed at 5:10 a.m. ET
Army Steps in as Bangladesh Strike Turns Violent
Skip to next paragraph DHAKA (Reuters) - Troops and riot police fought
pitched battles with protesters on Thursday as a strike aimed at
forcing electoral reforms in Bangladesh turned violent.
Witnesses said at least 25 people were wounded in the clashes that
broke out in several areas of the capital, Dhaka, which is largely
paralyzed by the strike that has also affected business and transport
across the country.
The protest was called by a 14-party alliance, led by former prime
minister Sheikh Hasina, to force the interim government to implement
reforms ahead of a general election set for next month.
In Dhaka, troops in armored cars patrolled the streets, chasing down
protesters and rounding them up. Police also fired tear gas and rubber
bullets at activists who had set a police car ablaze in the Shyamoli
residential area, witnesses said.
The interim government had put the army on stand-by earlier this month,
despite criticism by the Hasina-led alliance.
``They (army) are out in full force ... (they) chased away violent
activists, training guns at them,'' a Reuters cameraman said.
Outside the capital, activists damaged more than 50 vehicles and
rickshaws, halted trains, barricaded highways and at least 100 people
were injured in fighting between rival groups, local officials and
witnesses said.
The country's main seaport, Chittagong, and trading-post towns on the
borders with India and Myanmar stood idle, while schools, universities
and two stock exchanges in Dhaka and Chittagong were closed.
RIVALS TRADE CHARGES
Mohammad Nasim, a senior Awami leader and former home (interior)
minister, urged the interim government not to use the army to suppress
people's democratic rights and privileges.
``Our army is a patriotic force, defends the country and works to
establish peace world over. Do not pitch them against people fighting
for democracy and rights,'' Nasim told a protest rally.
The disputed election is set for January 22, but Hasina has asked for a
delay to allow time for campaigning and to prepare a ``flawless''
voters list as well as issue voter identity cards.
Hasina's alliance also wants President Iajuddin Ahmed, head of the
caretaker government, to resign, accusing him of bias.
``A congenial atmosphere for a free and fair election does not exist in
the country now,'' Hasina told European Union officials in Dhaka.
On Wednesday, Hasina rejected as insufficient a government move to give
a holiday to one election commissioner, who is among several she
accuses of being biased toward her rival Begum Khaleda Zia.
Khaleda Zia, who ended her five-year term as prime minister in October
and handed power to the interim authority, rejects any delay in the
election date. She accuses Hasina of ``plotting to push the country
into a constitutional crisis, destroy democracy and ruin the economy.''
The run-up to the polls has been marred by violence, with at least 45
people killed and hundreds injured in clashes between political rivals
since late October.
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http://thedailystar.net/2006/12/22/d6122201022.htm
Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Friday, February 22, 2006
100 hurt in first hartal of interim govt history
The army was used for the first time since HM Ershad's military regime
to prevent picketing in the capital and Narayanganj during yesterday's
hartal enforced by the Awami League (AL) led grand alliance, first of
its kind during any caretaker government's tenure.
More than 100 persons were injured in clashes between demonstrators and
police and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) during the hartal in Dhaka and
elsewhere in the country.
The army, along with the police, chased pickets at Shyamoli and
patrolled different streets in the city while they took position at
several points on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Narayanganj.
The police fired rubber bullets and lobbed teargas shells to disperse
pickets at Shyamoli and arrested eight persons, including Bangladesh
Krishak League President Mirza Jalil.
The AL-led grand alliance enforced the countrywide hartal to press home
their demands for a congenial atmosphere for the next general election.
The hartal was declared from a rally on December 18 following formation
of the grand alliance of the AL-led 14-party, Jatiya Party (Ershad),
and Jatiya Oikya Front comprising Liberal Democratic Party (LDP),
Jatiya Oikya Mancha and Tarikat Federation.
However, the Jatiya Oikya Mancha, which does not favour hartal in
principle, did not observe yesterday's shutdown programme but held
rallies at different parts of the city.
The hartal, which was peaceful except for a few incidents, paralysed
the country as vehicular movement was very thin and educational
institutions, offices and business enterprises remained mostly closed.
Pickets damaged several vehicles in Mirpur, Farmgate, Gabtoli, airport
and other areas in the capital, but none was reported hurt.
A few pickets vandalised some vehicles carrying journalists at Mirpur
although media vehicles had been declared outside the purview of the
hartal.
CAPITAL
Witnesses said around 200 demonstrators led by Mirza Jalil came in a
procession along the Ring Road and attempted to march towards the
Mirpur Road around 10:15am.
The police barricaded the procession in front of the Shyamoli Cinema,
which led to a scuffle between the demonstrators and the law enforcers.
At one stage the police charged baton on the demonstrators who in
reprisal started pelting brickbats at them. Many locals also joined
hands with the demonstrators and chased the police away from the
Shyamoli intersection.
A few demonstrators poured petrol on a requisitioned police van and set
it on fire.
A series of chase and counter-chase ensued as additional police force
and paramilitary BDR arrived at the spot.
The melee spread over about half a kilometre area on Ring Road from
Shyamoli to Adabor, leaving all roads and by-lanes in the area littered
with brickbats.
The police fired several hundred rounds of rubber bullets and teargas
shells to quell the hartal supporters, but it rather fuelled their
demonstration.
Witnesses said army personnel in three vehicles reached the Shyamoli
intersection half an hour later when the pickets were chanting slogans
in protest of attacking their peaceful procession.
