About Distric of Panchagarh(পঞ্চগড়) : a brief guidline for traverls, tourists and students for conducting trips, study tours and many others

 1.1 Introduction

Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 163 million people in an area of 148,460 square km making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. 

One of the most fundamental aspects of Bangladesh’s education entails learning about the physical and cultural characteristics of our country--learning about how Bangladesh came to be, how we gained independence, and how the socio-economic development is happening. It's crucial that we know where our roots lie and learn about the people who made it possible for us to be our true selves.

We are lucky enough to live during an age where information know the various region of Bangladesh is always one click away from us, and there are a thousand different ways in which we can absorb that information, therefore first-hand knowledge by making exploration of on-field study method is still the best method to visualize, experience and discuss information.

“Know Bangladesh” is a program of Foundation Training Course (FTC) which is compulsory training for all new entrants to the Bangladesh Civil Services. NAPD has included the “Know Bangladesh” program in its training schedule and has been scheduled from 27 March 2022 to 31 March 2022. Consequently, we, a team of eight members went to visit the far north-eastern district of Bangladesh to know about the physical and cultural features such as socio-economic conditions & sectors, historical, archaeological background, and resources.

1.2 Background of the Program

Education is not only about reading books or learning few formulae, it also involves critical thinking by observation and practically making a connection with the knowledge gained from the books.

Moreover, knowing the geography of a country by making direct visit enhances our knowledge, it helps generate new ideas. By knowing the inner beauty of different regions of our country, one can gather wisdom and experience which can be shared time and again with our descendants. So, considering the immense importance of knowing the physiography, climate, history, archaeology, demography, culture, and geo-political scenario, the “Know Bangladesh” program has been included in the training module of FTC.

1.3 Objectives of the Program

‘Know Bangladesh’ program by exploring Bangladesh is an integral part for the participants of the Foundation Training Course for Bangladesh Civil Servants. The main aim of the program is to obtain first-hand information on the socio-economic and vivid cultural features of Bangladesh. Hence this program has some specific objectives. The notable/specific objectives are as follows:

        1 To assemble information and generate knowledge about the places of historical and archaeological interest.

        2. To be acquainted with the socio-cultural status of the Panchagarh District of Bangladesh.

        3. To understand the economic infrastructure and natural resources of the study area.

        4. To recognize development conditions and government initiatives, policies & facilities.

        5. To perceive knowledge about the gender, women empowerment, and distinguished personality

1.4 Importance of the program

“Know Bangladesh” program through exploration helps the participants of FTC to know vivid cultures, perceive the unknown, and to see the unseen. It also widens participants’ views, it makes us knowledgeable and modest.

• This perceived knowledge will encourage participants to share distant stories of peoples’ life in other regions of the country and helps everyone see the value of nationalism.

• Being immersed in information and being involved in visual and practical experiences this program will help participants remember, learn and understand their own country.

• This program gives students the opportunity to visualize, experience, and discuss information on many aspects of the country

• This kind of team exploration encourages the development of social, personal, intra-cultural, and study skills of the participants.

Above all, being academician the following quote inspired us- “Travel far enough; you meet yourself” -Cloud Atlas.

 1.5 Selection of the Study Area

While selecting the region or study area few criteria has been followed which are:

·         Feasibility to conduct the field visit

·         Economic affordability

·         Unexplored places among participants

·         Geographical barriers

After considering the above-mentioned criteria, the course management and the team came to a decision of selecting the study area.

1.6 Limitations.

The historical places were distant from each other. So, it was tough to cover all the places within this limited time.

The design of the program on “know Bangladesh” requires time and involves arduousness. So, the allotted time of Five (05) days has generated a few challenges and limitations. Notable ones are mentioned as follows:

·       Limitation of time

• We could only cover a few places of interest in the study area which is not enough to provide a comprehensive idea of the selected district.
• As the program involves a significant amount of money, it created a few challenges such as accommodation, refreshments, and transportation facilities
• Limitation of time
• Lack of historical records of explored historical and archaeological places.
• Covid-19 Pandemic situation

2 District Profile of Panchagarh District

The existences of five garhs are Bhitargarh, Hosaingarh, Mirgarh, Rajangarh, and Devengarh. Panchagarh is named after these five garhs. Panchagarh District City stands on the bank of Kartoya in the northern part of Bangladesh.

