Pathan, Muhammad Hanif

Pathan, Muhammad Hanif (1900-?) folklorist and antiquarian, was born in his maternal uncle's house in the village of Dewanchar in Raipura upazila, Dhaka, on Chaitra 23, 1307 (April 1900). His ancestral home was in the village of Bateswar in the same area.

After passing the Normal examination from Dhaka Normal School in 1921, Muhammad Pathan took up teaching at a school and continued to do so all his life. He lived in the village and collected and studied folk literature. He collected many proverbs, part of which he published. His noted work is a two-volume compilation of proverbs: Bangla Prabad-Parichiti. His other work on proverbs is a collection called Pallisahityer Kudana Manik (1937). Hanif Pathan first gave the clue to the archaeological heritage of the village of Wari- Bateswar, which is now recognised as an important archaeological site giving clue to a trans-oceanic business centre at wari-batesHwar. [Wakil Ahmed]