Abdul Jalil Choudhury | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General Secretary ofJamiat Ulema-e-Assam | |
| In office 1947–1951 | |
| Preceded by | Ibrahim Chatuli |
| Member ofAssam Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 1951–1957 | |
| Succeeded by | Bimala Prasad Chaliha |
| Constituency | Badarpur |
| In office 1962–1978 | |
| Preceded by | Bimala Prasad Chaliha |
| Succeeded by | Ramendra De |
| Constituency | Badarpur |
| In office 1980–1985 | |
| Preceded by | Nepal Chandra Das |
| Succeeded by | Sahidul Alam Chodhury |
| Constituency | Algapur |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Indian National Congress |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1925 |
| Died | 19 December 1989(1989-12-19) (aged 63–64) |
| Education | Sylhet Government Alia Madrasah Darul Uloom Deoband |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Teachers | Hussain Ahmad Madani Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Izaz Ali Amrohi Muhammad Shafi Muhammad Idris Kandhlawi |
| Movement | Deobandi |
ʿAbdul Jalil Choudhury Badarpuri (1925 –19 December 1989) was an IndianDeobandiIslamic scholar, teacher and politician. Born in what is nowBangladesh, Choudhury became one of the senior disciples ofHussain Ahmad Madani fromSylhet District.[1] He relocated toBadarpur,Karimganj following thePartition of Bengal in 1947 and served as a member of theAssam Legislative Assembly for seven terms.[2] Choudhury has many contributions inNortheast India, covering Islamic and social development, and had participated in theBengali Language Movement of theBarak Valley.[3]
Abdul Jalil Choudhury was born into aBengali Muslim family in the village ofTurukkhola inSylhet District. His father was Muhammad Asghar Choudhury and his mother, Shamsunnessa Choudhury, was proficient in thePersian language, and initially homeschooled him in his early years before enrolling him at the local primary school.[4]
He then proceeded to study at the localmadrasa at Daudpur and subsequently at theSylhet Government Alia Madrasah where he passed hisMamtazul Muhadditheen in 1940. He was also the general supervisor of the madrasa'sstudents' union and took part in theanti-colonial independence movement for which he was once imprisoned. He then migrated toHindustan to study at theDarul Uloom Deoband institution inSaharanpur. He was to graduate from the Faculty ofHadith in 1942, but as a result of partaking inHussain Ahmad Madani's rebellions as a student leader, was arrested once again. In 1952, he finally graduated from Deoband inHadith studies. Among his teachers were Hussain Ahmed Madani,Shabbir Ahmad Usmani,Izaz Ali Amrohi,Muhammad Shafi andMuhammad Idris Kandhlawi.[4]
Choudhury's career began inSylhet Government High School as teacher of thePersian language. Two years later, he was appointed the principal ofJessore Alia Madrasa and then as a teacher atAjiria Madrasa inFulbari.[4]
Choudhury's activism began in his student life, and he was associated with theJamiat Ulema-e-Hind sought for independence from theBritish Raj while opposing thePartition of India.[5] His biographers mention thatMuslim League politicians conspired against him and other influential Jamiat supporters, and thus Choudhury requested Jamiat members inAssam to help him migrate to theIndian dominion. The Assam Jamiat politicians solicited his citizenship toGopinath Bordoloi, the erstwhileChief Minister of Assam, who personally sent a letter to Choudhury inviting him to Assam. As soon as Choudhury received the letter in September 1947, he settled in the village ofAlaqulipur inKarimganj, leaving his parents, siblings and spouse.[4]
In October 1947, Choudhury was appointed the principal ofDeorail Senior Madrasa, under the instruction of its founderShah Yaqub Badarpuri. During his term, the madrasa was remodelled uponDeobandi standards and gained official recognition from theGovernment of Assam in 1948. The Department ofHadith studies was inaugurated on 24 February 1954 byHussain Ahmad Madani, and Choudhury served as the head of this department until his death.[4] He was also the founder of North East India Emarat-e-Saraiah and Nadwatut Tameer, a Muslim religious organisation for overall development.[6]
In 1951, he joined theIndian National Congress and was an elected member of theAssam Legislative Assembly for 27 years in total. Initially representing theBadarpur constituency, he served his final term in theAlgapur constituency.[7][8] During theBengali Language Movement of theBarak Valley in 1961, he publicly advocated for the movement, considering it to be an obligation for allBengalis.[3]
Choudhury divorced his wife as she was not willing to migrate with him to Assam after thePartition of India in 1947.[4]