(A) denotes the website of Azizul Haque's supporters; (M) denotes the website of Mansurul Haque's supporters.
Jamia Rahmania Arabia is a Qawmi madrasa located in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, and is considered one of the leading institutions of its type in the city.[1] Although formally established at its current location in 1988, its origins trace back to internal disputes at Jamia Qurania Arabia Lalbagh, which led several teachers, including Azizul Haque and Mansurul Haque, to leave that institution. Initially, Azizul Haque and Mansurul Haque collaborated in the early development of Jamia Rahmania Arabia; however, by the late 1990s, divisions emerged between two groups of supporters. The madrasa was under the control of Mansurul Haque's supporters from 2021 to 2024, but it is currently managed by Mahfuzul Haque, son of Azizul Haque, who serves as the director.
Jamia Rahmania Arabia originated from disputes at Jamia Qurania Arabia Lalbagh during the 1980s. At that time, its director, Muhammadullah Hafezzi, became involved in politics and founded the political party Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon.[2] Many teachers and students joined the movement, even though the madrasa's constitution prohibited political activity. In response, the management committee suspended several faculty members, including Fazlul Haque Amini and Azizul Haque, who were serving as secretary-general and vice president of the party. Azizul Haque was later reinstated, and Amini also returned, but this decision was opposed by Azizul Haque and other teachers. As a result, Azizul Haque, along with Mansurul Haque and several colleagues, left Lalbagh.[2]
Around the same period, in Mohammadpur, Haji Sirajuddaula operated a small maktab madrasa within the Mohammadi Housing Society, overseen by Abul Kalam. With his approval, Mansurul Haque joined the institution, which was then renamed Muhammadiya Madrasa. Mansurul Haque invited teachers who had left Lalbagh to join him, and Azizul Haque also became part of the project. The owner initially promised to provide permanent land for the madrasa, but even after a year no land was secured. Overcrowding and the challenges of running a large madrasa in such a restricted environment led the teachers to press for a permanent site.[2] When the owner stated that he could not provide land and suggested relocation, Muhammadiya Madrasa was forced to close, and the teachers dispersed. Seeking an alternative, Mansurul Haque, along with students and teachers, moved to the Sat Gambuj Mosque in Dhaka in 1986. There, a temporary madrasa was established under extremely modest conditions. Since Mansurul Haque was considered too young to formally hold the position of director, Abdul Ghaffar was appointed director in name, while Mansurul served as deputy director and acted as the de facto director. Azizul Haque was appointed Sheikh al-Hadith. From 1986 to 1988, the teachers and students endured severe hardships in the mosque-based madrasa, underlining the urgent need for a permanent campus.[2]
In 1988, efforts to secure land succeeded when, at the request of Nur Uddin Gohorpuri, Muhammad Ali and Nur Hossain, owners of Ali & Nur Real Estate, donated ten katha of land for the madrasa. Four years later, in 1992, they donated an additional six katha. On this sixteen-katha site, a five-story building was constructed, giving the institution its first permanent facilities. With this development, the madrasa was formally established under the name 'Jamia Rahmania Arabia'.[3]
Management disputes
Until 1990, the director of the madrasa was Abdul Ghaffar. In that year, he was relieved of his duties by the managing committee due to illness, and Ali Asgar was appointed as his successor.[4] In 1992, Ali Asgar resigned from the position, and the committee appointed Azizul Haque as director. During the tenure of all three directors, Mansurul Haque continued to serve as deputy director but acted as the de facto director of the institution.[2] Under Azizul Haque's leadership, disagreements gradually emerged concerning the political involvement of teachers and students. While Mansurul Haque firmly opposed any political engagement—an approach also supported by the madrasa constitution and managing committee—Azizul Haque, despite personally opposing political activities within the institution, was the founding chairman of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis.[2][3] This association created a perception of political influence within the madrasa, and tensions surrounding the issue steadily grew more complex.[2] In 1999, recognizing the problems arising from his role, Azizul Haque voluntarily resigned in a committee meeting but promised to remain as a guardian of the madrasa.[2] Following his resignation, Bahaauddin was appointed director.[2] However, internal disputes became increasingly fragile and difficult to manage, leading the committee in 2000 to remove Bahaauddin and appoint Hifzur Rahman[a] as director. From that year onward, conflicts within the madrasa reached a peak.[2]
