Murshid Quli Khan was the first Nawab of Bengal.  He was originally born a Hindu as Surya Narayan Mishra. The city of Murshidabad was named after him. He was Nawab of Bengal from 1717 to 1727. Unlike other Islamic rulers, Murshid Quli Khan had only one wife, Nasiri Banu Begum, and no concubines. He had three children, two daughters and one son

Murshid Quli Khan Character: He took no delight in hunting; He never indulged in wine nor in any intoxicating drugs; neither did he amuse himself with singers or dancers. He always kept constant to one lawful wife, and, out of excess of delicacy, would not suffer any strange woman, or even eunuchs, to enter the apartments of his seraglio - so much so, that any slave girl once out of the harem would not be allowed to re-enter it. He possessed very extensive learning, and paid great respect to men who were eminent for their piety or erudition. He was a brave soldier, a liberal benefactor, upright and just in his dealings, and a steady protector of the weak. He made no retrenchments in any royal grant, nor in those of any former Subahdar, for charitable purposes. He despised all the refinements of luxury, particularly in dress; no highly seasoned dishes were served on his table. He slept but little, and carefully observed the stated times for prayer. From breakfast till noon he employed himself in copying the Koran, and in administering justice; and every year he sent Korans of his own writing, with valuable offerings, to Mecca, Medina, Najaf, and other holy places. FROM:       https://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-murshid-quli-khan.htm

Bidhan Chandra Roy was the Chief Minister of Bengal from 1948 to 1962 until his death. Dr. Roy was awarded with Bharat Ratna on Feb4, 1961. He was a renowned Indian doctor, an educationist, a philanthropist and a freedom fighter. He is considered to be the founder of five very prominent cities of Bengal; Durgapur, Howrah, Ashoknagar, Kalyani and Bidhannagar. National Doctor's Day in India is celebrated each year in his memory, as he was the only few people from history who obtained a degree in FRCS and MRCP. Dr. Roy was born in a bengali family in Bankipore, Patna, with his father working as an Excise Inspector and a very pious and social worker mother.  The partition of Bengal was happening when Bidhan was still in his college, he was emotionally touched by this but he controlled his emotions and chose to continue on his education, so he could serve the nation better this way. One of the example of his strict determination is when he went to St. Bartholomev's Hospital, England with only 1200rs and applied for his masters, he was kept being rejected by the Dean because he was an Asian. But Dr. Roy didn't stop by this, and after applying 30 times in a row, the Dean had to accept his application. After completing his Post Graduate, he became a member of Royal College of Physicians and a fellow of Royal College of Surgeons. Dr. Roy then believed that Swaraj (the call for India's freedom)  would remain a dream if people were unhealthy with their body and mind. He taught and contributed at many medical institutions like Calcutta Medical College, Campbell Medical School, Carmichael Medical College, Jadavpur TB Hospital, Chittaranjan Seva Sadan, Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital, Victoria Institution, and Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital. In 1942, when Rangoon fell to Japanese attack, it caused an exodus of people fearing Japanese invasion, Dr. Roy was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta. He there acquired air-raid shelters for schools and colleges to have their classes and also provided shelter and relief for students, teachers and other employees. He was awarded Doctorate of Science in 1944 for his noble and dynamic contributions. "My young friends, you are soldiers in the battle of freedom - freedom from want, fear, ignorance, frustration and helplessness. By a dint of hard work for the country, rendered in a spirit of selfless service, may you march ahead with hope and courage". These was the words he spoke to the young crowd at a convocation in University of Lucknow in 1956. He was also a friend and doctor of Mahatma Gandhi. Once when Gandhi was going under some fast and got unwell, Dr. Roy came with some medicine to treat him and Gandhi refused to take those medicines citing they are not Made in India and also told Dr. Roy that why don't he treats the fellow Indian citizens free? In reply of this, Dr. Roy said to Gandhi "I have come here to treat someone who represents the four hundred million people of my country" and Gandhi accepted his medicines. Post Independence in India, Congress Party proposed his name for Chief Minister of Bengal, which he refused but later accepted after Gandhiji's advice and became the Chief Minister of Bengal on 23 January, 1948. Bengal was seeing a pool of problems including communal violence, food shortage, large flow of refugees in Bengal, unemployment etc. Dr. Roy did an amendable work by reuniting the party ranks, worked for every aspects he could and within 3 years normalcy settled down in Bengal. Just after receiving the most prestigious award of Bharat Ratna in 1961, one year later he died on 1 July 1962 on his 80th birthday. He had gifted his house to be run as a nursing home in the name of his mother, Aghorkamini Devi. He had also formed a trust for his properties in Patna to carry out social service, with Ganga Sharan Singh, a eminent nationalist, being it's first trustee. In memory of his excellence, The B. C. Roy National Award was introduced in 1962 and has been awarding people for their excellent contributions in the field of medicine, politics, science, philosophy, literature and arts, annually since 1976.