2.1 Area and Location of Panchagarh District

2.1.1 Area

Panchagarh is a district of Rangpur division in the extreme northern part of Bangladesh with an area of 1404.62 square km

                                                                                                            source: Banglapedia

Map: Location of Panchagarh

2.1.2 Absolute Location

Panchagarh District is located in between 26°00' and 26°38' north latitudes and in between 88°19' and 88°49' east longitudes.

2.1.3 Relative Location

Panchagarh district is located on the northern extremity of Bangladesh. It is bounded on three sides by a 288 km long Indian border having Darjeeling district on the north, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar Districts on the northeast, West Dinajpur District and Purnea district on the west. Dinajpur and Thakurgaon Districts on the south, Nilphamari District on the east.

2.2 Administrative Profile

Administration during the British rule in India, Panchagarh was a Thana under Jalpaiguri District of West Bengal. It was included in Dinajpur District at the time of the partition of India in 1947. Panchagarh Sub Division was formed in 1980 comprising Panchagarh, Boda, Debiganj, Atwari and Tentulia Upazilas. The Sub Division was turned into a district in 1984. The district consists of 5 upazilas, 43 unions, 420 mauzas, 825 villages, 2 paurashavas, 18 wards and 64 mahallas. The upazilas are Atwari, Boda, Debiganj, Panchagarh and Panchagarh Sadar.

Table 1: Upazila-wise administrative units of Panchagarh District

Name of Upazila	Area	Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village
Atwari	209.92	-	6	62	64
Tetulia	189.12	-	7	36	244
Debiganj	309.04	-	10	108	100
Panchagarh Sadar	347.08	1	10	83	196
Boda	349.47	-	10	174	239

Data Source: District Information Centre, Panchagarh

Currently, Abu Bakar Siddue is the Administrator of Zila Porishod and Mr. Juhurul Islam is serving as Deputy Commissioner(DC) of the District.

The members of the tenth National Parliament, elected in 2014 are:

·         Panchagarh-1: Nazmul Haque Prodhan [from Jasod]

·         Panchagarh-2: Nurul Islam Shujon [from Awami League]

2.3 Population of Panchagarh District

According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Panchagarh District had a population of 987,644, of which 496,725 were males and 490,919 females. Panchagarh sadar has the highest population of 272 thousand while Tetulia has the lowest population of 125 thousand.

                                                                                                                                                                                        Data Source: BBS, 2021

                        Figure 1: Sex structure of Panchagarh District

Panchagarh District has a comparatively higher population than the working population. A number of 501,213 population aged under 19 years and above 60 years are living here. We can also say the birth rate is high in this region.

Figure 2: Age Distribution of Panchagarh District

Data Source: BBS, 2021

The married population constitutes almost half of the population. As the life expectancy of females is higher than that of males, the number of widowed is notable.

 

Figure 3: Marital Status of Panchagarh Distri

Data Source: BBS, 2021

Rural population was 892,495 (90.37%) while the urban population was 95,149 (9.63%). 

Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
Urban	Rural
72015	764181	595	43.9

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

2.4 Literacy

It denotes ability to write a letter in any language. Literacy status assessment is made for population 7 years and over. Panchagarh District has a moderate literacy. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS),2011 Panchagarh district has a literacy rate of 51.8% for the population 7 years and above: 55.21% for males and 48.3% for females.

Figure 4: Literacy of Panchagarh Distric        

Data Source: BBS, 2021

The Literacy rate of the male population is slightly higher than the female population. The Data from BBS shows that the literacy rate of males is 4% greater than the female population. But, according to the information from DC office of Panchagarh District, the rate of female literacy is increasing gradually.

