Zafar Khan Ghazi Mosque and Dargah situated at Tribeni in Hughli district, West Bengal, India, are considered to be among the earliest surviving Muslim monuments in Bengal. According to an inscription, the mosque is dated 698 AH/1298 AD. Tribeni (junction of three rivers viz, the Ganga, the Jamuna and the Sarasvati - hence the name) was an ancient holy place of the Hindus. The Muslims conquered it during the early phase of their conquest of Bengal.
The mosque is an oblong structure measuring 23.38m x 10.53m externally. It is the earliest surviving example of the brick-and-stone style introduced by the Muslims in Bengal in place of the traditional Hindu style of laying rectangular cut stones one upon another without mortar. The stones used in the mosque were originally materials from temples, as evidenced by figures of Hindu deities carved on some pieces. The original structure has suffered reconstruction a number of times.
There are five arched entrances in the east wall. Stumpy hexagonal stone piers support the arches. The mosque represents the multi-domed oblong type developed by the Muslims in Bengal in which the number of domes on the roof equals the number of entrances in the east wall multiplied by those on either side. The north and south walls have two doors each. There are thus ten domes roofing the mosque. The interior of the structure is broken into two longitudinal aisles and five short bays by means of stone pillars, creating ten equal compartments. The brick-built domes rest on stone pillars and pointed arches with brick pendentives at the corners.
The silhouette of the successive pointed arches has added to the spaciousness and grandeur of the mosque interior. Corresponding to the five entrances in the east, there are five mihrabs in the west wall contained within multifoil arches. The mihrab wall shows sparse decoration within panels. The cornice and the parapet of the structure are straight. The mosque follows the Bengali type with only the prayer chamber without court, riwaq and minaret. A significant feature of the mosque interior is that a brick wall up to the level of the arch-spring has closed the bay at each end, north and south, across the middle. These are the only parts of the mosque which show terracotta ornamentation. The southern part is in a fair state of preservation and shows a panelled composition. The central panel is broken into two halves vertically by means of rosettes within square frames - the lower depicting a swinging creeper with luxuriant leaf age and the upper two half-arch motifs with a finial in the thick of shrubs and foliage. The flanking panels are similarly disposed and ornamented. All the panels depict multifoil arches with finials. The vegetal motifs betray local influence and speak of the Muslim adaptive spirit.
The ornamentation of the northern bay wall is in ruins, but surviving traces show its dissimilarity from the southern. The composition here shows two small vertical panels each containing a multifoil arch with a finial from which hangs a chain ending in a round pendant. What is significant about these bay walls is that they are completely incongruous with the mosque interior but their ornamentation surprisingly resembles that in the bagha mosque (1524) in Rajshahi district.
Only yards away to the east of the mosque, beyond an open courtyard, stand two square rooms aligned east-west side by side, the western housing two graves - those of Zafar Khan Ghazi and his wife and the eastern showing four graves on a masonry platform. The walls are built of old temple materials - rectangular stone pieces - and the rooms are without a roof and open to the sky. A rectangular shallow niche enters them through a central door in the north wall flanked on either side with a trefoil arch above. The northern door of the western room is made up of a Hindu frame as shown by carved Hindu figures. The eastern room shows sculptured scenes from the ramayana and the mahabharata. There are other stone sculptures fixed at the plinth on the outer face. It is, however, surprising that the structure neither conforms to a Hindu temple nor to a Muslim tomb. What is probable is that it was built on a makeshift plan with reshuffled temple materials. The unsettled nature of Muslim occupation of the region at the time supports such a suggestion
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Mohammad Zakaria
Subsequently, he became associated with different theatre groups such as Bahurupi, Theatre Centre, Lokanatyam etc and became famous for his acting ability. This was quite unusual in contemporary Muslim society. Among the plays in which he acted with distinction are Ulukhagda (1950), Chhenda Tar (1952), Dashchakra (1952), Dharmaghat (1953), Raktakarabi (1954), Dakghar (1957), Aghatan Ajo Ghate (1961), Ek Peyala Coffee (1962), Psychotherapy, etc.