Jyoti Basu, (cofounder of Communist Party of India) who almost became the Prime Minister. Jyoti Basu was the Chief Minister of Bengal from 1977 to 2000, for a record 23 years 4 months 17 days. He is known as the beacon of communism in Bengal. He would be the India's first Bengali and Marxist Prime Minister if CPI(M) hadn't decided to not join the government.  He was born at 43/1 Harrison Road Calcutta (Now Mahatma Gandhi Road). His father was a doctor at Bardi village, Dhaka (Now Bangladesh). His birth name was Jyotirindra Basu but his father changed his name in school and he became Jyoti Basu. He completed his bachelors in English Literature from Presidency College in Kolkata and did Law from England. Having developed a strong belief in the Communist ideals, Basu returned to India in 1940 and joined the Communist Party of India, he also became the secretary of the Friends of the Soviet Union and Anti-Fascist Writers’ and Artists’ Association in Calcutta. In 1944, Basu started working with trade and railways unions of Bengal. He established the Bengal Nagpur Railway Workers’ Union, and became its General Secretary. He was elected to the central committee of the CPI Bengal in 1951. Communist Party of India knew the loss and corruption done by congress, they formed an anti-congress front with Socialist Republican Paarty, Bolshevik Party of India and the Forward Bloc, no doubt Jyoti Basu was a member of this front. After the India-China War of 1962, differences arose in the CPI, leading Basu co-found  Communist Party of India (Marxist). When Basu came into power as a Chief Minister of Bengal, it was congress in ruling before him. Basu was a hardcore democratic supporter, he ordered probes into many matters which occurred during the previous congress govt. such as inordinate increase in prices of essential commodities, release of political prisoners, atrocities against anyone done by govt. He abolished the nefarious Maintenance of Internal Security Act which gave a full hand to the Congress govt to arrest anyone on mere suspicions in the name of security.  As the Chief Minister, he from the beginning took bold reforming steps for Bengal. He industrialized programs for small, medium and cottage industries. Unemployment allowances, stoppage of retrenchment of workers, cutting down on the tax of essential commodities. When Jyoti Basu started administrating Bengal, within 3years, nearly more than 10 lakh acre more ceiling surplus land was identified and three-fourth of this land was distributed within a year. This resulted in a distribution of  surplus lands to landless people at such a large scale alone in Bengal, than that of few states of India combined to date. Bengal was the only state which put a ceiling on landholding from the beginning which Basu changed after coming to a ruling position. His innovative strategy was to take administration to village levels, where someone with oral evidence could challenge the paper evidence in courts, and the powerful landlords could not illegally acquired the lands anymore. All measures of land reforms were taken together by Basu including distribution of homestead  lands. It was a golden period for Bengal in 1980s when Bengal was marching ahead with a 4.2% highest annual rate of foodgrain growth comparing to other states at 2.5% average.  According to National Sample Survey, when CPI(M) came in rule with Basu as Chief Minister, it was 40% of the population of whole Bengal who could not spend enough money to get 1800 calories energy. After 15 years to this time, Bengal saw a 17% decrease in this population. This was the biggest reduction of extreme poverty anywhere in India over any period. In the rural areas it dropped from 67% to 42% in fifteen years. After the incident of Babri Mosque demolition, there was a rise of communal violence elsewhere in the country including the capital Delhi in 1984, but Bengal remained free of any communal violence, which is seen as a major achievement of Jyoti Basu's ruling period. He had brought big initiatives in the history of Bengal, such as land reforms, minimum wages for agricultural labourers, a three-tier panchayati system, dole for the unemployed and widows, and the establishment of a separate department for youth services.  Basu retired from politics in 2000, though he remained a member of the CPI(M) politburo till 2008.

For the traveler with limited time, the best way to explore Calcutta is roughly to trace the route of the Hooghly, meandering on and off the main thoroughfares by foot, tram and subway, known here as the Metro. This is not a luxury destination. It is more a journey through the grimy layers of time. History is inscribed on every lane, like tattoos on a body. Calcutta was once quite a diva.

On the left side of Calcutta the iron trusses of Howrah Bridge towers over the Hooghly river. The pale yellow waters are dotted by Bengali canopy boats and you see occasional steel riverboats ferrying passengers from Howrah Railway Station to Fairlie Place in Kolkata side across the river. An alighting passenger has to walk just a block across Fairlie Palace, and he will see a grand red greco roman styled three storied building that holds keys to the power in West Bengal. On the first floor of the building towards the old Calcutta Stock Exchange lies the chambers of the Chief Minister.

The atmosphere in Kolkata is set to turn political as we are inching towards 2021. Most subjects being discussed in Nabanna must be concerning the state elections to be held next year. It, however, serves as a temporary State Secretariat to West bengal. The original Secretariat is a 150-meter long building that covers the entire northern stretch of the iconic Lal Dighi pond in the downtown area of B.B.D. Bagh called the Writers’ building or just the Writers. The building with historical importance has a distinct Greco-Roman style, with several statues of Greek gods as well as a sculpture of Roman goddess Minerva that constitutes the prime attraction of this historical heritage. The building, as of today, has been under renovation since October 2013.

The Writers Building is currently under renovation since 2013.  Next year sometime between April and June in 2021, about 294 constituencies will vote to decide who will become the next occupant of the chair in Writers Building

Next year in sometime between March and June of 2021, about 67 million registered voters will chose 294 representations to the state assembly. Writers Building has been under renovation since 2013. If the renovation is finished by then, then 294 members of state legislative assembly will decide the next occupant of the Chief Minster's chamber in Writer's Building. The chair is currently occupied by a frail but fiestly lady who has never married Mamata Baneerjee.

As a young firebrand 29 year old, she caught attention of political pundits by defeating a stalwart of the communist party, Mr Somnath Chatterji in the central parliamentary elections in 1984 in the aftermath of sympathy wave generated due to assassination of Indira Gandhi representing Congress Party. Later in 1997 the veteran leaders in Congress Party could not hold her, and she split to form her own party Trinamool Congress which over time became the principle opposition party in West Bengal, and by 2011 she entered Writers Building as a Chief Minister. It was kind of a reversal of fortunes as she was dragged out forcefully from the same corridors in 1993 during a protest against police killings.

Establishment of Calcutta, now called as Kolkata in modern independent India, was a long and messy ordeal for the British East India Company. Calcutta, as we know it, didn’t exist as a city back then. Infact, what we know as Calcutta today was actually formed by  merging a cluster of three small  villages; Sutanutti, Kalikata & Gobindpur. Job Charnok, who was an employee & an administrator in the British East India Company, is largely credited for the formation of the Calcutta. The British East India company first came to Calcutta in the period of Ibrahim Khan( 1617-1624) the Subahdar Governor of Bengal at the time when Mughal Emperor Jahangir was ruling. They first setup factories in the city of Surat( 1620) and then later in Agra. Scouts were sent across the area to find out more suitable places to setup trade bases, though this plan was soon abandoned due to logistical reasons. In January 1644, Emperor Jahangir’s daughter got severely burned in a unfortunate incident when a British doctor named Gabriel Boughton was called upon for treatment. Boughton was successfully able to treat the Emperor’s daughter for which as a reward the British EIC were allowed to establish a factory in Pipilli, Oddisha. This was the first time English ships arrived at Eastern ports. Boughton’s medical services were availed again by the new Subedar of Bengal, and in return the company was allowed to establish factories in Balasore, Odisha and Hooghly, Bengal.

