Bangladesh Bauddha Samiti

Bangladesh Bauddha Samiti a Buddhist socio-cultural organisation set up in 1887. Initially, its name was Chittagong Bauddha Samiti. From its inception, its head office has been located in Chittagong; it has branch offices in Dhaka and at other divisional headquarters.

The founder president of the organisation was Gunomeju Mahathero and the founder secretary was Nazir Krishnachandra Choudhury. After Gunomeju's death, Purnachar Dharmadhari Chandramohan Mahathero became president. The present Chittagong Buddhist Vihara was built in 1904 at the initiative of the organisation. At this time the president of the organisation was Dharmabansha Mahasthavir (1872-1939).

This organisation has also contributed considerably to the growth of education among the Buddhist community of Chittagong and towards pali studies. When the viceroy of India came to visit Chittagong in 1905, the society submitted a memorandum to him on the basis of which a Pali department was opened in chittagong college in 1910. The efforts of the society to foster education among the Buddhist community of the Chittagong region led to the emergence of such eminent Buddhist intellectuals as benimadhab barua, Nalinaksha Dutta and Dhirendralal Barua. A number of institutions, including Chittagong's Dipankar Pali College and Dharmabansha Institution, are being run under the patronage of this society. The Shilachar Bhavan and the DB Institution Bhavan have also been built at its initiative. [Rebatapriya Barua]