Char Bazar

Char Bazar is an area in Karimganj Town. The term Char is a Bengali word means a riverine land developed from the silting of a river. Char Bazar was formed by the River Kushiara in the past. The journey of Char Bazar as a commercial center started probably in the first quarter of the 20th century when the Puran Bazar or old market of Karimganj shifted from Bonomali or Nalukandi to the present place known as Santar Bazar. About a quarter-century before the set up of Char Bazar, in the year 1874, Karimganj was formed into a sub-division of erstwhile Sylhet District. During the same year, the district of Sylhet was attached to the colonial state of Assam, separating it from the Bengal. The ganj or small town of Karimganj was made its Headquarter. Now the administrative and commercial importance of Karimganj further increased. Again, the establishment of port and regular arrival of ships from Kolkata, Dhaka, and other places gave new impetus to the business activities at Karimganj. The market areas expanded towards the east of the Santar Bazar. A series of markets name Dasspatty, Masjid Road, Maulavi Patti, Purba Bazar, Char Bazar developed. The Assam Bengal Railway line connected Karimganj with Chitagong in 1896. The English Railway Company set up a goods yard at Char Bazar, almost one and half K.M. away from Karimganj Junction.Goods used to be carried from ships, and loaded into trains at Char Bazar for far flung places like Tinsukia. Char Bazar was not only famous for its railway yard, in fact, it was more important and known for its dry fish market. The dry fish market of Char Bazar was burst ling with buyers and sellers till few years back. However, the fate of Char Bazar started to decline from the end of the 20th century. Now ships are not frequent to Kushiara, and railway yards at Char Bazar standing as an unused and almost ruined yard. Today, the consolation is that many laboures from Bihar spend their nights in the sheds and unused bogies of trains. Recently, Char Bazar was in the news because Hindutva brigade led by the local Councilor want to establish a public park at the site of a decayed Masjid. They have taken this illegal attempt at a time when the Masjid Committee surveyed, and preparing to rebuild the Masjid. The Char Bazar Masjid was established in the 2nd quarter of 20th century. In those, pre-partition days more than half of the shop owner of Char Bazar dry fish market were Muslims, from Dhaka and other places of eastern Bengal. The Partition of India saw most of the Muslim traders permanently deserting their shops and business establishments for east Pakistan. Muslims from nearby Hadargram locality continued to attend the Masjid at Char Bazar even after the mayhem of the division. But the notorious communal riot that broke out in 1969-70 at Karimganj Town especially in Hadargram area witness further exodus of Muslims from that area.As a result the already panicked small Muslim population of Hadargram and Purba Bazar stopped visiting the Masjid. Because the locality of Char Bazar became fully inhabited by the members of the Majority community. Two decades ago, a new Masjid Committee was formed to revive the Masjid. Many members of the Hindu Community welcomed that initiative. They even expressed their desire to help in the reconstruction process. The local court declared the remnants of the building and site as the property of the Masjid in an earlier occasion when some people try encroach the site. This time again Court has intervened and stopped the evil design of the vested interest to occupy the site of the Masjid.

Karimganj History

History of Karimganj District
Early period
The early history of present district of Karimganj, Assam, is hazy and obscure. With available source materials and evidences, it is difficult to construct a chronologically comprehensive account of early history of the region. Only a broad outline, with major gaps, can be attempted.
From the Nidhanpur copper inscriptions issued by King Bhaskarbarman, it is learnt that the region has been within the Kamrupa Kingdom for about a hundred years since A.D. sixth century. The Aryanisation of the region under the leadership of the pioneer immigrant Brahmins with plough-based agriculture as economic basis had its beginning during this period. From the Kalapur copper plates issued by Samata Marundanatha, it is learnt that in the 7th Century A.D., this region, along with foothills of North Cachar Hills had passed on to the Samatata Kingdom of the Eastern Bengal. Of ourse, there is no direct evidence to prove it. In the 10th Century A.D., King Srichandra of the renowned Chandra Dynasty of Eastern Bengal incorporated the entire region within his Vanga Kingdom. During this period, the Chandrapura Matha or monastery, situated at Panchakhanda (8 miles From Karimganj town, now in Bangladesh), became a very reputed centre of learning. According to the renowned historian D.C. Sarkar, the Chandrapura Matha was the greatest centre of Hindu-learning in the entire Eastern India of the early period. From two Bhatera inscriptions of Govindakeshava Deva and Ishana Deva, it is learnt that there was an independent Srihatta Rajya in the 12th Century within which the entire Karimganj District along with a major portion of the Cachar plains were incorporated.