In 1956, at the invitation of bulbul lalitakala academy (BAFA) Bahurupi came to Dhaka and staged rabindranath tagore’s Raktakarabi and tulsi lahiri’s Chhenda Tar.
In 1964, Zakaria came to dhaka from Calcutta and acted in two films directed by zahir raihan Bahana (1965) and Behula (1966) and in Syed Mohammad Parvez's film, Begana (1966).
In 1966, Mohammad Zakaria joined the Dhaka centre of Pakistan Television as a producer. This move helped him to use his talents for the stage, and to produce Radio and Television plays in Dhaka. In Dhaka, he first performed in munier chowdhury's Kabar (1972), a play produced by Theatre. He was one of the founding members of Theatre and also its vice-president. Major stage and TV plays he acted in subsequently include Subachan Nirbasane (1974), Chardike Yuddha (1976), Payer Aoyaj Paoya Yay (1976), Dui Bon (1978), Othello (1981), Macbeth (1983), Akhano Krtadas (1983), Pratibeshi and Idiot. His interpretation of the characters of 'Baba' (father) in Subachan Nirbasane, 'Pirsaheb' in Payer Aoyaj Paoya Yay and 'Mathurda' in Dui Bon earned him the admiration of many.
Zakaria introduced a distinct style of acting in the work he did from the 1940s to the 1980s. He became noted particularly by translating plays and writing creative essays on the theatre. He was felicitated and given enthusiastic receptions and prizes by various institutions for his literary and cultural achievements.
Among the prizes he received are the National Drama Festival Award (New Delhi, 1954), Ekushey Padak of Bangladesh Government (1981), Kazi Mahbubullah Zebunnesa Trust Medal (1983), Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Prize (1978), Bangladesh Film Journalist Association Prize (1985), Sequence Award of Merit (1980), and Sammilita Sanskritik Jot Padak (1992). He was honoured in the Gunijan Sangbardhana of Dhaka Theatre (1981), a reception organised by Loknatya Dal (1991). In 1999, Theatre introduced the 'Mohammad Zakaria Memorial Medal' in his honour.
Selina Bahar Zaman
Zaman, Selina Bahar (1940-2004) Parveen Sultana Chaudhury, popularly known as Selina Bahar Chaudhury, and after marriage Selina Bahar Zaman, was born at Kolkata on February 15, 1940. She was the eldest daughter of Habibullah Bahar Choudhury and Anwara Bahar Chaudhury who were known for their progressive and non communal attitude. The influence of the father who was a close associate of poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and Ananta Singh, the revolutionary leader, the organizing experience which he acquired as the Calcutta Mohammadan Sporting Club Football team leader and the organiser of the Bangio Muslim Sahitya Samaj, and also the impact of the devoted teacher, writer and social activist mother and aunt Shamsunnahar Mahmud greatly impacted the life style of Selina Bahar since her childhood.
Though her school life started at Kolkata it ended at the Qamrunnesa School at Dhaka after the family's migration following the Partition of India in 1947. A brilliant student, she passed her Mariculation Examination in 1954 securing 2nd position among the girls. After graduation with Honours in Mathematics she passed her M. Sc from the University of Dhaka securing first position in first class in Pure Mathematics in 1960. Starting her service career as a Lecturer at the Eden Girls’ College, Dhaka, she went to the UK for higher studies on a government scholarship. After a long successful teaching career she retired from the Jagannath University College, Dhaka in 1997 as the Head of the Department of Mathematics.
Selina Bahar left her imprint on various aspects of socio-cultural life. She joined the Radio Pakistan in 1950 as a juvenile artist and excelled in recitation and dance. Her keen interest in dance and drama continued during her period of study at Dhaka University. Her participation in the dance-drama ‘Chandalika’ at Curzon Hall stage in 1957 was an epoch making event for a Muslim girl to dance in a public function.
Her earlier interest in the publication of book found expression in the juvenile literature like Pikur Chhagal (goat) and Bulir Murgi (hen) (1978). The Bangla Academy published her first mathematical work, Number in 1986.
