Badruddin Shah Madar

Badruddin Shah Madar (15th century) sufi saint. He came to Bangladesh from some Middle Eastern country in the 15th century to preach Islam in Bengal. A few of these sufis established their astanas or stations at different places in faridpur district. While proceeding towards barisal, Badruddin Shah Madar established an astana on the southern bank of the arial khan, a tributary of the padma. In due course, devout Muslims started assembling there. This led to the growth of a small bazar first and then of a large settlement. It is believed that the settlement later came to be known as Madaripur after the name of Shah Madar. Now Madaripur is a full-fledged district. Shah Madar's dargah or tomb on the bank of the Arial Khan is visited every year by countless people seeking the blessings of the saint. The dargah is listed as a recognized archaeological site. Devotees of the saint believe that the Arial Khan came close to the dargah while changing its course, but miraculously the river action spared the holy place. Although the river devoured the surrounding area, the dargah is still intact, allowing the town to spread southward. [Tapan Bagchi]