Figure 5: Literacy Rate of Panchagarh District

Data Source: BBS, 2021

2.5 Religion wise population distribution

Muslims make up 82.09% of the population, Christians 2.01%, while Hindus are 15.55% of the population. Despite having Islam as the main religion, Panchagarh is mostly governed by secular laws like other parts of Bangladesh, set up during the times when the country was ruled by the British Crown.

Figure 6: Religion wise population distribution of Panchagarh District

 Data Source: BBS, 2021

2.6 Main Occupation

The figure below shows that only 35.3% population of the District are employed and the rest of the population are dependent on those working peoples. The alarming matter is that a large proportion of the young population is either seeking or not working.

Figure 7: Economic Activity status of the population of Panchagarh District

Data Source: BBS, 2021

Main sources of income Agriculture 70.96%, non-agricultural laborer 5.42%, industry 0.47%, commerce 9.6%, transport and communication 3.72%, service 4.83%, construction 0.73%, religious service 0.15%, rent and remittance 0.13% and others 3.99%

Figure 8: Sectors of employment in Panchagarh District

Data Source: BBS, 2021

2.7 Land holding pattern

The following figure shows why a diversified cropping pattern exists in Panchagarh District as well as in the whole country. Cultivable land is declining day by day so that escalating cropping intensity with more production and bringing the barren land under cultivation is the pre-requisite for sustainable food security of Bangladesh. That is already happening in the Panchagarh District.

Table 3: Land Holding Pattern in Panchagarh District

Data Source: District Statistics, 2021

2.8 Educational institutions 

In Panchagarh District there are: college 25, secondary school 240, primary school 59, madrasa 60. Noted educational institutions: Makbular Rahman Government College (1965), Boda English High School (1888), Mirzapur High School at Atwari (1904), Nrepen Narayan Pilot High School (1906), Bishnu Prasad High School at Panchagarh (1944), Tentulia Pilot High Nayadighi School (1959), Panchagarh Government Primary School (1956), Primary School at Boda (1828), Goalpara Primary School at Boda (1830), Boda Model Primary School (1873), Mirgarh Primary School at Panchagarh (1918), Maynaguri Primary School at Panchagarh (1928).

3 Places of Interest

It includes historical, archaeological, contemporary establishments.

3.1 Mirzapur Shahi Masjid

Mirzapur Shahi Masjid is one of the archaeological artifacts of Bangladesh. The mosque has been named after Mirzapur village in Atwari Upazila of Panchgarh district. 

Mirzapur Shahi Masjid is about 300 years old. The design of the High Court Mosque in Dhaka is very similar to the design of Mirzapur Shahi Masjid. The rectangular mosque is 40 feet in length and 24 feet in width. The mosque has 3 domes as well as 4 thin minarets on the roof and four corners. 

There are 3 doors on the front wall of the mosque to enter the interior. Every wall and door has various crafted designs. The design featured terracotta plaques, flowers, and creepers. 

The mosque has an inscription written in French, which is believed to have been built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Alam. At present, Bangladesh’s archaeology department oversees Mirzapur Shahi mosque overall.

3.2 Rock Museum

The only stone museum or rocks museum in Bangladesh has been set up on the Panchgarh Government Women’s College campus. In 1997, principal Nazmul Haque built this rocks museum with complete personal initiative. 

The museum preserves stones based on various colors, shapes, and features. In addition to the thousand-year-old stone, there are various statues of bricks and terracotta of ancient buildings. The museum’s ethnic museum contains items used by various indigenous people. Openly, there are two

300-year-old boats of 22 feet in length made of several large stones and a shawl tree. There are no more Rocks Museums in Bangladesh.

3.3 Tea Gardens in Panchagarh

The first thing that we see about tea gardens is the picture of Srimangal in Sylhet, but it isn’t easy to believe that tea can be cultivated commercially even on the plains of Panchgarh, the district in the north of the country. 