Her pastime included the collection and caring of the rare documents and souvenirs. Her collection titled Nazrul Pandulipi and edited by her was published by the Bangla Academy. The other valuable manuscript, Nazrul’s Dhumketu was published by the Nazrul Academy. Besides, the Muktijuddha Jadughar, Bangla Academy, Bangali Samagra and some other institutions have been enriched by the rare souvenirs and documents donated by her.
Selina Bahar Zaman’s multifarious socio-cultural contribution did not end there. At her own expense and putting tremendous pressure on her health she engaged herself in publishing some valuable commemorative volumes. With the re-printing of the Habibullah Bahar Smarak Grantha (1995) started her new phase of literary work. Jahur Hossain Chaudhury Smarak Grantha (1996), Anwara Bahar Chaudhury Smarak Grantha (1997), Shamsuddin Abul Kalam Smarak Grantha (1999), Shamsunnahar Mahmud Smarak Grantha (2002), Begum Rokeya Smarak Grantha (2002) and Shaukat Osman Smarak Grantha (2003) completed the list of this genre. Her latest remarkable work was the compilation of letters of some luminaries of colonial and post-colonial period titled Kaek Chatra Praner Patra (2004) containing 86 rare letters and 51 photographs.
Selina Bahar’s last piece of literary work, Pathe Chale Jete Jete, remained unfinished and unpublished because of her sudden death on 4 December, 2004.
Though her school life started at Kolkata it ended at the Qamrunnesa School at Dhaka after the family's migration following the Partition of India in 1947. A brilliant student, she passed her Mariculation Examination in 1954 securing 2nd position among the girls. After graduation with Honours in Mathematics she passed her M. Sc from the University of Dhaka securing first position in first class in Pure Mathematics in 1960. Starting her service career as a Lecturer at the Eden Girls’ College, Dhaka, she went to the UK for higher studies on a government scholarship. After a long successful teaching career she retired from the Jagannath University College, Dhaka in 1997 as the Head of the Department of Mathematics.
Selina Bahar left her imprint on various aspects of socio-cultural life. She joined the Radio Pakistan in 1950 as a juvenile artist and excelled in recitation and dance. Her keen interest in dance and drama continued during her period of study at Dhaka University. Her participation in the dance-drama ‘Chandalika’ at Curzon Hall stage in 1957 was an epoch making event for a Muslim girl to dance in a public function.
Her earlier interest in the publication of book found expression in the juvenile literature like Pikur Chhagal (goat) and Bulir Murgi (hen) (1978). The Bangla Academy published her first mathematical work, Number in 1986.
Her pastime included the collection and caring of the rare documents and souvenirs. Her collection titled Nazrul Pandulipi and edited by her was published by the Bangla Academy. The other valuable manuscript, Nazrul’s Dhumketu was published by the Nazrul Academy. Besides, the Muktijuddha Jadughar, Bangla Academy, Bangali Samagra and some other institutions have been enriched by the rare souvenirs and documents donated by her.
Selina Bahar Zaman’s multifarious socio-cultural contribution did not end there. At her own expense and putting tremendous pressure on her health she engaged herself in publishing some valuable commemorative volumes. With the re-printing of the Habibullah Bahar Smarak Grantha (1995) started her new phase of literary work. Jahur Hossain Chaudhury Smarak Grantha (1996), Anwara Bahar Chaudhury Smarak Grantha (1997), Shamsuddin Abul Kalam Smarak Grantha (1999), Shamsunnahar Mahmud Smarak Grantha (2002), Begum Rokeya Smarak Grantha (2002) and Shaukat Osman Smarak Grantha (2003) completed the list of this genre. Her latest remarkable work was the compilation of letters of some luminaries of colonial and post-colonial period titled Kaek Chatra Praner Patra (2004) containing 86 rare letters and 51 photographs.
Selina Bahar’s last piece of literary work, Pathe Chale Jete Jete, remained unfinished and unpublished because of her sudden death on 4 December, 2004.
Zamindar Family of Teota
Zamindar Family of Teota' was one of the large landholders based in Teota of manikganj district. Founded by one Panchanan Chaudhuri, born (c. 1740) into the Dasgupta family of Shaitghar-Teota in western Manikganj, the 'Sankars' (the family middle name) were a relatively progressive, enlightened and unostentatious zamindar family. A number of its members made notable contributions to public life at all Bengal level.
