the muslim heritage of bengal
inquiry that led to this book. Needless to say, combining full-time work and family life with writing and research is never an easy task. For this reason, I cannot thank my wife enough for her patience, understanding and tolerance during the course of my research for and writing of this book. Without her constant encouragement and unstinting support, it would not have been possible for me to complete this work. Also, my two young sons—Muhtadi and Mustafa—patiently tolerated my long hours of research and writing. I pray for their continued happiness, prosperity and success. During our visit to Dhaka, I spent more time in libraries, research institutes and bookshops than I did with my family and relatives. I am extremely grateful to them for their love, kindness and understanding. I would also like to thank Sohail and Fahim for accompanying me during my visits to different libraries, institutions and bookshops in Dhaka and Sylhet. Without their co-operation, it would not have been possible to obtain many of the old and out-of-print books and manuscripts that have proven to be invaluable. Others also encouraged and supported me during my research. These include Muhammad Abdul Jabbar Beg, FRAS. Although a historian by training, Beg is equally familiar with aspects of Bengali language, literature and history. He read this manuscript thoroughly and provided detailed feedback, which enabled me to improve the book. He continues to send me photocopies of relevant articles, books and other information; may the Almighty reward him for his support and encouragement. A. K. M. Yaqub Ali, a senior academic, historian and prolific writer of Bangladesh, has been a source
of inspiration for several years and I am grateful to him for sending me many out-of-print books and articles that have been very helpful. As soon as Muhammad Kamrul Hasan found out that I was working on this project, he became an important source of information and a keen supporter of this work. Our discussions, debates and deliberations eventually led to the establishment of the Bengal Muslim Research Institute UK (BMRI) in May 2010. This institute was set up to pursue research, organise seminars and conferences, and create a comprehensive website of relevant information about the Muslim history, culture and heritage of Bengal. The website has now become an important source of information on the subject and has already generated considerable interest in many parts of the world including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Without the support and co-operation of Kamrul Hasan, Muhammad Akhteruzzaman, Firoz Kamal and Moshahid Ali, it would not have been possible to initiate this project. Mushtaque Ali, the son of Maulvi Munawwar Ali of Sylhet, went out of his way to collect relevant books and other information for me and I am grateful to him for his encouragement. Likewise, Muhammad Mujibur Rahman, former chairman of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Rajshahi University, has been a valuable source of information. I spoke with Muhammad Abdullah of Dhaka University about the Muslim history and culture of Bengal on several occasions prior to his death. Fluent in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, English and Bengali, Muhammad Abdullah researched and wrote more than 30 books (in Bengali) on
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