Although tea has been produced in Bangladesh for more than 150 years, Panchgarh first started tea cultivation in 1998. When he saw the land of Panchgarh lying down, industrialist Kazi Shahid Ahmad started cultivating tea inspired by the tea gardens of India. Kazi Tea Estate is the pioneer

    

           

in the field of organic tea cultivation. Apart from Kazi Tea Estate, several institutions like Dahook Tea Estate, Salilen Tea Estate, and Tatulia Tea Corporation Limited are producing tea in Panchgarh. At present, there are 200 tea gardens in Panchgarh, and the total land area under tea cultivation is 2255.54 acres.

The distance from Panchgarh district headquarters to Tetulia is about 35 km. The green, beautiful road that has been blindfolded on the way should take you to a different state of love before you go to the tea garden. 

3.4 Tetulia to Kanchenjunga

The beauty of Kanchenjunga (8,586 meters or 28,169 feet) can be seen from Tetulia in Panchgarh, the northernmost northern district of Bangladesh. 

The King of Behar builds a historic Victorian-style dak bungalow at Tetulia Upazila Sadar. The Dakbungalow is currently under the management of Zilla Sadar. A picnic spot has been constructed near Dakbungalow under the initiative of Tetulia Upazila Parishad. 

Image Source: https://www.tbsnews.net/feature/explorer/have-glimpse-kangchenjunga-panchagarh-151876

The beauty of Kanchenjunga can be enjoyed in late Autumn and winter from the verandah of Dakbungalow bordering India on the banks of the Mahananda river. Kanchenjunga looks even more wonderful when the Mahananda river is filled with water during the rainy season. Kanchenjunga hills are seen from several other places in Panchgarh, but the Dakbungalow is the best place to see from. Kanchenjunga is not seen throughout the year. Usually, when the sky is cloudless from mid-October to mid-November, the top of the snow-covered Kanchenjunga mountain can be seen in the distance. 

3.5 Banglabandha Zero Point

Tetulia is the northernmost Upazila of Bangladesh under the Panchgarh district. Banglabandha Zero Point and Banglabandha Land Port are located in Banglabandha Union No. 1 of Tetulia Upazila. On September 1, 1997, Banglabandha zero point, the Banglabandha land port, was constructed on about 10 acres of land along the Bangladesh-India border on the banks of the Mahananda River, which the Himalayas surround. 

Bangladesh’s economic relations with India, Nepal, and Bhutan have been developed through the Bangladesh land port.There is a zero of concrete at the Banglabandha Zero Point. It is said that this zero-point started at the border of Bangladesh. 

The surroundings are covered in green and very clean, which is enough to make anyone feel better. There are national flags of both Bangladesh and India drawn near the Banglabandha Zero Point gate. However, it cannot be accessed without permission.

The distance from Banglabandha to Siliguri city in India is only 7 km, and the distance from Darjeeling is 58 km. The distance from Banglabandha to the Kakarvita border in Nepal is only 30 km. Tourists travel to Bangladesh-India-Nepal-Bhutan by road through Banglabandha Zero Point. As a result, the Panchgarh district has become popular as an important place for tourists.

3.6 Maharaja Dighi

Maharaja Dighi is a historic pond located in Omorkhana Union, just 15 km from the Panchgarh district. It is believed that Maharaja Prithu excavated the Dighi during his reign in a 1500-year-old historical kingdom called Antargarh. The total area of this water body with the banks of this water body is about 800 x 400 yards, and the depth of the water is about 45 feet. 

There are about 10 ghats around the Maharaja’s Dighi, surrounded by trees. Prithu Raja has attacked his family and wealth yearned by a lower class called “Keechak” and killed him in this Dighi to fear being in contact with them. On the occasion of Bengali New Year, a huge fair is organized on the banks of Maharaja’s Dighi. At that time, visitors from different districts around the neighboring country of India also visited the fair.

3.7 Golokdham Temple

Golokdham Temple is a wonderful 18th-century artifact located in the Shaldanga Union of Deviganj Upazila of Panchgarh district. Built-in 1846 to commemorate Golokkrishna Goswami, the architecture of this ancient temple is noticeable. Surrounded by trees and trees, the six-cornered Golokdham temple, built in a Greek manner, is slightly higher.