The Teota zamindari comprised a number of estates spread out in the districts of Dhaka, Faridpur and Pabna, and Dinajpur along with some small properties in Rangpur and Burdwan. In 1914, the Dinajpur properties alone were valued at over Rs 11 lakhs. The estate paid over Rs. 60,000 in annual government revenue, and was managed by educated and trained officials. It would also appear that this estate was comparatively generous towards its employees ' among other things, it paid a 'dearness allowance', and took care of the medical expenses and 'living costs' of its staff. The head office/ manager's office was at Teota, and the estate was broadly divided into a few circles, each having a number of kachharis under it. The Teota zamindari remained undivided for almost a hundred and fifty years. By 1920, however, it had been amicably partitioned into the eight anna Teota Joy Sankar Estate, and other smaller shares. The zamindari ended with the abolition of zamindari system, and the acquisition of the estates by the government, under the provisions of the east bengal state acquisition and tenancy act of 1950.
Panchanan Chaudhuri, the founder of the family, began his 'career' away from home, in Dinajpur. His earliest investments, it seems, had been in the tobacco trade, in which he flourished. With the profits earned from his lucrative business, he soon started to invest in land when a land market was created under the operation of the Permanent Settlement. He acquired his earliest properties in the Dinajpur region. Some time later, he returned to his ancestral village, and established himself as the first zamindar of Teota. A devout vaisnab, it was also during his time that 'Sridhar' came to be the 'family-god', Panchanan being the first 'sebaiyat'. He lived till ninety-three, and saw in his own lifetime the zamindari maturing into one of the largest in Eastern Bengal.
Very little is known about Panchanan Chaudhuri's only son, Kali Sankar, who died very young, in his early thirties, but left behind two sons ' Joy Sankar and Tarini Sankar (born, 1800s-1810s). Both of them were brought up to be 'traditional' aristocrats (of the 'Nawabi Bengal' mould), the younger Tarini Sankar having even been sent to Murshidabad for his education. However, he did not have a long life, and died in his thirties, and was survived by Shyama Sankar (later raja shyama sankar ray bahadur of Teota) and Pran Sankar.
Joy Sankar considerably augmented the inherited properties. He undertook such welfare activities as the digging of ponds and the construction of roads, besides generously maintaining the 'atithi-sala' (guest house) at Teota set up by his grandfather. He, however, decided to renounce his family and his worldly possessions, and left for Puri ' one of the best destinations for a practising vaisnab ' leaving his two minor sons (Parbati Sankar and Hara Sankar) under the care of their mother and grandmother. It was there that he died shortly afterwards (c 1860). His sons later built a 'dharamsala' in his memory at Gaya (in Bihar), and also made the necessary initial arrangements for a 'math' to be founded at the site of his cremation in Puri.
The next generation of the family saw a marked shift towards the metropolis. Although the (first) Calcutta residence of the family had been built at 50, Darmahutta Street (now Maharshi Debendra Road) in the Pathuriaghata area in the 1820s, it was only from the sixties that male members of the family began to live in the city for extended periods. The ladies of the family left the village much later, in the 1880s or 1890s, when a new, more sprawling residence was built at 44, European Asylum Lane. That apart, the family also had a number of residential houses elsewhere. The Teota rajbari in Benaras (there were two, in fact) have been immortalised by bibhutibhushan bandyopadhyay's novel, and subsequently by the satyajit ray film, 'Aparajita'.
