Madrasah education commenced
from the time of Hazrat
Muhammad (Sm). He set up Darul
Arqam at the foot of Makkah’s
Safa hill, Suffa Residential
Madrasah and Darul Qurrah
Madrasah on the north-eastern
side of Masjid-e-Nababi after
performing Hizrat (emigration to
Medina). Besides, the Masjid-e-
Nababi (622 AD) and 9 other
mosques of Medina were also
used as education centres. Among the Caliphs, Hazr
at Omar
(R) and Hazrat Ali (R) set up two
large madrasahs at Basra and
Kufa. During the Umayyad rule,
large mosques were used as
Madrasahs. The Abbasid rulers
used to patronise Madrasah
education. Apart from
constructing Mosque-based
madrasahs, they also built
separate madrasahs. Primary
education at mosques for
children was compulsory at that
time. Madrasah education was
introduced in Bengal during the
Sultani era (1210-1576). Many
madrasahs were set up in Bengal
during that period. Among these,
the Madrasah of Moulana
Takiuddin Arabi at Mohisantosh
is the oldest. In 1248, Sultan
Nasiruddin, Badaruddin Ishaque,
Minhazuddin, Nizamuddin
Damiski and Shamsuddin
Khawarizmi prepared a
curriculum for madrasah
education, which remained
effective for one century. Moulana Abu Tawama set up a
madrash at Sonargaon in 1278,
and it was the biggest madrasah
in the then Bengal. Sultan
ALAUDDIN HUSAIN SHAH
(1494-1519) established many
madrasahs in Gaur and Maldaha. The madrasah curriculum during
the Sultani era included Arabic,
Nahu, Saraf, Balagat, Manatik,
Kalam, Tasauf, literature, Fiqah
and Philosophy. The scope of madrasah
education was expanded during
the Mughal era by including
various branches of knowledge
and science. At that time,
Astronomy, Mathematics,
Geography, Accounting,
Agriculture, Public
Administration, Biology, Zoology,
Fine Arts etc were incorporated
into madrasah education in
phases. At present, there are three
systems of madrasah education
in Bangladesh. Besides the
traditional maktabs, mosque-
based madrasah education
system, the ALIYA MADRASAH
system was introduced in Bengal
after the establishment of
Kolkata Aliya Madrasah in 1780
and the Quaumi Madrasah
system was introduced after the
establishment of Chittagong
Darul Ulum Moyeenul Islam
Madrasah in 1899. Aliya Madrasah is basically an
institute for higher education
run according to the curriculum
and syllabus framed by an
education commission
constituted by the government. There are five stages in Aliya
Madrasah, namely, Ibtedayi
(primary, 5 year long), Dakhil
(secondary, 5 year long), Alim
(higher secondary, 2 years), Fazil
(undergraduate, 2 years) and
Kamil (post-graduate, 2 years). Total length of Madrasah
education is therefore 16 years. At the Kamil (post-graduate) level,
degree is awarded after 2 years
of education in Tafsir, Hadith,
Fiqah, Arabic literature and
Mujabbid branches. There are
two types of Aliya Madrasah in
Bangladesh. The Madrasahs run
by the government are known as
Government Aliya Madrasah,
while those approved by and
receiving grants from the
government are called Private
Aliya Madrasah. The Aliya Madrasahs of
Bangladesh have been
established in conformity with
the Kolkata Aliya Madrasah. After
the establishment of Kolkata Aliya
Madrasah, the government
formed committees at different
junctures for reforming the Aliya
Madrasah. The board of directors
of the madrasah introduced its
educational curriculum and
syllabus in 1791, ten years after
its inception. This syllabus was
implemented in all Madrasahs
affiliated to Kolkata Aliya
Madrasah in Bengal (including
Assam), Bihar and Orissa. The
committee brought some
amendments to Kolkata Aliya
Madrasah in 1869. The
committee headed by Justice
Norman brought some changes
to Madrasah education in Bengal
in 1871. The Dhaka Madrasah
(presently GOVERNMENT KOBI
NAZRUL COLLEGE), Chittagong
Darul Ulum Mohsinia Madrasah
(at present Government MOHSIN
COLLEGE) and Rajshahi Madrasah
(presently Rajshahi Government
Madrasah) were established in
1873 with funding from the
MOHSIN FUND. The Hunter Committee report of
