Abdul Wahid Bengali

He was one of the initiators of the Deobandi movement into Bengal, and co-founded Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam in 1896.

Abdul Wahid was born in 1268 Hijri (1851—1852 CE), to a Bengali Muslim family in the village of Haola in Kharandwip, Boalkhali, Chittagong District, Bengal Presidency.

His father, Shaykh Moulvi Zinat Ali, was a munsef (local judge) at a court in Kaukhali, Rangunia.

He stayed in this school until class 8, when he realised the importance of studying the Quran, Hadith and the Arabic language after reading a book in Urdu.

The man then wrote a letter to Zinat Ali of his son's situation and desire and Abdul Wahid was subsequently enrolled at the Muhsinia Madrasa in Chittagong.

Eventually, Abdul Wahid set off for North India without telling anyone and joined the Darul Uloom Deoband.

He married a woman from Nazirhat and temporary leased some land from a man to the west of the Dhurang canal in Babunagar.

In 1896, the two co-founded Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam in Hathazari along with Habibullah Qurayshi and Abdul Hamid Madarshahi.

His janaza was performed by Habibullah Qurayshi and he was buried in his paternal graveyard (now known as al-Maqbarah al-Wahidiyyah) in Munshipara, Kharandwip.

Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam is the largest and oldest Deobandi seminary in Bangladesh , [ 10 ] [ 11 ] and ranks among the top ten madrasas of the subcontinent . [ 12 ]