The eldest among the four cousins of this generation, Shyama Sankar Roy, was a noted philanthropist, an enterprising landlord who made numerous attempts at improvements and innovations in agriculture, and a Theosophist. He was conferred the personal title of 'Raja' in the 1877s. rai parbati sankar chaudhuri was also an 'imaginative' zamindar. Among other things, he introduced the system of co-operative grain banks (dharmagola) within the zamindari, and was one of the founders of the indian industrial association. Hara Sankar Ray, who was a Presidency College graduate and had a degree in law, was an honourary magistrate (of Teota). The next generation saw yet another shift, with many of the cousins being sent to British universities for their first degrees and legal training at the Inns of Court, although only one of them, Dr Kumar Sankar Ray, turned out to be a 'professional' in later life. KS Ray, a non-practising barrister and a philanthropist, was prominently involved in Congress electoral politics and represented Bengal (along with a few others) at the Council of States in New Delhi in the 1930s and 40s. The best-known names in the generation were however: the politician, kirOn sankar roy, and kumud sankar ray (Dr KS Ray), the medical luminary and Swarajya-Congress leader.
The family seat was at Teota ' an expansive complex, close to the bank of Jamuna, comprising a maze of courtyards and buildings, the earliest ones dating from the early nineteenth century, and the most recent from the early 1900s. The remarkable Navaratna adjoining the rajbati, built in honour of the family god and used during the 'Dol' festival, is among the tallest and most elegant ones of its kind. The 'High/ Entrance School' in the village, called Teota Academy, founded by the Teota Zamindar Family in the 1880s was ' apart from the town school ' for a long time the only one in Manikganj sub-division, now a district. The school also had a 'boarding' for resident scholars, and its students used to stay at the 'Bahir-bari' of the Calcutta residence of the Sankars when appearing for the University matriculation and other examinations. Besides this, there was a 'pathsala' and a charitable dispensary maintained by the estate. Also, Teota was one of the very few places in the district having a sitting honorary magistrate and a 'bench'.
The big structures of the zamindar family still survive though abandoned and left uncared since 1957. These are now occupied by squatters. Structurally, the magnificent Teota buildings carry the spirit and technique of the blends of Mughal and European architecture.
The Teota zamindari comprised a number of estates spread out in the districts of Dhaka, Faridpur and Pabna, and Dinajpur along with some small properties in Rangpur and Burdwan. In 1914, the Dinajpur properties alone were valued at over Rs 11 lakhs. The estate paid over Rs. 60,000 in annual government revenue, and was managed by educated and trained officials. It would also appear that this estate was comparatively generous towards its employees ' among other things, it paid a 'dearness allowance', and took care of the medical expenses and 'living costs' of its staff. The head office/ manager's office was at Teota, and the estate was broadly divided into a few circles, each having a number of kachharis under it. The Teota zamindari remained undivided for almost a hundred and fifty years. By 1920, however, it had been amicably partitioned into the eight anna Teota Joy Sankar Estate, and other smaller shares. The zamindari ended with the abolition of zamindari system, and the acquisition of the estates by the government, under the provisions of the east bengal state acquisition and tenancy act of 1950.
Panchanan Chaudhuri, the founder of the family, began his 'career' away from home, in Dinajpur. His earliest investments, it seems, had been in the tobacco trade, in which he flourished. With the profits earned from his lucrative business, he soon started to invest in land when a land market was created under the operation of the Permanent Settlement. He acquired his earliest properties in the Dinajpur region. Some time later, he returned to his ancestral village, and established himself as the first zamindar of Teota. A devout vaisnab, it was also during his time that 'Sridhar' came to be the 'family-god', Panchanan being the first 'sebaiyat'. He lived till ninety-three, and saw in his own lifetime the zamindari maturing into one of the largest in Eastern Bengal.
Very little is known about Panchanan Chaudhuri's only son, Kali Sankar, who died very young, in his early thirties, but left behind two sons ' Joy Sankar and Tarini Sankar (born, 1800s-1810s). Both of them were brought up to be 'traditional' aristocrats (of the 'Nawabi Bengal' mould), the younger Tarini Sankar having even been sent to Murshidabad for his education. However, he did not have a long life, and died in his thirties, and was survived by Shyama Sankar (later raja shyama sankar ray bahadur of Teota) and Pran Sankar.
