How
a Gutted, Militantly-Destroyed Temple, Torched Dormitory, Illegally-Occupied Ashram
Turn Around? The Case of Pranab Ashram Boys’ Hostel of Madaripur, Bangladesh
Dr.
Sachi G. Dastidar
Probini
Foundation Report; January 20, 2019
At this site a Hindu-ascetic
Swami Pranabananda of nearby Bajitpur village, an Indian Freedom Fighter of
early 1900s of the Colonial British Era, built his first boys’ hostel or
dormitory in 1910s to educate poor Hindus and Muslims who otherwise would have
no access to higher education. The dorm and all the buildings were either torched
or destroyed by the Army of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and its Bengali
allies during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War when the entire Hindu minority
were targeted for killing along with the pro-independence and secular Muslims.
An illegal occupier had built a two-story building on the property. In late
1990s when Probini’s help was sought the ashram was on its last breadth. After
Probini rebuilt the dormitory life seemed to have returned with full energy.
Please check https://empireslastcasualty.blogspot.com/2008/12/educating-poor-and-orphaned-in.html
for additional information as well as https://empireslastcasualty.blogspot.com/2016/02/bangladesh-river-of-humanity-celebrated.html.
In early 2019 a Probini delegation visited the ashram, the hostel and stayed at the guest house.
In early 2000s the
Probini Foundation Student Hostel was built with donations from Mr. & Mrs.
Srikant and Anindita Mookherjee, Probini Foundation (New York) Members, Pranab
Ashram Members, In Memory of the Late Sudhir & Padmabati Das by Daughter
Baby Chowdhury, Beta Alpha Branch of Sigma Lambda Beta International Student
Organization of the State University of New York, Old Westbury, Mr. & Mrs.
Suprabhat & Uma Sengupta, Mr. & Mrs. Shyamal & Ruby Sarkar, Dr.
Kusumita Priscilla Pedersen, Dr. Shefali Sengupta Dastidar & Dr. (Miss)
Joyeeta Ghosh Dastidar, Dr. & Mrs. Pinaki Mukherji & Kavita Bali, Sri
Jonathan Patrick Buchanan, Young Supporters of Probini, Mr. & Mrs. Sukha
Ranjan and Namita Mookherjee, Mr. & Mrs. Prabal & Swapna Mukerji, Mr.
& Mrs. Ramapada & Manjula Mukhopadhyay, In Memory of the Late Verma
Koon Linger by Daughter Dr. Eloise Linger, Dr. Sabyasachi & Master Shuvo
Ghosh Dastidar (Date: Maghi Purnima [Full Moon of the Month of Magh] Magh 22,
1410; February 6, 2004)
The head of the campus is
Rev. Jiban Maharaj, a Hindu monk. It seemed that in the past years Maharaj and
resident students found courage and confidence to march forward. Now the campus
not only has the dorm but also a brick-and-concrete two-story guest
accommodation and an office space, a second student dorm building, a temple
open to all, a kitchen and more. Now Maharaj is planning a multi-storied
building accommodating a number of needs. How have his poor supporters, mostly
belonging to oppressed groups have had self-confidence to come up with such
development? Seeing is believing!
Should anyone be interested
in helping the Madaripur Hostel, they may write to probini@hotmail.com
for further information.
On Left the Beginning of Ashram's Proposed Multistoried Building
Nighttime Welcome with Dr. Abdul Bari
The Probini Boys' Hostel
The Donor's Tablet
Remains of the Damaged Building
Offering a Prayer at the Ashram
Path Leading to a New Hostel
3 comments:
Best article, very useful and explanation. Your post is extremely incredible. Thank you very much for the new information.
Dormitory
Hello, an amazing Information dude. Thanks for sharing this nice information with us.
Boys hostel in New delhi
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful piece of information about India. Please keep sharing the same.student residence
student dorm
student hostel
Post a Comment