Emperor Aurangzeb was the one sitting on throne during the major period of tension and conflict between the Mughals and the British East India Company. The EIC wanted to establish a trade base on the eastern shore of India because of its strategic trading and military advantages.  In the year 1982 when Shaista Khan, the Governer of Bengal, was going to Delhi the EIC requested him to ask the Emperor to give permission to permanently trade in Bengal. Till this point they were allowed to open factories in multiple places, but British couldn't be sure of their position. The Emperor was pleased to provide them with a Firman and this event was celebrated with 300 gun shots in Hoogly. Though one shouldn't be fooled by this happy start to the agreement, this was the start of a very long & painful cat and mouse chase between both. Tensions started arising soon, as the Firman granted wasn't very clear. A conflict with a local zamindar ended resulted in a putting a few Englishmen behind bars. Further the EIC requested the state to give them a permission to build a fort on the mouth of Hooghly on the grounds of protecting their trade. But Shaista Khan didn't trust the intentions of British, he knew letting them build a fort right on the mouth of Hoogly would make the Mughals a little more vulnerable. Upon hearing this request he immediately turned it down and imposed another 3.5% tax on top of the agreed 3000 rupees, breaking the Firni. The company got very enraged with this situation and requested King James II in the year 1685 to permit the use of force against the Mughals. The plan was to attack Chittagong, fortify it and make an alliance with the King of Arakan who was against the Mughals. Jon Carmock, who was in the Madras division at that time was told to join this expedition along with 400 soldiers from Madras division. The plan went awry though; because of high winds and bad weather conditions a lot of the ships ended up in Hoogly instead of Chittagong. Upon seeing large number of battle ships on the bank, Governer Shaista Khan got alarmed and immediately offered them truce. This didn't last long though, there was a dispute between British troops and the Mughal troops which led to an altercation between them and the latter beat the crap out of the former. The admiral then opened up fire on the city burning down 500 houses; a property loss of about 30 lakh rupees. Upon Shaista Khan immediately sent troops to drive out the British from the area and capture all their factories and assets.

The historical city of Murshidabad-the earstwhile nawabi capital –a city founded in the year 1704 by Murshid Quli Khan, the Mughal diwan of Bengal. In 1704 Murshid Quli Khan had transferred the capital of Bengal from Dhaka to Murshidabad which he  named the city after his name .The town is situated on the left bank of river Bhagirathi.  Under the Nawabs Murshidabad’s glory reached to the highest peak in almost all arenas. As a trading centre Murshidabad became famous. Many scholars came here ,settled and mixed with the local people freely and hence there developed a cosmopolitan culture. By the middle of the 18th century Murshidabad became one of the greatest centres of culture and education as the nawabs were the patrons of the learned.

In the Nawabi period Bengali literature also flourished .The learned men of this period made a  great contribution in Urdu, Hindi, Persian literature. We ought to mention the Sufi literature of this period .For the expansion of Islam Sufi litterateurs wrote books in Bengali to make the common men understand the Islamic knowledge and education. This proves that the state of education under the nawabs was excellent. During this period a different stream of Bengali language,Musalmani Bangla, arose  which is a mix of Peresian, Urdu and Bengali languages. There was also a different form of literature ,mixed languages, which was popular among the lower section of the society. The elite were less influenced by this literature. Persian was the official language of the era. The Muslims and Hindus both practiced this language which gave them the opportunity for a job in the government departments. Under the nawabs Murshidabad gained eminent position in the fields of education and culture. Ghulam Hussain gives a long list of learned men, physicians, mathematicians and other scholarly persons from this we can assume that educational institutions were there at Murshidabad during the period of review .Murshid Quli Khan established a Madrasha for the uplift of the education. This institution , Kara Madrasha, as it was used as a guest house and was also maintained by the nawab.

Alivardi Khan was the last strongman in Bengal whom the foreign powers feared. After his death, in 1956, the dorrs to the paramount power in Bengal subah reopened.