There is a room inside the temple known as the pilgrimage site of the traditional religions. Numerous traditional religions come to the temple every day to offer pujas. The infrastructure of this archaeological artifact currently under the Bangladesh Archaeological Department is on the verge of collapse.

3.8 Tetulia Dak Bungalow

The historic Tetulia Dak Bungalow is located along the banks of the Mahananda River bordering India, 21 km from Tetulia Upazila in Panchgarh district. In Victorian style, the king of Behar built this postal bungalow on an average of about 15-20 meters above the ground. 

The wonderful beauty of the Mahananda River from Tetulia Dak Bungalow impresses tourists during the rainy season.

Apart from this, in late Autumn and winter, the third highest mountain peak in the world, Kanchenjunga, can be seen from this place. A picnic corner has been constructed at Tetulia Dak Bungalow, currently under Zilla Parishad. This postal bungalow is very popular with the locals as a place of view.

3.9 Bhitargarh 

It is an archaeological site that includes the remains of an ancient fort city built in and around the 5th century AD.It is located in Panchagarh District in Rangpur Division in the northern part of Bangladesh and is large enough that it can be seen from space. The archaeological significance of the site lies in its strategic position as an intersection of the trade routes between Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and the middle and lower Ganges Valley. At its height the city stretched over 5 km by 3 km and involved rerouting the Talma River.

3.10 Bodeshari Temple 

 

The Hindu temple “Bodeshari” is situated in Boda sub district at Borososhi council at Devibod Deshari Mouja at the area of 2.78 acre. Among 18 Purans, Skandha is one of those. In 88 Kashi of that Puran, it is said that the king made a worship.

The King Volanath was the son in law of Shib kind Dakkha. The king Dakkha never accepted Shib as his son-in-law because of his carelessness about his life. In that worship, all were invited but his son-in-law Devi durga (Parvati/Mahamaya) Shib was not invited.

4.1 Main Rivers

Panchagarh is situated on the bank of the river Karotoa. Atrai, Tista, Nagor, Mahananda, Tangon, Dahuk, Pathraj, Bhulli, Talma, Chawai, Kurum, Tirnoi, and Chilka are the main rivers of the district.

4.2 Temperature

The annual avarage temperature of the district varies from maximum 30.2°C to minimum 10.1°C and the average rainfall of the district is 1955 mm.

4.3 Soil Condition

The soil of this district is basically sandy, alluvial and bears close affinity with the soil of the old Himalayan basin. On the northern part of the district there exists underground layer of pebbles.

4.4 Main Crops

The major agricultural crops of Panchagarh Zila are paddy, jute, wheat, potato and sugarcane. Extinct and nearly extinct crops are barley, aus paddy and kaun. Main Fruits: The common fruits found in this zila are mango, wood apple, jackfruit, black berry, guava, banana, tamarind, etc.

4.5 Economic situation

The economy of Panchagarh is predominantly agro-based. According to Census of Agriculture 2008 total holdings are 203,831. Among 203,831 holdings of the district, 68.12% holding are farms that produce varieties of crops, namely local and HYV paddy, wheat, jute, vegetables, spices, pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane, and others. Various fruits like mango, banana, Jackfruit and coconut etc. are grown. Besides crops, livestock and poultry are the main sources of household income. There are some non-agricultural activities exist in this district.

The economy of the district is mostly dependent on agriculture. Major sources of income comprise of agriculture with 70.96%, non-agricultural laborer 5.42%, industry 0.47%, commerce 9.6%, transport and communication 3.72%, service 4.83%, construction 0.73%, religious service 0.15%, rent and remittance 0.13% and others 3.99%. The major agricultural crops of Panchagarh are paddy, jute, wheat, potato and sugarcane. Extinct and nearly extinct crops are barley, aus paddy and kaun. The common fruits found in this area are mango, wood apple, jackfruit, black berry, guava, banana and tamarind. Banglabandha land port, located in Tetulia under Panchagarh plays an important role in the economy of the district.