1882 was implemented in 1884. In 1907, the Kolkata Aliya
Madrasah was given permission
to open 3-year Title (equivalent)
classes. The Mohammedan
Education Advisory Committee
headed by A H Hurley
recommended some measures in
1910 to bring about some
reforms in Madrasah education
system. The curriculum prepared by the
Mohammedan Education
Advisory Committee headed by
Principal Shamsul Ulama Abu
Nasar Wahid recommended the
use of old scheme and new
scheme system in 1914 and this
was implemented in 1915. Two
types of new scheme madrasahs
styled junior and senior were
introduced with the goal of
making the Muslims interested in
receiving English education. The
Junior Madrasahs taught up to
class five while the Senior
Madrasahs taught up to class ten. The Senior Madrasahs were
brought under the purview of
government assistance and
English was made compulsory
for them. The Muslim students
became especially interested to
receive education at new scheme
Madrasahs in order to get
government jobs. In 1927, the Shamsul Huda
Committee recommended to
conduct the central examinations
of old scheme Senior Madrasahs
in Bengal and Assam under the
Madrasah Education Board like
Alim, Fazil and Fakhrul
Muhaddisin examinations. The
syllabus for Kamil formulated by
the committee recommended
inclusion of subjects like Siah
Sitta (Bukhari, Muslim, Nasau,
Tirmizi, Ibne Maza, Abu Daud),
commentaries on Asulul Hadith,
Tafsirul Baizabi, Tafsirul Kashshaf,
Tafsirul Kabir and Tafsirul
Mazmuul, Fiqah, Mantik, History of
Islam etc. A Madrasah Education Board
styled Board of Central Madrasah
Examinations, Bengal was
constituted in 1927 with the
Assistant Director of
Mohammedan Education as its
chairman and the principal of
Kolkata Aliya Madrasah as the
Registrar. The Madrasah
Education Board was linked to
the MADRASAH-E-ALIYA as a
government organisation from
1927 to 1979. The Momen Committee or the
Muslim Education Advisory
Committee of 1931 and the
Mawla Bakhsh Committee of
1938-40 made
recommendations for reforming
the education system of Aliya
Madrasah. The recommendations
put forward by the Syed
Moazzamuddin Hossain
Committee of 1946 for reforms
and improvements in Madrasah
education were implemented
from 1 July 1947. The following
topics were included in the
Hadith section of Kamil class in
those recommendations: Siah
Sitta, Nukhbatul Fiqr, Tafsirul
Baizabi, Tafsirul Kashshaf, Al-
Itkan, History of Islam, and
History of Hadith Discipline. The
following topics were included in
the Fiqah section of Kamil class:
Fiqah, Asule Fiqah, Hadith, Kalam,
History of Islam and History of
Fiqah Discipline. The following
sections were included in the
Adal section of Kamil class:
Ancient and Modern Prose,
Poetry, History of Islam, History of
Arabic Literature, Literary
Criticism etc. Many madrasahs including
government approved Aliya
Madrasahs and those receiving
grants from the board sprang up
in East Bengal, including the
Madrasah-e-Aliya Dhaka, Sylhet
Government Aliya Madrasah and
Bogra Government Aliya
Madrasah, In accordance with
the 1947 curriculum of Aliya
Madrasah. When the Madrasah-i-
Aliya was shifted to Dhaka after
the partition of India in 1947, the
Madrasah Board examinations
were conducted by Dhaka
University in 1948. The East
Bengal Education System
Reconstruction Committee’
headed by Akram Khan
(1949-51), The Ashrafuddin
Chowdhury Committee of 1956,
Ataur Rahman Education Reform
Commission of 1957, M M Sharif
National Education Commission
of 1958, Islamic Arabic University
Committee of Dr S M Hossain
(1963), Madrasah Review
Committee headed by
Imamuddin Chowdhury (1969),
Bangladesh National Education
Commission of 1972-73 and the
Madrasah Education Reform
Committee of 1973 made various
recommendations for the
improvement of Madrasah
education. National curricula and
multidimensional syllabus were
introduced in government
controlled Aliya Madrasahs in
1975 in the light of the
recommendations made by the