Relations between Azizul Haque and the committee deteriorated further. A long-standing silent disagreement became an open conflict, dividing teachers and students into two rival groups: one supporting the committee and Mansurul Haque, and the other supporting Azizul Haque.[3] The disputes continued without resolution, leading the committee to permanently dismiss Azizul Haque from all responsibilities. At the request of Nur Uddin Gohorpuri, however, he was retained only to teach Sahih al-Bukhari. In May 2000, a group of Azizul Haque's supporters attempted to seize control of the madrasa but were prevented by the committee. The issue was temporarily settled through the intervention of senior ulama in Dhaka, but in July of the same year, another attempt was made to take over the institution. This effort also failed, and shortly afterward, the committee held an emergency meeting and permanently dismissed Azizul Haque, along with his son, grandson, and several teachers, from the madrasa. Azizul Haque then relocated to a nearby rented building with his followers.[2]
Following the victory of the Four-Party Alliance in the 2001 general election—which included Azizul Haque's party, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis—the situation shifted. On 3 November 2001, with the support of Khelafat Majlis MP Shahidul Islam and the newly installed administration, Azizul Haque's supporters took control of Jamia Rahmania Arabia.[3] Mansurul Haque and around thirty-seven other teachers were dismissed, and the original managing committee was dissolved. From that time onward, the madrasa came under the complete control of Azizul Haque's faction.[5]
After the 2001 incident, Mansurul Haque relocated to a rented building owned by Ali & Nur Real Estate and filed a case in court.[3] In 2014, the court ruled in favor of the committee and Mansurul Haque. During this period, Azizul Haque passed away, and his son, Mahfuzul Haque, assumed the directorship of the madrasa. Although the court verdict favored Mansurul Haque, control of the madrasa remained under Mahfuzul Haque.[3] In the late 2010s, Mamunul Haque, another son of Azizul Haque and a teacher at the madrasa, emerged as an influential leader of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, opposing the decisions of the ruling government. He opposed the construction of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's statue and played a key role in the 2021 anti-Modi protests.[6] On 18 April 2021, he was arrested at the madrasa, and the administration issued a notice requiring the madrasa to be vacated.[7] On 18 July 2021, the administration assumed control of the madrasa and entrusted its management to Mansurul Haque and the committee.[6] Earlier, on 18 May 2021, the Bangladesh Waqf Administration had approved a 21-member management committee to oversee the madrasa, which appointed Hifzur Rahman as director, a position he had previously held in 2001.[4] Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina on 5 August 2024, Mansurul Haque's supporters again lost control of the madrasa, which remains under the directorship of Mahfuzul Haque.[8][9]
Influence
It is one of the leading Qawmi madrasas in Bangladesh, closely associated with Hefazat-e-Islam, and regarded as a second home for this organization.[10] It accommodates approximately 1,500 students and employs around 70 teachers, offering programs that range from primary-level maktab and Hifz courses to the highest Qawmi degree, Dawra-e-Hadith.[10] The madrasa also maintains specialized departments, including a Tafsir department for advanced Quranic exegesis.[10] From its inception, a Fiqh department has been part of its curriculum, currently headed by Hifzur Rahman. The institution operates under the affiliation of Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh.[11] Although the foundational work and establishment of the madrasa were undertaken by Mansurul Haque, its present recognition and prominence are widely attributed to the influence and leadership of Azizul Haque, as noted in the influential Qawmi publication Monthly Adarsha Nari.[2]
Publications
The madrasa publishes a Bengali-language monthly magazine titled Rahmani Paygam.[12] It was established in 1998 by Azizul Haque. The current editor is Mamunul Haque. Initially, the magazine was published under the name Haqq Paygam.[13] Additionally, since its establishment, the institution's student council, known as Chhatra Kafela, has regularly overseen the publication of a wall magazine called Alor Michil.[14]
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