While Britishers first entered into India from the west the true expansion and seeds of colonialism were sown in the east, particularly from Bengal. It was the year 1775 when a young British governor named Robert Clive must return to India as the governor of Fort St. David with a mission to uproot French administration from India. However, destiny must pull his attention towards Calcutta (now Kolkata), a city that was rivaling Madras as a major trade centre in India. Clive knew the strategic importance and opportunities associated with Calcutta which, however, was under the administration of Siraj Al-Dawlah, the then Mughal viceroy of Bengal. For decades Britishers have had a mutual understanding and cooperation with the Mughals. In order to strengthen British administration in Bengal the new governor must make a decision. Clive decides to fortify the city. In response, Clive receives a brutal retaliation from Siraj Al-Dawlah who attacked and captured the fort.       Fall of Calcutta was a major setback for the British empire. It was perhaps Clive’s biggest challenge to wrest Calcutta back from Mughals and to restore British supremacy in the region. An angry and humiliated British governor had decided to establish British dominance in the region and restore British honor. An army of 900 Europeans and 1500 Indian soldiers marched towards Calcutta and recaptured it on January 2, 1757. The nawab is humiliated and forced to pay compensation and let the British fortify the city. Six months later, the humiliated nawab declares war against the British popularly known as the Battle of Plassey. However, it was a one sided war where British cannons unleashed havoc on the Siraj’s army. Clive overthroned Siraj and replaced him with Mīr Jaʿfar, an elderly general secretly hostile to Sirāj al-Dawlah. With Mir Ja’far under his influence, Clive virtually became the master of the Bengal province. The event marked the advent of British empire in India.  The same Britishers in 1905, however, partitioned Bengal which came to be known as the first partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon, then viceroy of India. The partition was done for territorial reorganization of the Bengal Presidency. The partition separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas. The sentiments of a separate state on the basis of religion, faith and language were sown.  It's the year 1929, in a primary school in Gopalganj district, a young boy is protesting against the removal of his school principal for his hostile behavior against students. He organized a student union in order to achieve so. Such protests and rebels against any injustice were soon to become a part of his political career ahead for he was to become Bangabandhu Mujibur Rehman, the father of Bangladesh.  “Amar desh tomar desh..Bangladesh Bangladesh” “Amar desh tomar desh..Bangladesh Bangladesh” “My country. Your country. Bangladesh Bangladesh”. Surrounded by a huge mass gathering in Dhaka in the year 1971, angered by the negligence and hostility of the West Pakistan army and government Mujibur Rehman, this time well popular and experienced is marching towards the podium to address his supporters. Since the inception of Pakistan in 1947, west Pakistan had a racist approach towards the people of East Pakistan. Pre-independance Mujib supported Jinnah's idea of partition of India on the basis of religion. But his hero turned villain when post independence Jinnah forced Urdu as the only official language of the whole of Pakistan which included its east counterpart as well. Mujib protested.  Mujib’s rebellious behavior against west Pakistan marked a new phase in his political career which irked many in the west who were actually in power. From 1947 to 1971, jail became his second home. He opposed the biased behavior of his west counterparts towards Bangla people.  In 1958, General Ayub Khan declared martial law in the country. This period saw a significant rise of Islamic fundamentalism and degrading humanitarian rights and law especially towards the people of East Pakistan. After almost a decade of violence and distrust against Bangla people, in 1966, Mujib gave up the hope of equal status with western counterparts and demanded full autonomy for East Pakistan in the form of Our Charter of Survival from West Pakistan. His demands, however, were outrageous - a separate stock exchange and army to name few. The charter must have made Pakistani Generals either laugh or fume over it. Because Mujib was indirectly asking for a separate country. Nevertheless, Mujib was again arrested, invoking huge mass protests in East Pakistan for his release scaring the Pakistan army of a civil war. They agreed to release Mujib unconditionally. When Mujib reached Dhaka he was welcomed by people with great emotions and support for him. Surrounded amongst thousands of supporters he was conferred Bangabandhu or the friend of Bangla. Finally, in 1970, the decade-long martial law was lifted and the general elections were announced. The results, however, invited more political unrest in Pakistan. Mujib’s Awami league came victorious but were denied to form a government. Tensions between East Pakistan and West Pakistan rose to all time high. Under these situations Mujib retaliated by calling for full autonomy and independence. He gave the slogan of “Joy Bangla” and declared independence. The ideology of Bangladesh was formed. He was again arrested, this time, on the charges of sedition. To suppress civil support for him Pakistan army launched Operation Searchlight which even today is remembered as one of the most barbaric and inhuman assaults on citizens. Thousands of people were killed, women raped, children crushed on the roads. Streets and houses of Dhaka were painted in red by the blood stains of innocent Banglas. The Pakistan army men infiltrated each and every house of East Pakistanis and launched fire. To this menace the people had no choice but to evade their homeland and flee to more secure neighbouring Indian states.  Thousands of East Pakistani crossed the border to find refuge in east India. It was the largest humanitarian refugee crisis of that time. The sudden incursion of refugees alarmed people sitting in New Delhi. It was no more an internal issue of Pakistan. In the winters of 1971, Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, declared war with Pakistan to support the local Bangla freedom fighters called the Mukti Vahini. Field Marshal General Sam Manekshaw was given the responsibility to liberate Bangladesh from the brutalities of the west Pakistani regime. 13 days later about 91000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered to India. Yahiya Khan resigned. Under international pressure the Pakistan government released Mujibur Rehman on 8th January, 1972. Bangladesh was born and Mujibur Rehman emerged as first the President and later the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

The same Britishers in 1905, however, partitioned Bengal which came to be known as the first partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon, then viceroy of India. The partition was done for territorial reorganization of the Bengal Presidency. The partition separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas. The sentiments of a separate state on the basis of religion, faith and language were sown.  It's the year 1929, in a primary school in Gopalganj district, a young boy is protesting against the removal of his school principal for his hostile behavior against students. He organized a student union in order to achieve so. Such protests and rebels against any injustice were soon to become a part of his political career ahead for he was to become Bangabandhu Mujibur Rehman, the father of Bangladesh.

The election result of 1971 was  not honoured, leading to a civil war on March 26, and Sheikh Mujib declared Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan . The declaration coincided with a ruthless show of strength by the Pakistani military, in which tanks rolled out on the streets of Dhaka and several students and intellectuals were killed.  A woman only 13, had already learned to fear people around her. She saw her father being to death.One day in late afternoon people barged into her house. They snatched her two little brothers, tied them to a tree and beat them.She ran out of the front door , but the men caught her. They tethered her arms to two trees. They ripped off her earrings and bracelets, and stripped off her clothes. Between 300,000 and 3,000,000 people were killed and around 200,000 to 400,000 women were raped. India under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi provided full support to Rahman and Bangladesh’s independence movement, resulting in the creation of a sovereign government at Dhaka in January 1971.

“Amar desh tomar desh..Bangladesh Bangladesh” “Amar desh tomar desh..Bangladesh Bangladesh” “My country. Your country. Bangladesh Bangladesh”. Surrounded by a huge mass gathering in Dhaka in the year 1971, angered by the negligence and hostility of the West Pakistan army and government Mujibur Rehman, this time well popular and experienced, is marching towards the podium to address his supporters. Since the inception of Pakistan in 1947, west Pakistan had a racist approach towards the people of East Pakistan. Pre-independance Mujib supported Jinnah's idea of partition of India on the basis of religion. But soon, his national hero and ideal turned villain when post independence Jinnah announced Urdu as the only official language of the whole of Pakistan which included its east counterpart as well. Mujib protested.