Qudrat-e-Khuda Committee. This
syllabus was made effective in
the Alim examination held in
1978 and the Fazil examination
held in 1980. Apart from the text-
books selected for madrasahs in
those two classes, all courses of
SSC and HSC were included at
Alim and Fazil levels, thereby
giving them status equivalent to
SSC and HSC respectively. This
committee introduced science
education in Madrasahs. A Senior Madrasah Education
System Committee was formed in
1978 headed by Professor
Mustafa Bin Quasem. The
Madrasah Education Board was
converted into an autonomous
body on 4 June 1979. The
Director of public instruction
Baqui Billah Khan was appointed
its first Director. In the light of the
recommendations made by the
committee of Mustafa Bin
Quasem, the following
adjustments were made
between various levels of general
madrasah education in 1984:
Ibtedayi (primary 5 years), Dakhil
(secondary 5 years), Alim (higher
secondary 2 years), Fazil
(undergraduate 2 years), and
Kamil (postgraduate 2 years);
total 16 years. The syllabus
formulated by this committee
was made effective in 1985. Dakhil was given the equivalence
status of SSC and Kamil of HSC by
including all courses of SSC and
HSC levels in addition to those
prescribed for Madrasah
education. As madrasah
education has been linked to
general education, the students
can now seek admission to
colleges or universities after
finishing madrasah education. But as Fazil (undergraduate) and
Kamil (postgraduate) degrees
were not linked to general
education degrees, the students
could obtain equivalence for
getting jobs in schools or
madrasahs, but not in other
areas. The number of Aliya Madrasahs
has continued to rise because of
reforms in Madrasah education. During 1907-08, there were
2,444 Madrasahs from Ibtedayi
to Kamil levels. The number of
Aliya Madrasahs (from Dakhil to
Kamil) including 3 government-
run ones was 378 in 1947. The
total number of Dakhil, Alim, Fazil
and Kamil Madrasahs in 1971
was 5,075. The total number of
Madrasahs in 2007 stood at
9,493. Of them, 6,700 were Alim,
1,400 were Fazil and 198 Kamil
Madrasahs. Up to 2006, the Madrasah
Education Board used to control
all levels of examinations in
Madrasah education. At present,
3-year long Fazil course and 2-
year long Kamil course (total 5
years) have been introduced by
combining with general
education through the Islamic
University (Amendment Act)
2006. It was then decided that
henceforth the Madrasah Board
would conduct only Dakhil and
Alim examinations from 2006. According to this Act, 1,086 Fazil
Madrasahs and 198 Kamil
Madrasahs are now affiliated
with the Islamic University. As a
consequence, the disparity that
existed for a long time between
general education and Madrasah
education has now been
removed. Quaumi Madrasah The word
‘Quaumi’ has its origin in the
Arabic word Quaumun means
‘national’. Therefore, the
appropriate meaning of Quaumi
Madrasah is national madrasah
or national educational institute. There are four currents flowing
in the Quaumi Madrasah
education system: (a) Kitab or
Darsiat; (b) Maktab; (c) Sahih
Quran Education or Quirat; and
(d) Hifzul Quran. Quaumi
Madrasahs are free from
government assistance or
influence and are run with the
help of financial assistance from
pious Muslims. These are also
called Darse Nizami Madrasahs,
as education is imparted here on
the basis of Darse Nizami
curriculum. Islamic scholars like Haji
Imdadullah Muhajire Makki (R),
Moulana Rashid Ahmed Ganguhi
(R) and Moulana Kashem
Nanutubi (R) established the
Darul Ulum Deoband Madrasah
for the first time in Uttar Pradesh,
India in 1866 and Mazahire Ulum
Madrasah at Sharanpur in 1867
with the assistance of local
people. These Deoband
Madrasahs are the origins of
Quaumi Madrasahs in
Bangladesh. Quaumi Madrasahs
originated and flourished in
Bangladesh with the
establishment of Chittagong
Darul Ulum Moyeenul Islam
Madrasah in 1899 in conformity
with the Deoband Madrasahs. This particular Madrasah is
therefore called the ‘Ummul