Panchagarh Sugar Mills Ltd. is the oldest industry in the district. Other industries include tea gardens, rice mills, ice factories, garment factories, oil mills, and sawmills. The growing tea sector in Panchagarh is also playing a great role in the economy of the district. 246 tea gardens, including 18 big estates, 13 medium-size, and 215 small-scale gardens set up on more than 1,815 acres of land in Tetulia and its surrounding areas have become a place for huge women employment. Among the tea gardens, Kazi Tea Estate (KKTE) at Tetulia has earned wide reputation in both national and international markets for its popular Kazi & Kazi organic tea. They are earning a huge amount of foreign exchange for Bangladesh.

5 Eminent Personalities of Panchagarh

1. Highlighted Personalities
2.  Muhammad Jamiruddin Sarkar
3.  Mirza Ghulam Hafiz
4. Advocate Sirajul Islam (Freedom Fighter)
5.  Mohammad Sultan (language movement fighter)
6.  Mohammad Farhad (Comrade)
7. Abdur Rahman (Actor)
8.  Shoriful Islam
9.  Nurul Islam Sujon

5.1 Muhammad Jamiruddin Sarkar

Muhammad Jamiruddin Sarkar is a Barrister and a renowned politician from Bangladesh. He wasthe speaker of the Bangladeshi parliament. He is one of the founding members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and was a member of the Standing Committee, which was the policy making body of the party, from its inception. He was speaker of the parliament when, on June 21, 2002, he became acting president because of the resignation of A.Q.M. Badruddoza Chowdhury. He remained acting president until a new president was elected on September 6, 2002. Mr. Sarkar was elected Member of Parliament four times and he held cabinet positions as the (i) Minister of State for Public Works and Urban Development(Habitat), (ii) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, (iii) Minister of State for Land Administration and Land Reforms (iv) Minister for Science and Technology, (v) Minister for Education and (vi) Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

5.2 Mirza Ghulam Hafiz

Mirza Ghulam Hafiz (1920 – December 20, 2000) was a prominent statesman, politician, and philanthropist in Bangladesh. Hafiz was an active organizer of the Language Movement on two separate occasions—in 1952 and again in 1954—and was jailed both times. In 1954, he was elected to the Provincial Assembly in Bengal as a representative of the Ponchagarh district. He would serve in government positions until Bangladesh's independence in 1971, a revolution in which he was personally involved (as an honorary colonel in the Bengal Rifles State Guard).

In 1972, Hafiz was elected to the new parliament of Bangladesh and was appointed the Minister of Land Management. From 1978 to 1982, he served as the Speaker of the Parliament until the coup that assassinated the President, Ziaur Rahman. After the demolition of the autocratic government of Hossain Mohammad Ershad, he was reelected to the parliament in 1991. Under the BNP, he was appointed the Minister of Law and Justice. He retired from politics in 1995.

Hafiz's wife, Dr. Abeda Hafiz, is notable in her own right. In 1962, she became one of the first Bengali women to be granted a Ph.D.    

5.3 Advocate Sirajul Islam

Sirajul Islam (1944-2 June 1996) was a Awami League politician and the former Member of Parliament of Dinajpur-2 and Panchagarh-1.

Islam was elected to parliament from Dinajpur-2 as an Awami League candidate in 1973 and 1979. He was elected to parliament from Panchagarh-1 as an Awami League candidate in 1986.

Bir Muktijoddha Sirajul Islam Stadium and Bir Muktijoddha Sirajul Islam Railway Station-Panchagarh were named after him.

5.4 Abdur Rahman

Abdur Rahman (known as Rahman; 27 February 1937 – 18 July 2005) was a Pakistani-Bangladeshi actor and film director. He acted in Bengali, Urdu and Pashto films in Dhaka, Karachi and Lahore from 1958 until the 1989s.