One of the great grandsons of Mir Zafar was Iskandar Mirza, who assumed the first Presidency of Pakistan after giving his country a constitution in 1956, full 9 years after Pakistan's Independence. A proud and stout Bengali, he found it  difficult to get along with the Prime Ministers he appointed. Like a musical game of chairs, he changed four Prime Ministers in his Presidency from March of 1956 to October of 1958. His third Prime Minister was Huseyn Suhrawady, an influential Bengali Muslim freedom fighter who also once held Prime Ministership of united Bengal province during Britsh times.

Sheikh Hasina was sworn in as prime minister of Bangladeh in January 2009. In 2017, in the midst of Hasina's premiership, more than 700,000 Rohingya  arrived in Bangladesh, fleeing genocide  in neighbouring Myanmar .  The Bangladesh government provided refuge and assistance, however, it did not grant refugee status and worked to repatriate the Rohingyas on a voluntary basis.  Hasina's government received praise both internationally and domestically for helping the Rohingya. In past years Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is in discussion with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to discuss a range of bilateral issues. The Teesta river water sharing issue was discussed by the two leaders and New Delhi and Dhaka both are keen to seal an agreement on it since September 2011. Sheikh Hasina has time and again acknowledged the friendly and cordial relation between the two countries to continue and flourish.

Under Hasina, Bangladesh has made significant strides towards educating girls and giving women a greater voice, both in the household and the public sphere whose efforts have translated into improvements in children’s health and education, such that Bangladeshis’ average life expectancy is now 72 years, compared to 68 for Indians and 66 for Pakistanis. The Bangladesh government deserves credit for supporting grass-roots initiatives in economic inclusion which includes Bangladeshi adults with bank accounts, 34.1% made digital transactions in 2017, compared to an average rate of 27.8% for South Asia.  Hasina’s government has offered a better environment for manufacturing firms to achieve economies of scale and create a large number of jobs, and though Bangladesh still needs much stronger regulation to protect workers from occupational hazards, the absence of which curtails labour-market flexibility has been a boon for job creation and manufacturing success.

Mamta Banerjee has also extended her support to Sheikh Hasina by protesting Modi's govt on CAB and NRC Bill.  Mamta's stand on the above issue explains why the bilateral relation between Hasina and her is going to last long.

The dynamics of democratic politics in West Bengal, a major state of eastern India had taken its own shape despite some aberrations due to the politics of violence in the sixties. Whenever there has been any communication gap between the ruling party and the people, as it occurred during 1964-66 and again during 1974-76, the electorate democratically registered its protest at the next available opportunity by rejecting the imperious attitude of the ruling party .Such a gap has been very much bridged by the direct and personal type of leadership adopted by the left politicians ideological slant of the political process in West Bengal has, in general, prevented the growth of regional patriotism or politics Of parochialism, except for the minor political impact left by Ghisingh and his GNLF movement. It is one of the sings of politics in West Bengal.

The elected Leftist coalition since 1977 (often described as sound ‘political stability’), but also because of its widely acknowledged successes in fertility transition, execution of re-distributive land reform and political decentralization programmes. Ironically, yet, the state, in almost all comparative assessments of social, human and infrastructural developments occupies a lagged position vis-à-vis many other states, especially in the south and even against all-India records. A well-disciplined grassroots political mobilization network, and the machinery of the Left Front parties, have been highly instrumental for comparatively fast declines of fertility and population growth and for lasting political stability in an otherwise ‘dilatory’ development regime. However, a government geared to ensuring mass electoral support overwhelmingly via a grassroots mobilization network but, with a relative neglect of social movements, economic infrastructure and human development, is likely to suffer adverse consequences in the longer term.

The ripple effects of Russian revolution in 1917 reached British India that was fighting against a similar “class” ideology. Consequently, in 1925 the foundation of communism was set in Kanpur. However, due to weak leadership and dominance of Gandhian philosophy, communism in India was finding it difficult to sustain its roots in Indian politics. 20 years later, a young Jyoti Basu was attending the lectures of Harold Laski, a prominent member of the British Labour Party turned Marxist. This small event was going to change everything in Basu’s ideological philosophy as well as Indian politics in future. In the years that followed, Basu’s activities in politics significantly increased and, in 1939, selected as the General Secretary of the London Majlis he came into contact with prominent Indian political leaders like Nehru and Bose. He returned to India in 1940 and joined the Communist Party of India.

At the time of independence, all of India from north to south was governed popularly by one party, the Indian National Congress. Bengal was no different. Basu realized that if he had to establish communist ideology in Bengal he must establish communications with the lower sections of the society especially with farmers and peasants. He got this opportunity in the form of Te-Bhag movement under which small farmers united against the zamindars or the landlords with the demand to only give one-third of the land tax. The movement was heavily supported by CPI led by Jyoti Basu. Over the years he established various worker unions and also played a pivotal role in uniting various communist parties (like the Forward Bloc, the Socialist Replublican party and the United Socialist party) all across India to build an anti-Congress front. However, after the Sino-India war in 1962 CPI split into two parts - CPI(Marxist) and CPI(Maoist) following ideological differences.

The influence of CPI(M) in Bengal gave a stiff competition to Congress and in 1977 when CPI(M) came to power Jyoti Basu served a (then) record 23 years as the Chief Minister of Bengal. The prime reason for such a long tenure of communism in Bengal can be found in its basic ideology which stands up for the rights of workers class. Under his long 33 years tenure Jyoti basu made several landmark reforms for the deprived class. Empowering villages from grassroot level by empowering the Panchayat System, boosting labour reforms and land reforms were among few of them which tightened his political grip on the socially backward class. His secular personality further improved his image amongst people of all backgrounds and race.