Joy Sankar considerably augmented the inherited properties. He undertook such welfare activities as the digging of ponds and the construction of roads, besides generously maintaining the 'atithi-sala' (guest house) at Teota set up by his grandfather. He, however, decided to renounce his family and his worldly possessions, and left for Puri ' one of the best destinations for a practising vaisnab ' leaving his two minor sons (Parbati Sankar and Hara Sankar) under the care of their mother and grandmother. It was there that he died shortly afterwards (c 1860). His sons later built a 'dharamsala' in his memory at Gaya (in Bihar), and also made the necessary initial arrangements for a 'math' to be founded at the site of his cremation in Puri.
The next generation of the family saw a marked shift towards the metropolis. Although the (first) Calcutta residence of the family had been built at 50, Darmahutta Street (now Maharshi Debendra Road) in the Pathuriaghata area in the 1820s, it was only from the sixties that male members of the family began to live in the city for extended periods. The ladies of the family left the village much later, in the 1880s or 1890s, when a new, more sprawling residence was built at 44, European Asylum Lane. That apart, the family also had a number of residential houses elsewhere. The Teota rajbari in Benaras (there were two, in fact) have been immortalised by bibhutibhushan bandyopadhyay's novel, and subsequently by the satyajit ray film, 'Aparajita'.
The eldest among the four cousins of this generation, Shyama Sankar Roy, was a noted philanthropist, an enterprising landlord who made numerous attempts at improvements and innovations in agriculture, and a Theosophist. He was conferred the personal title of 'Raja' in the 1877s. rai parbati sankar chaudhuri was also an 'imaginative' zamindar. Among other things, he introduced the system of co-operative grain banks (dharmagola) within the zamindari, and was one of the founders of the indian industrial association. Hara Sankar Ray, who was a Presidency College graduate and had a degree in law, was an honourary magistrate (of Teota). The next generation saw yet another shift, with many of the cousins being sent to British universities for their first degrees and legal training at the Inns of Court, although only one of them, Dr Kumar Sankar Ray, turned out to be a 'professional' in later life. KS Ray, a non-practising barrister and a philanthropist, was prominently involved in Congress electoral politics and represented Bengal (along with a few others) at the Council of States in New Delhi in the 1930s and 40s. The best-known names in the generation were however: the politician, kirOn sankar roy, and kumud sankar ray (Dr KS Ray), the medical luminary and Swarajya-Congress leader.
The family seat was at Teota ' an expansive complex, close to the bank of Jamuna, comprising a maze of courtyards and buildings, the earliest ones dating from the early nineteenth century, and the most recent from the early 1900s. The remarkable Navaratna adjoining the rajbati, built in honour of the family god and used during the 'Dol' festival, is among the tallest and most elegant ones of its kind. The 'High/ Entrance School' in the village, called Teota Academy, founded by the Teota Zamindar Family in the 1880s was ' apart from the town school ' for a long time the only one in Manikganj sub-division, now a district. The school also had a 'boarding' for resident scholars, and its students used to stay at the 'Bahir-bari' of the Calcutta residence of the Sankars when appearing for the University matriculation and other examinations. Besides this, there was a 'pathsala' and a charitable dispensary maintained by the estate. Also, Teota was one of the very few places in the district having a sitting honorary magistrate and a 'bench'.
The big structures of the zamindar family still survive though abandoned and left uncared since 1957. These are now occupied by squatters. Structurally, the magnificent Teota buildings carry the spirit and technique of the blends of Mughal and European architecture.
Zenana
Zenana a Persian term originating from zan or 'woman'. Zenana is primarily a Muslim social institution under which a separate apartment is assigned to women members and women guests and visitors to the family. More simply, male and female members of the family work and interact and relax in separate spaces within the family precinct during working hours of the day. Women members themselves are also euphemistically called zenana.
It is a system of keeping womenfolk secluded from the male members of the family not only on social and religious grounds but also on the ground facilitating day to day work. Under the zenana system, men and women work in separate spaces within the family and its men and women members are entrusted with separate activities. The system is also known as andarmahal/antapur. Zenana is closely related to purda. What is zenana within the precinct of the family is purda in the larger setting of the society. Zenana system became particularly popular in Bengal after the region came under Muslim rule from the early 13th century. During the Sultani and Mughal periods, the Muslims, particularly of extraneous origins, strictly practiced zenana, and influenced by them, the high caste Hindu families and local Muslims also started practicising the zenana system.