Middle Age
When Hazarat Shah Jalal, a warrior Muslim Saint from Yemen, conquered Sylhet in 1328 A.D., Srihatta, along with a major portion of Karimganj district passed on to the Bengal Sultanate. A portion of Karimganj district comprising the present thana area of Patherkandi was under the control of the Tripura King at that period. However, during the reign of Hussain Shah (1483-1519), this region - at that time known as Pratapgarh - also came under the Sultanate. We have two inscriptions - one of Hussain Shah, and another of his son Mahmud Shah, found respectively at Kaliganj and Suprakandi, to show that Bengal Sultanate had complete sway over this entire region. The region, along with other parts of Sylhet, was incorporated within the Mughal Empire in 1576 during the reign of Akbar. According to Ain-I-Akbari, most of the areas of the district were placed under the Pratapgarh Revenue Mahal of the Silhat Sarkar of the Mughals. The district continued to be part of the Silhat Sarkar and Bangla Suba of the Mughals.

British Era and Freedom Movement
In 1765, the diwani of the Bangla Suba was taken over by the British East India Company and the District of Sylhet, of which Karimganj was a part, passed on to the British. However, upto 1786, the British could not establish their hegemony over the entire region. A local Zamindar, Radharam, brought under his administrative control, a vast region of Southern Karimganj, and local people started calling him Nawab Radharam. His blatant defiance of British authority brought the matters to a head, but Radharam could survive two successive expeditions of the British contingents. Ultimately, a reinforced contingent succeeded in capturing him after defeating his native force. While he was being carried to Sylhet by the Company soldiers, Radharam reportedly committed suicide. It is only with his fall in 1786 that the British could establish their complete authority in the region around Karimganj.
In November 1857, three companies of the 34th Native Infantry stationed at Chittagong mutinied and they subsequently emerged in the south-east of the Sylhet District. At Latu village of present Karimganj district, these rebel soldiers encountered a contingent of the Sylhet Light Infantry under the command of Major Byng. The sepoys were defeated, but Major Byng was killed. At Malegar hillock of Latu village, the graves of the fallen rebels are still venerated by the local peple.

The Sub-division of Karimganj under the Sylhet District was created in 1878 with Karimganj town as its headquarters. The sub-division played an important role in the freedom movement. The famous Chargola exodus, one of the earliest organised labour movements of the country, had its origin in the Chargola valley tea-belt of Karimganj sub-division.

Partition & post-partition period
At the time of partition of the country, in 1947, the district of Sylhet was transferred to East Pakistan barring three-and-half thana areas (Ratabari, Patherkandi, Badarpur and half of Karimganj thana) of the Karimganj sub-division. This truncated Karimganj sub-division was incorporated in the Cachar District of Assam as a full-fledged sub-division. This sub-division was upgraded to a district on the 1st of July, 1983, vide Govt. Notification no. GAG15/83/1 dated June 14, 1983.

