Chowdhury Moyezuddin Biwshash

Chowdhury Moyezuddin Biwshash, also known as Khan Saheb Moizuddin Chowdhury, was a Zamindar of the vast Chanpur Estate, a huge zamindari in the greater Faridpur region of Bengal. Moizuddin Biwshash was considered to be one of the most powerful Muslim landlords in Bengal during British rule. Moyezuddin was a disciple of the great Sufi saint Shah Sufi Hazrat Khwaja Yunus Ali Enayetpuri (r.), The Pir Saheb of Enayetpur.

Moyezuddin was born into one of the renowned Muslim zamindar families of the Indian Subcontinent that descended from Turkish soldiers invading India in the 12th century. The family estate stretched across the greater Faridpur region for 4000 square kilometers with a population of 142,000 people. The estate also owned lands across Bengal and some in Punjab and Ottoman Arabia.

In 1886 Moyezuddin built the Moyez Manzil Palace in Faridpur, adjacent to the Circuit House. It replaced Biwshash Bari as the seat of the Chanpur Estate. He developed modern sewerage and electricity systems for the town in the early 1900s. He also built many schools, madrasas and orphanages.

Chowdhury Moyezuddin Biwshash played a huge role in building up protest against colonial rule as one of the patrons of the Indian National Congress party and also as a valiant fighter. He also brought about many social reforms in Faridpur, including initiating the revival of Islamic practices, abolition of various racist policies against the Muslims and helped bring about equality among Hindus and Muslims in the town and nearby areas.

Chowdhury Moyezuddin's descendants have gone onto engage actively in the political arena of Bengal. They include Chowdhury Abdallah Zaheeruddin (Health and Labor Minister of Pakistan in the 1960s), Yusuf Ali Chowdhury (eminent Muslim League politician), Enayet Hossain Chowdhury (Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan), Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf (former food minister of Bangladesh), Chowdhury Akmal Yusuf (former member of parliament in Bangladesh), Kamran Hossain Chowdhury (former member of parliament in Bangladesh) and Imran Hossain Chowdhury (former Chairman of Faridpur Upazila).

There are several educational institutions named after Chowdhury Moyezuddin Biwshash in Faridpur. They include most notably Moyezuddin Biwshash Secondary School, Moyezuddin Orphans' Home and Chowdhury Moyezuddin Biwshash High School and College. The main road of Faridpur's historic Kamlapur district, which contain the district court, Circuit House, residences of government officials, civil servants and former zamindar families, is named after him as Chowdhury Moyezuddin Biwshash Road.

See also

• Chowdhury Abdallah Zaheeruddin
• Yusuf Ali Chowdhury (Mohan Mia)
• Faridpur District
• Bangladeshi Political Families
• Moyez Manzil

References

• http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/12/04/d41204150392.htm