Operation Barga was a land reform movement throughout rural West Bengal for recording the names of sharecroppers (bargadars) while avoiding the time-consuming method of recording through the settlement machinery. It bestowed on the bargadars, the legal protection against eviction by the landlords, and entitled them to the due share of the produce. Operation Barga was launched in 1978 and concluded by the mid-1980s. Introduced in 1978, and given legal backing in 1979 and 1980, Operation Barga became a popular but controversial measure for land reforms. The ultimate aim of these land reforms was to facilitate the conversion of the state's bargadars into landowners. To date, Op Barga has recorded the names of approximately 1.5 million bargadars. Since then, it has been marked as one of the more successful land reforms programs in India.

From time Immemorial the State in India has claimed a certain proportion of the produce of every bigha or acre of land. The laws of Manu declare that a king is entitled to an eighth, a sixth, or a twelfth of the gross product. according to the difference of the soil and the labours necessary to cultivate it: in times of emergency, even a fourth. Alauddin Khilji levied a tax equal to half the gross produce of the lands in his kingdom. Under Sher Shah and Akbar the share of the State was a third; thereafter the demand increased, reaching up to a half. Land Revenue was the chief source of public income in India till 1916.

The word Zemindar means literally a land-holder. In Bengal the Mughal conquerors used the term to denote those persons, drawn from almost every level of society, whom they employed to collect the revenue from the land. In lieu of salaries, these zemindars were given grants of land free from revenue, and allowed to retain a specified portion of the collections, to levy transit duties, and to dispose of the waste lands. In origin, ilierefore, the zemindari tenure in Bengal was an official one. Its sole foundation was the sanad, or charter of appointment. Its essential feature was the collection and transmission of public revenue. In the heyday of Mughal ride sanads were often revoked on failure to render prompt payments. Some zemindars, it is true, succeeded in stabilising their position, and claimed a customary and prescriptive right to collect the revenue. But this in itself did not divest the zemindari tenure of its official character; for under the Mughals all offices tended to become hereditary.

Ijarah System was introduced in Mughal empire under Jahandhar Shah by Zulfiqar Khan. Under this system the government gave the right to collect tax revenue on production to a third party (middle man) and in return got an assured sum from the third party. The third party could levy any percentage of tax on the people. This was different from the earlier system as incase of the older system tax was collected at a fixed rate (fixed by the state) and could not be arbitrarily changed by individuals/tax officials. Ijarah system exposed the population to a tyrranous tax system because they were left at the mercy of the middlemen who continuously exploited them.

Revenue system of Mauryan Empire was devised by the Minister of Chandragupta Maurya, Kautilya. The principal items of revenue in town and country have been listed by Kautilya while describing the duties of the Samaharta (collector-general).  The main heads of revenue were:   A share of land output. Other dues and cesses levied on land including a water-rate. The water rate varied according to the nature of the land and crop and tax on houses in towns. Income from crown lands, from forests, from mines and manufactures, some of them monopolies like salt, undertaken by government  Customs at the frontiers and tariffs, tolls and ferry dues in the interior levied on merchandise in transport Profits of coinage and gains from trade operations carried on by the government  Fees for licenses of various kinds to be taken out by artisans, craftsmen, professionals and traders  Fines levied in law courts and  Miscellaneous receipts like presents like transferred possession.                                              In emergency 'benevolences' were resorted to and the rich had to pay considerable amounts to the state under. Mauryas introduced images with a view to gain gold. Granting exemptions from payment of revenue was common particularly land-revenue to Brahmins and religious institutions and to state-officials. A register of such remissions and assignments was maintained.                                                   Industries were taxed, using a vast mix of techniques, all of which were derived from the original land revenue tax system. This entire system was the creation of Kautilya, the prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya. As the taxation system developed the government had money to further develop the kingdom. The government also introduced state owned farms where the king owned the land and his subjects were employed for its cultivation. The government had the resources to organize the procedure and once the land was ready it would employ the cultivator to work on the land.                                                   The Mauryas had developed extensive trade relations. There were many foreign traders who took up residence in Mauryan cities. There were a variety of goods being exported thereby generating revenue. The exports were items of luxury like fine muslin cloth. The development of trade became profitable for the empire and eventually a separate department looked after trade and commerce.  Land revenue of Mauryan Empire                           Land revenues from the rural areas were appropriated in the form of crown lands (sita), land revenue (bhaga) from cultivators, taxes on orchards, ferry charges and so on.  Different types of taxes that were imposed on rural population are:   (i) Bhaga - It was levied at the rate of one-fourth to one-sixth. Sharecroppers and other agricultural support by the state had to pay half of the produce to the state.    \(ii) Pindikara - It was a tax levied on groups of villages and paid by farmers. This was customary. Often the villages were supposed to supply provisions to the royal army when they pass through their respective territories.     (iii) Hiranya - It was a tax paid in cash.     (iv) Bali - This was popular in the Vedic times and continued under the Mauryas.     (v) Pranaya - This literally means a gift of affection. It was levied imposed by the state during emergency. This was first mentioned by Panini, it was elaborated upon for the first time in Arthashastra. Pranaya amounted to one-third or one-fourth of the produce according to the nature of the soil.  Export-Import Tax:-                                      Import tax was 20 per cent, but there is no definite knowledge about the export tax. Import tax was called prabeshya, while export tax was called nishkramya.  Sales Tax:-                The Sulkadhyaksha collected toll tax on every item before it was sold or purchased. There were three rates of toll tax or sale tax: 9.5 per cent on iteIns sold on the basis of calculation; 5 per cent on the iteIns sold on the basis of measurement; and 6.5 per cent on items sold on the basis of weight. Income Tax:-                      The following taxes were imposed on the sources of income in cities: (i) wine manufacturing tax; (ii) salt manufacturing tax; (iii) taxes on ghee, oil and edible oil; (iv) taxes on animal slaughterers; (v) taxes on artisans and artists; (vi) taxes on gamblers and gambling houses; (vii) taxes on prostitution, (viii) taxes on the income of temples; and (ix) taxes on additional incomes of the wage earners.

Taxation in Gupta Empire The Economy during the Gupta period was moving from 18 sources or types of Taxes levied on the peolple; the greater part of it was spent on works of public welfare. Land revenue was the main source was generally fixed at one-sixth of the produce.