Until late nineteenth century, zenana was a social and religious practice both among Muslims and Hindus. It was the Brahma Movement which first attacked the zenana system for Hindu families. The Brahma women began to work and intermix within the family and later they even came out of home without wearing veils. But the Muslim society, particularly of ashraf classes, maintained the system until very recent times. Modernism, urbanization, rise of middle classes, social mobility, empowerment of women, and other forces, including the housing system in urban areas, led to the decline of the zenana institution from the early 20th century. But in the rural areas, where housing system is largely unchanged still, the system is quite operative even now.
It is a system of keeping womenfolk secluded from the male members of the family not only on social and religious grounds but also on the ground facilitating day to day work. Under the zenana system, men and women work in separate spaces within the family and its men and women members are entrusted with separate activities. The system is also known as andarmahal/antapur. Zenana is closely related to purda. What is zenana within the precinct of the family is purda in the larger setting of the society. Zenana system became particularly popular in Bengal after the region came under Muslim rule from the early 13th century. During the Sultani and Mughal periods, the Muslims, particularly of extraneous origins, strictly practiced zenana, and influenced by them, the high caste Hindu families and local Muslims also started practicising the zenana system.
Until late nineteenth century, zenana was a social and religious practice both among Muslims and Hindus. It was the Brahma Movement which first attacked the zenana system for Hindu families. The Brahma women began to work and intermix within the family and later they even came out of home without wearing veils. But the Muslim society, particularly of ashraf classes, maintained the system until very recent times. Modernism, urbanization, rise of middle classes, social mobility, empowerment of women, and other forces, including the housing system in urban areas, led to the decline of the zenana institution from the early 20th century. But in the rural areas, where housing system is largely unchanged still, the system is quite operative even now.
Zianagar Upazila
Zianagar Upazila (pirojpur district) area 91.78 sq km, located in between 22°31' and 22°40' north latitudes and in between 90°01' and 90°07' east longitudes. It is bounded by pirojpur sadar upazila on the north, mathbaria and bhandaria upazila on south, Pirojpur Sadar and Bhandaria upazilas on the east, morrelganj upazila and Baleswar River on the west.
Population Total 71905; male 36119, female 35786; Muslim 65128, Hindu 6756, Buddhist 3, Christian 14 and others 4.
Water bodies Main rivers: Kasha and Baleswar.
Administration Indurkani thana was formed in 1976 comprising Parerhat, Bali Para and Pattashi unions of Pirojpur Sadar upazila. On 21 April 2002 Indurkani thana was renamed as Zianagar upazila after the name of President ziaur rahman.
Population Total 71905; male 36119, female 35786; Muslim 65128, Hindu 6756, Buddhist 3, Christian 14 and others 4.
Water bodies Main rivers: Kasha and Baleswar.
Administration Indurkani thana was formed in 1976 comprising Parerhat, Bali Para and Pattashi unions of Pirojpur Sadar upazila. On 21 April 2002 Indurkani thana was renamed as Zianagar upazila after the name of President ziaur rahman.
| Upazila | ||||||||
| Municipality | Union | Mouza | Village | Population | Density (per sq km) | Literacy rate (%) | ||
| Urban | Rural | Urban | Rural | |||||
-
|
3
|
29
|
29
|
-
|
71905
|
559
|
-
|
60.99
|
| Union | ||||
| Name of union and GO code | Area (acre) | Population | Literacy rate (%) | |
| Male | Female | |||
Pattashi 51
|
8771
|
13409
|
13426
|
62.46
|
Parerhat 43
|
5214
|
9151
|
8798
|
65.34
|
Bali Para 15
|
8808
|
13559
|
13562
|
55.17
|
Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Religious institutions Mosque 141, temple 16.
Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 60.99%, male 61.25%, female 60.73%. Noted educational institutions: Zianagar Degree College (2001), Bhabanipur Secondary School, HF Technical and BM College (1996), Parerhat Rajlaksmi Secondary School (1921), Setara Smriti Secondary School (1998), Girls' Secondary School (1996), Meheruddin Pilot Secondary School (1949), Dakshin Indurkani SMA Secondary School (1967), Togra Darul Islam Alim Madrasa (1955), BGM Mohila Dakhil Madrasa (1980).