Madaris’ or the mother of all
madrasahs. Although Mollah
Kutubuddin Shaheed (died 1711
AD) was the innovator of Darse
Nizamia introduced in the
subcontinent, this education
system flourished during the
time of his son Mollah
Nizamuddin (died 1748 AD) and
it became known as Darse
Nizamia. The present system of Quaumi
Madrasah in Bangladesh is
divided into two stages: primary
and secondary education, and
higher education. There are 6
levels and 16 classes in the two
stages. There are five classes in
the first level or Marhalatul
Ibtidayia, namely Awal, Chhani,
Chhalechh, Rabey and Khamechh. In the second level or Al-Marhatul
Mutawassita, there are three
classes: Awal, Chhani and
Chhaleh. In the third level or Al-
Marhalatuchh Chhanubiah Al-
Ammah, there are two classes,
namely As Sanatul Ula and As
Sanatuchh-Chhania. There are 3
levels and 6 classes in the second
stage. These include two classes
in Al-Marhala Sanubiah Ulia or
first level, namely Assanatul-Ula
and Assanatuchh-Chhania; two
classes in Marhatul-Fazilat
(graduate) or second level,
namely, Assanatul-Ula and
Assanatuchh-Chhania; and there
are another two classes in
Marhalatut-Taqmil (post-
graduate) or third level, namely,
Assanatul-Ula or Dawa-e-Hadith,
and Assanatuchh-Chhania or
Taqmil Fit-Takhaschhuchh. But
this course is completed in one
year at Dawa-e-Hadith level in
almost all Quaumi Madrasahs in
Bangladesh. The second year
course is fully optional. A private Quaumi Madrasah
Board called Rifaqul Madaris was
constituted for the first time in
1978 to run the Darse Nizami
Madrasahs. Besides, there are
another 11 separate Quaumi
Madrasah Boards constituted on
regional basis, including
Ittehadul Madaris centred around
Patiya of Chittagong, Azad Deeni
Edarayi Talim Bangladesh of
Sylhet, Tanzimul Madaris centred
around Jamil Madrasah of Bogra,
and Rifaqul Madaris centred
around Gawhardanga Madrasahs
of Faridpur. Up to 1998, 2,043 Madrasahs
were registered with the Quaumi
Madrasah Education Board under
Rifaqul Madaris throughout the
country. Over 10 thousand
Quaumi Madrasahs have been
established in Bangladesh up to
2008. There are around 250
Madrasahs of Taqmil or Dawa-e-
Hadith level and about 50
Madrasahs for females only. Maktab The primary level
institution where Quran Sharif,
‘Deeniat’ and Arabic are taught to
children in Iran and the Indian
subcontinent are called MAKTAB,
Noorani or Furqania Madrasah. Religious education is usually
imparted in the initial stage at
local mosques. The Imam or
Muazzin of the mosque usually
acts as the instructor. There were
around 70 thousand Furqania
and mosque-based Maktabs in
Bangladesh till 2008. Madrasahs
have also been set up for
teaching Quran and Quirat
education correctly. Besides,
many Hafezia Madrasahs have
also sprung up for learning the
Al-Quran. This kind of Madrasahs
numbered more than 4 thousand
in 2008. Independent Madrasahs Five
basic educational trends are
observed among the Madrasahs
which are controlled by
individuals or institutions in
Bangladesh and run according to
independent curricula and
syllabus. These are: (1)
Kindergarten Madrasahs and
Cadet Madrasahs; (2) Short
Course Madrasahs; (3)
Independent and Special Nature
Madrasahs; (4) Madrasahs for
Higher Islamic Education,
Research and Special Courses
(Takhachchhus); and (5) Ahle
Hadith Madrasahs. Among these
five categories of madrasahs,
there is no specific syllabus for
the first four types. There are
around 40 madrasahs run by the
Ahle Hadith, which follow their
own syllabuses. Most of these are
located in greater Rajshahi
district. The largest Madrasahs of
this category in Bangladesh are
Jamia Muhammadia Arabia
located at North Jatrabari of
Dhaka and Al Markazul Islami As-
Salafi of Nawdapara, Rajshahi. Built in line with the Quaumi
Madrasahs, these are fully
controlled by the Ahle Hadith
organisation. These are run
through financial assistance from
the people as well as grants from
various countries of the Arab
world.