Lord William Bentinck was born in London, the second son of the 3rd Duke of Portland. He was educated at Rev. Dr Samuel Goodenough's school in Ealing, before moving on to Westminster School. After completing his education, he embarked on a military career, moving swiftly up the ranks on account of his family's influence and his ability to purchase commissions. In 1799, Lord William went to Italy, where he served for two years as liaison officer with the Austro-Russian forces. In 1801 he embarked for Egypt to command the cavalry, but saw no active service. His star continued to rise with his appointment, in 1803, as Governor of Madras. The appointment had been secured largely by the lobbying of his father, but was not popular with the East India Company and the Board of Control. Lord William had a number of significant achievements in India, but his work was largely overshadowed by the mutiny at Vellore in July 1806. He left his post in 1807. In 1808 he served in the Battle of Corunna and by 1811 had been appointed envoy to the Court of the Two Sicilies. From here, he promoted plans for an independent and united Italy, until he was recalled to Britain in 1815. After a period at home in Britain when he served as a commissioner for drainage and navigation in the fens, he returned to India in 1828 as Governor General - a post which he then held until 1835. In this role he undertook sweeping social, economic and political reforms which, it has been argued, laid the foundations for modern India.

He refused reappointment to the governorship of Madras in 1819, waiting to attain his real ambition—the appointment as governor-general of Bengal, which came in 1827. Bentinck’s immediate instructions were to rescue India from its financial difficulties; at this time the government in India operated on an annual deficit of about £1.5 million. Bentinck soon succeeded in turning the deficit into a surplus of about the same amount. The result of his efforts was the renewal of the East India Company’s government by the Charter Act of 1833, whereby Bentinck became the first governor-general of India. He next turned to personnel reforms, which included making more administrative and judicial positions available to Indians and improving the salaries and status of Indian judges. Bentinck also made English, instead of Persian, the language of the higher courts and of higher education and arranged for financial aid to colleges, which were to be adapted to the Western models. Bentinck showed great courage and humanity by his decision to abolish suttee (sati), the Hindu custom of burning widows alive with the corpses of their husbands. Previous governors-general had shrunk from prohibiting the custom as an interference in religion and one particularly likely to upset the Indian army, but Bentinck cut through these hesitations without facing much open opposition. He was also responsible for the measures taken to suppress the murder of unwanted children, human sacrifice, and the thags—bands of robbers, bound together by oaths and ritual, who murdered unsuspecting travelers in the name of the goddess Kālī. Flogging in the Indian army was also abolished, long before it ended in the British army.

At his tenure Governor General of Bengal became  Governor General of  India. He was responsible for introduction of English as a language of instruction in India. He reformed the finances, opened up judicial posts to Indians, and suppressed such practices as suttee, or widow burning, and thuggee, or ritual murder by robber gangs

Lord Canning 1858 to 1862 The Government of India Act, 1858 System of Budget introduced Formation of Imperial Civil Services Indigo Revolt in Bengal in 1859-60 Enactment of Indian Penal Code in 1860 Establishment of Archaeological Survey of India

He reorganised Calcutta Secretariat and appointed a Lieutenant Governor for Bengal to relieve the administrative burden of the Governor General. He laid down the main lines of development of railway system in India. Telegraphs were setup and the postal system was reformed.

The Santhal rebellion (sometimes referred to as the Sonthal rebellion), commonly known as Santhal Hool, was a rebellion in present-day Jharkhand, in eastern India against both the British colonial authority and zamindari system by the Santhal people. It started on June 30, 1855 and on November 10, 1855 martial law was proclaimed which lasted until January 3, 1856 when martial law was suspended and the movement was brutally ended by troops loyal to the British. The rebellion was led by the four Murmu Brothers - Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav

The insurrection of the Kolarian Santals of Bengal against the extortions of landlords and moneylenders had been severely repressed, but the causes of the insurrection had still to be reviewed and a remedy provided. By removing the tract of country from local rule, enforcing the residence of British officers there, and employing the Santal headmen in a local police, he created a system of administration which proved successful in maintaining order.

Partition of Bengal, (1905), division of Bengal carried out by the British viceroy in India, Lord Curzon, despite strong Indian nationalist opposition. It began a transformation of the Indian National Congress from a middle-class pressure group into a nationwide mass movement.

Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa had formed a single province of British India since 1765. By 1900 the province had grown too large to handle under a single administration. East Bengal, because of isolation and poor communications, had been neglected in favour of west Bengal and Bihar. Curzon chose one of several schemes for partition: to unite Assam, which had been a part of the province until 1874, with 15 districts of east Bengal and thus form a new province with a population of 31 million. The capital was Dacca (now Dhaka, Bangl.), and the people were mainly Muslim. The Hindus of west Bengal, who controlled most of Bengal’s commerce and professional and rural life, complained that the Bengali nation would be split in two, making them a minority in a province including the whole of Bihar and Orissa. They regarded the partition as an attempt to strangle nationalism in Bengal, where it was more developed than elsewhere. Agitation against the partition included mass meetings, rural unrest, and a swadeshi (native) movement to boycott the import of British goods. The partition was carried through despite the agitation, and the extreme opposition went underground to form a terrorist movement.

In 1898 it was announced that he would succeed Lord Elgin as viceroy of India, and, in September of that year, he was created Baron Curzon of Kedleston. He was the youngest viceroy of India in history, and he cherished the prospect of it, for it was an office filled with the pomp and ceremony he loved. India was the most-treasured jewel in Queen Victoria’s crown, and, after the pageantry of his arrival in Calcutta on January 3, 1899, Curzon wrote: “I suddenly saw what had come into my hands, and what prodigies of energy and inspiration would be needed on my part to guide them.” He demanded obedience and a bent knee from the rajas, maharajas, and provincial governors he now ruled, but there was no doubt of his sense of mission toward the Indian people. He initiated commissions of inquiry into education, police, and civil services; he reduced taxes; he ordered immediate punishment of any Briton (including members of the army) who ill-treated Indian nationals. In external affairs he paid special attention to India’s frontiers, toured the Persian Gulf, and sent a successful mission to Tibet to frustrate Russian ambitions there. On his return from what he called a “triumphal” tour of the Indian provinces, he ordered the restoration of the Taj Mahal, which was decaying, and thereafter took a personal interest in India’s artistic and cultural heritage.