Cultural organisations Library 13, club 1.
Main sources of income Agriculture 33.53%, non-agricultural labourer 4.30%, commerce 16.22%, industry 0.99%, transport and communication 3.43%, service 17.61%,' construction 1.32%, religious service 0.44%, rent and remittance 8.48% and others 13.68%.
Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 56.81%, landless 43.19%.
Main crops Paddy, sweet potato, chilli, pulses, ground nut, vegetables.
Main fruits Mango, guava, banana, coconut, betel nut.
Communication facilities Pucca road 30 km, semi pucca road 17 km, mud road 270 km; water ways 8 nautical miles. Culvert 94, bridge 72.
Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Goina boat, palanquin, bullock cart, horse carriage.
Noted Manufactories Flour mill 5, rice mill 10, brick field 4.
Cottage industries Bamboo and cane works.
Hats, bazara and fairs Hats and bazars are 16, fair 1, most noted of which are Lahuri Hat, Natun Hat, Kalibari Hat, Parerhat Hat, Indurkani Hat, Pattshi Hat, Ramchandrapur Hat, Khejurtala Hat, Ghoser Hat, Bali Para Hat and Chandipur Hat.
Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 33.43% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.
Sources of drinking water Tube-well 76.34%, tap 0.87%, pond 19.02% and others 3.77%.
Sanitation 52.92% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 34.67%' of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 12.41% of households do not have latrine facilities.
Health centres Upazila health centre 1, clinic 4, health and family welfare centre 1. [Md. Moudud Ahmed]
References Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Zianagar Upazila 2007.
Zircon
Zircon' brown, green, pale-blue, red, orange, golden-yellow, grayish or colourless neosilicate mineral occurring in tetragonal prisms. It is the chief source of zirconium; the colourless varieties provide brilliant gemstones. Also known as hyacinth, jacinth, zirconite. It shows conchoidal fracture and cleavage visible in one direction. Its hardness is 7 on Moh's scale. It occurs in granites, syenites, schists and crystalline limestones. Zircon is occasionally radioactive because of the presence of thorium and uranium, replacing zirconium in the structure. The presence of thorium and uranium makes it a useful mineral for the age determination of such rocks.
Table Reserve of zircon at different localities in Bangladesh.
| Locality | Raw Sand | Heavy Mineral | Zircon |
| Badarmokam (Cox's Bazar) | 1765000 | 411000 | 4932 |
| Sabrang (Cox's Bazar) | 347558 | 68582 | 4184 |
| Teknaf (Cox's Bazar) | 1939580 | 442291 | 28306 |
| Shilkhali (Cox's Bazar) | 2756828 | 489714 | 33300 |
| Inani (Cox's Bazar) | 729286 | 175476 | 10880 |
| Cox's Bazar | 5119000 | 920000 | 23000 |
| Maheshkhali Island (Cox's Bazar) | 4114230 | 784210 | 37112 |
| Matarbari Island (Cox's Bazar) | 69030 | 15215 | 794 |
| Nijhum Island (Noakhali) | 379337 | 96348 | 2052 |
| Kutubdia Island (Cox's Bazar) | 404646 | 120000 | 3900 |
| Kuakata (Patuakhali) | 2872486 | 831668 | 9647 |
| Total | 20496981 | 4354504 | 158117 |
Source Badrul Imam, Bangladesher Khaniz Sampad, 1996.
It is a principal source of zirconium and hafnium for industry and is extracted from sands, the most important sources being beach deposits. In Bangladesh zircon is found as beach sand heavy mineral placer deposits on the sea beaches and coastal islands of Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali and Patuakhali districts. It occurs mostly with fine to very fine sand grains. Generally the sands containing it are even finer than the sands containing Ilmenite, garnet and Rutile. The highest concentration of zircon, reported from Shilkhali, is 7%, the lowest concentration is 1% and the average is 4%. The reserve of zircon in Bangladesh is about 158,117 thousand ton (see table with figures in tons).
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