Rahman made his debut in Ehtesham's 1958 Bengali film Ei Desh Tomar Amar, as a supporting actor in negative role. He then acted as the lead actor in Rajdhanir Buke, along with Chitra Sinha, also directed by Ehtesham. He then performed in Harano Din (1960), Joar Bhata (1965), Notun Sur, Eai To Jiban, Antaranga, along with Shabnam and Suchanda. He performed in other films including Urdu film Chanda, Uttaran, Talash, Preet Na Jane Reet, Milan, Gori, Jaan Baje Shehnai, Bahana, Darshan, Kangan, Piyasa, Eindhan, and Chalo Maan Gaye. He acted with actress Shabnam in most films.

Rahman was injured in a road accident on the way back from shooting the film Preet Na Jane Reet (1963). He lost one leg afterward.

5.5 Muhammad Sultan

Mohammad Sultan (24 December 1926 – 31 December 1983) was a Bangladeshi politician and language activist of the Bengali Language Movement.

He was born at Panchagarh on 24 December 1926. He was the son of Shomsher Ali and Gulzannessa. He passed entrance examination from Jessore Zilla School. He received his Honors from Rajshahi College in and finished his master's degree in political science in 1953 from the University of Dhaka.

Mohammad Sultan was inspired by Quit India movement in his youth and joined in Pakistan Movement in 1946. In 1948, he helped to organize the Language Movement in Rajshahi. He joined the Jubo League in 1951 and became the joint secretary of its central committee. He also took part in the Language Movement from Dhaka University in 1952 and at the end of the year became the Chairman of the newly born Students' Union. He worked extremely hard to establish the Union and continued his work at the Jubo League. After the separation of political party NAP, Sultan joined the faction led by Maulana Bhasani. Later he started publishing political literature with M.R.Akhtar Mukul. He also published the famous collection on Bengali Language Movement "Ekushey February" on 1953. Muslim League run government eventually banned the collection. Mohammad Sultan had to suffer a considerable period of his life in jail. In 1954, he was arrested and kept imprisoned for about a year. After the beginning of Martial law in Pakistan in 1958, Sultan was again arrested and served in jail for four years without any specific trial. He was a lifetime member of Bangla Academy and vice-chairman of Bangladesh Book Publishers Committee. Road Number 3 in Dhanmondi is named after him.

5.6 Muhammad Forhad

Mohammad Farhad (July 5, 1938 – October 9, 1987), popularly known as "Comrade Farhad", was a guerrilla force commander during the Bangladesh independence war, and the President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh and a member of Bangladesh Parliament.

Mohammad Farhad was born in Khetripara of Dinajpur district in present Bangladesh to. His father's name was Ahmed Sadakatul Bari and mother's was Tayabunnesa. He was an Urdu-speaking Bangladeshi. He finished his matriculation from Dinajpur Jila School in 1953 and received his master's degree in political science from Dhaka University in 1961. Comrade Farhad played a role during different movements in the Pakistan and Bangladesh, including the 1952 Bengali Language Movement, 1962 Education Movement, 1968–69 Pakistan Mass Upheaval, 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and the post-71 Democracy movement.

During the 1971 war, he helped lead the guerrilla forces jointly formed by the Communist Party, NAP and Chhatra Union. A ‘Special Guerilla Force’ under the direct command of CPB-NAP-BSU fought against the Pakistani army. Moni Singh, the ex-President of CPB, was elected a member of the Advisory Council of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh. He was imprisoned during the Pakistan period, as well as during the Zia and Ershad period of Bangladesh politics. Mohammad Farhad was elected as a member of Bangladesh Parliament in 1986 from his home district Panchagarh, which he held until his death.

6 Conclusion

“Know Bangladesh” Program is a major makeshift change in the Foundation Training Course.  It helps to bring a change a lot in the mindset of a trainee. A couple of days living together helps grow joint coordinated thinking, companionship and enhance social interaction. Most importantly to get a real knowledge of Bangladesh and its social structure the program of Know Bangladesh has no alternative. We shall praise this if it comes in extended form with other feasible opportunities.