Barisal / Bakerganj

1818

Faraizi Movement Begins in Eastern Bengal

A major Muslim reform and agrarian mobilization emerges under Haji Shariatullah.

From 1818, Haji Shariatullah's Faraizi movement spread across parts of eastern Bengal as a religious reform movement that also intersected with agrarian grievances under colonial and zamindari structures. It promoted Islamic obligations and social discipline while building organized rural networks among Muslim peasants.

1947

Partition and Eastern Bengal

The partition of British India and the making of East Bengal.

In 1947, British India was divided into India and Pakistan, and Bengal itself was split into West Bengal and East Bengal. This chapter traces how rushed borders, communal politics, and mass displacement reshaped the region and set the stage for later struggles over language, autonomy, and identity.