At the end of his first five years in India, his successes were recognized by the government at home by a renewal of his term, but, in fact, the period of blazing glory was over and now came political tragedy. At Curzon’s personal request, the job of commander in chief of the Indian army and military member of the viceroy’s cabinet had been given to England’s military hero of the day, Lord Kitchener of Khartoum. Curzon believed that to have such an illustrious soldier on his staff would embellish his own image, though his friends in England warned him repeatedly that Kitchener was, in Lord Esher’s words, “an uncouth and ruthless man.” It was a clash of personalities, and the two were soon unscrupulously intriguing against each other. A final confrontation between the two men, which ended in Curzon’s bursting into tears, brought matters to a climax. Curzon, confident that the government would take his part, cabled that either his views must be accepted or he would go. On the morning of August 16, 1905, he received a cable from King Edward VII telling him that his resignation had been accepted. He delayed his return to England, and, by the time he was once again in London, the Tories were out of office, and his Indian achievements had been forgotten. He was not even given the earldom usually awarded to retiring viceroys.

In 1911, the year that the capital was shifted from Calcutta (now Kolkata) to Delhi, east and west Bengal were reunited; Assam again became a chief commissionership, while Bihar and Orissa were separated to form a new province. The aim was to combine appeasement of Bengali sentiment with administrative convenience. This end was achieved for a time, but the Bengali Muslims, having benefitted from partition, were angry and disappointed. This resentment remained throughout the rest of the British period. The final division of Bengal at the partitioning of the subcontinent in 1947, which split Bengal into India in the west and East Pakistan (later Bangladesh) in the east, was accompanied by intense violence.

B.C. Roy was a great planner for the improvement of education and culture of West Bengal. Due to the efforts of B.C. Roy Viswa Bharati, established by Rabindra Nath Tagore in 1921 was elevated as Viswa Bharati University under the Governance of the Government of India in 1951. It may be noted here that the planning for the establishing of the above mentioned Kalyani University was initiated by B.C. Roy in 1954. It was B.C. Roy who took the special drive for the passing of the Jadavpur University Bill in the Legislative Assembly in 1955. As a President of the National Education Council, B.C. Roy himself moved the Jadavpur University Bill in the month of September 1955. Jadavpur University was occasionally opened by Dr. Sarvapally Radhakrishan, the then Vice- President of India on 18th March 1956 for opening up a new era in the history of the higher education in India particularly in West Bengal. ‘Academy of Dance, Drama and Music’ was established in 1955. As a result of B.C. Roy’s vision for commemorating to Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore a plan was formulated for establishing Rabindra Bharati University in 1959. He was also the founder President of Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management in Calcutta.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister of free India, was also the personal friend of Bidhan Chandra Roy, the Chief Minister of West Bengal. In course of discussion between the two the former approached the later to locate a site for setting up one of the five regional engineering colleges sometime in the year of 1950-51. The Chief Minister B.C. Roy accepted the offer at once and selected Hijli at Kharagpur in the district of Midnapur which is a distance of 100 miles from Calcutta for the purpose of setting up engineering college. Due to the insistence of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad prior to the approval of I.I.T. Kharagpur B.C. Roy agreed to take overall charge of the Institute as its Chairman in his personal capacity. With the help of his personal sagacity and indomitable spirit for doing something for the betterment of the state, B.C. Roy selected Jnan Chandra Ghosh, an eminent scholar and scientist as its first Director.

His Bihar Bengal merger scheme with Srikrishna Sinha failed

One of the main causes behind the shortage of food was the partition of the country which gave almost 20 million acres of excellent rice-growing paddy fields to the East Pakistan and thereby rice became comparatively unavailable and more expensive in West Bengal. In addition the influx of lakhs of refugees from East Pakistan to West Bengal, diversion of 200,000 acres of rice growing lands to jute cultivation and damage of crops due to natural calamities - collectively resulted in a yearly deficit of 200,000 tons food grain in the state.

Zamindari Abolition Bill There were some important Bills relating to the land system passed during the chief ministership of B.C. Roy. In the ‘Bargaders Acts’ of 1950 some provisions were there to protect the share croppers. According to the Acts a ‘share croppers conflict –removal board’ was set up. Not only that ‘Zamindari Accusation Acts, and ‘Land Reforms Acts’ were passed in 1953 and 1955 respectively. According to the ‘Zamindari Accusation Acts of 1953, the permanent settlement and Zamindari systems were declared null and void. There were provisions to give compensations to the Zamindars. However, on and from 1st Baishak, 1362 (Bengali Callender) i.e.1955  155 the accusation of Zamindari was started by the Government of West Bengal. The shares of the share-croppers were fixed 60% instead of tebhaga i.e. 2/3. It was circulated that the owner of the vested lands would be allowed to retain 25 acres of cultivable lands and 15 acres of housing as well as garden lands. Measures were taken to distribute the surplus lands among the share croppers and landless peasants. The abolition of Zamindari system by the West Bengal Government in 1953, marked the beginning of one of the most revolutionary measures in the history of the land reforms in the country to stop exploitation of peasantry by the landlords.173With the passage of the Bill the power and prestige of the landed aristocracy began to decline steadily. The Zamindars started selling their palatial buildings which they could no longer maintain. In that connection, the State Government was advised by the Central Government to examine the cases and purchase such properties for utilization of nation- building purpose.

As Chief Minister of West Bengal, he laid the foundation of five cities, namely, Durgapur, Kalyani, Bidhannagar, Ashokenagar and Habra.

In the obituary to Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, the British Medical Journal wrote, “… at his professional zenith, he may have had the largest consulting practice in the world, news of his visit to a city or even railway station bringing forth hordes of would-be patients.”