Mohammad Ayub, a local who witnessed the incident, said several army
vehicles entered the Ring Road area around 11:30am from the directions
of Shyamoli and the Shia Mosque and requested the people on loudspeaker
not to lock in clashes.
"At one stage, armed army personnel got down from the vehicles and
chased the demonstrators along with the police along the Adabor road,"
Ayub said. A police armoured car also entered the road at this time, he
added.
Normalcy returned around 12:00noon as the demonstrators left the area.
JP AND LDP DEMONSTRATIONS
Leaders and activists of LDP led by its Presidium Member Ali Kader and
Vice President Maj Gen (retd) MA Halim brought out a procession from
Mouchak at around 11:30am that paraded the Malibagh and Banglamotor
areas. They later held a rally near the Malibagh intersection.
Another LDP procession from Jatrabari marched towards the Sayedabad
carrying the party electoral symbol Kula.
Meanwhile, JP leaders and activists brought out a procession from the
city's Madhubagh that marched through wireless gate, Mouchak, Malibagh
intersection and Banglamotor area. Party vice-chairman Golam Mostafa
Anwar led the procession.
Besides, a procession of the Jatiya Chhatra Samaj (JCS), student wing
of the JP, tried to enter Dhaka University campus, but police
intercepted them at Shahbagh intersection putting barbed wires.
Islamic Front Bangladesh and its student wing Islami Chhatra Sena held
a rally at the Puran Paltan intersection. Party chairman Allama Syed
Bahadur Shah presided over it.
COUNTRYWIDE HARTAL SCENARIO
Yesterday's hartal passed of peacefully across the country apart from
some incidents of stray violence.
The activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) of Jahangirnagar
University vandalised five vehicles and set fire to a bus on
Dhaka-Aricha Highway near the varsity campus.
In Netrokona, at least 10 people were wounded as police and pro-hartal
activists clashed at sadar upazila, while 15 others were injured in a
fight between the pro-hartal and anti-hartal forces at Kalmakanda
upazila.
Meanwhile, the hartal supporters vandalised a train in Narayanganj, our
correspondent says adding that the law enforcers, including the
military, were seen on duty at different points on the Dhaka-Chittagong
Highway.
In Satkhira, the 14-party activists damaged a truck, while in Jhenidah
the pro-hartal activists vandalised three shops, a truck and a tempo at
Gitanjali road.
Our correspondent from Khulna reports: BNP's Paikgachha unit Organising
Secretary Abdul Jabbar was severely wounded when JP activists beat him
up. They also vandalised Jabbar's shop, which he kept open during
hartal.
Meanwhile, at least 10 people were injured as the activists of 14-party
combine and BNP-led 4-party alliance clashed at Mirzaganj upazila in
Patuakhali, our correspondent says. The clash ensued in the morning
when a 14-party procession came under attack of the BNP activists.
In Barisal, pickets damaged six rickshaws, four buses and three tempos,
our correspondent said. Besides, the four-party activists clashed with
the hartal supporters at Barisal Polytechnic Institute when the latter
tried to resist an ongoing examination in the college.
The pro-hartal activists in Chittagong vandalised at least 20 vehicles,
including CNG-run auto-rickshaws, tempos, mini buses and human haulers,
our correspondent said adding that none was reported to be wounded.
Train service remained normal, though activities in the Chittagong Port
were disrupted partially.
In Chandpur, pickets forced a train on Chandpur-Laksam route to halt
for two hours, our correspondent said. In the early hours, the 14-party
activists carried out an arson attack at the station. Later, police
disbursed the pickets and extinguished fire.
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http://www.newagebd.com/2006/dec/22/front.html#e
New Age, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Friday, December 22, 2006
Army swings into action
The armed forces, called in on December 9 in aid of the civil
administration, were seen in action in the city on Thursday to tackle
political programmes.
The troops, who the caretaker government said were in rest in their
camps in the district headquarters across the country, began to patrol
the streets of the capital since Thursday morning and were seen chasing
pickets enforcing hartal at Shyamoli in the capital.
Troops joined the police during clashes with pickets at Shyamoli at
about 11:30am. The police intercepted a pro-hartal procession led by
the president of Krishak League, Mirza Abdul Jalil, near Shyamoli
cinema hall triggering the clash.
An army patrol arrived there during the clash between the police and
demonstrators, but soon disappeared. Within minutes, several army
vehicles reached the scene and joined the police in action against the
pickets.
The troops remained on patrol in the capital during the dawn-to-dusk
hartal called by the AL and its allies creating panic among the city
dwellers.
Asked about the movement of troops, adviser to the caretaker
government, Moyeen Uddin Khan said the army was not in operation.
'They are aiding police to maintain law and order which deteriorates
during hartal'.
He, however, admitted that troops were called in as part of
precautionary measures.
Adviser M Azizul Huq said that troops patrolled the streets so that
law and order did not slide, and not to tackle any political
programmes.
In a unilateral decision, the president Iajuddin Ahmed, who is also
the chief adviser to the caretaker government, called in troops on
December 9 in aid of the civil administration, nab criminals and
recover illegal firearms. Later, in the face of severe criticism, the
troops were asked to remain in their camps.
Adviser Shaifqul Haque Chowdhury told media on December 11 that the
army would be called in only if people or police were killed in
violence.
According to Inter-Service Public Relations, nearly 20,000 troops
remained deployed in the district headquarters.
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