Karimganj Geography

Geography of Karimganj District
General
Karimganj District is situated in the Southern part of Assam - a state in India. Along with two neighbouring districts - Cachar and Hailakandi - it came to be known as Barak Valley from the name of the major rive 'Barak'. The total area of the district is 1809 Sq.Kms. which comprises varied geographical features like agricultural plains, shallow wetlands, hilly terrains and forests. The forest covers 30% of total geographical area of the district. Karimganj is bounded on the north by Bangladesh and Cachar district; on the South by Mizoram and Tripura states, on the West by Bangladesh and Tripura and on the East by Hailakandi district. The district shares 92 Kms. of International Border with the Bangladesh. 41 Kms of this is demarcated by the river Kushiara while 51 Kms is land border. On some stretches, there is no natural geographical demarcation for the border which cuts across open agricultural or grazing fields. However, on most parts, the international border with Bangladesh is marked by either the river Kushiara, or the sub-mountain tracts of the Adamail range. In a sense, Karimganj, along with the neighbouring district of Cachar demarcates the frontier between the plains of the Padma-Meghna basin and the hilly North-east India.


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Hilly terrains
Karimganj district is actually shut in between two hill ranges, whereas there is a third hill that runs through the southern part of the district.
The Chhatachura range that starts from the south-east border, forms the whole length of border with Hailakandi district. The summit of the range is called the Chhatachura peak and its height is 2087 feet above the sea-level. The hills gradually decline in height and in the middle section, which bears the name Sarashpur, are only 1000 feet above the sea-level near the Barak river. At the lowest level, where they are known as the Badarpur hills, the average height is about 500 feet. The Chhatachura range is about 50 miles from north to south and at some parts, 13 miles in breadth.

The Adamail or Patharia range marks the western border of the district forming the international border with Bangladesh. Running from the south to the north, its length is about 28 miles and breadth about 7 to 8 miles. The highest point of the range is about 800 feet above sea-level.

The third hilly range crossing through the district is the Duhalia range, also called the Pratapgarh range. It runs through the mid-south of the district demarcating the Longai Valley and the Chargola valley. The length of the range in the district is about 28 miles with highest peak at 1500 feet above sea-level,

Besides these main ranges, the plains of the district are also dotted with hillocks and forests. The north and north-eastern portion of the district are mainly plains whereas the South and South-western parts are mainly covered with forest.


Rivers and Their Courses
Kushiara, Longai and Shingla are the main rivers flowing through the district.
The river Barak enters the district through its north-eastern corner near Badarpurghat and after traversing a length of seven miles upto a place called Haritikar near Bhanga, is divided into two branches - namely, the Kushiara and the Surma. From the point of bifurcation, the Kushiara flows westwards to Bangladesh forming the northern boundary of the distict. The town of Karimganj is situated on the bank of this river. The old name of the Kushiara near Karimganj town was Bagali. In Bangladesh, the river is again divided near Bahadurpur in Moulavi Bazar district, the northern branch assuming the name Bibiyana and the southern branch, Shakha Barak. The Bibiyana is later merged with the Surma rver near Markuli steamer station in Habiganj district of Bangladesh, assuming the name Kalni, and then Bhera Mohana, and ultimately this huge combined stream merges with the great river Meghna of Bangladesh. The southern stream of Kushiara resumes the original name Barak or Shakha Barak and flows in a south-westerly direction through Habiganj district and finally falls into the old bed of the Brahmaputra near Bhairab Bazar in Maimansingh District (Bangladesh).

The Longai river originates in the Jampai Hills of Tripura state and travelling a course of northerly direction, turns south-west near Longai Railway station near Karimganj town. Near Latu village, it enters Bangladesh and then flows to meet the Hakaluki Haor (Haor = Atoll-like span of water) which absorbs the entire inflow during the winter. During the rainy season, an outlet springs out which ultimately merges with the Kushiara near Fechuganj in Sylhet district (Bangladesh).

The Singla river originates from Mizoram state and taking a northward direction, it falls in Sonbill Haor wherefrom the stream emerges bifurcated forming two rivulets - Kachua and Kakra.

The Kushiara and the Longai are perennial rivers, whereas the others dry up during the winter.