Syed Fazlul Karim
Fazlul Karim started a residential madrasa in Charmonai,Barisal district, southern Bangladesh and called himself a pir (Islamic scholar and saint). Since his death in 2006 his eldest son Rezaul Karim is running the madrasa.
1971
Maulana Fazlul Karim is regarded as war criminal by most Bangladeshis for his role in 1971, liberation war of Bangladesh. At 1971, when hundreds of Bengali women went for a shelter to his madrasa to escape the mass rape and murder by the Pakistani troops. But self-declared maulana, Fazlul Karim and his colleagues declared those helpess girls as commodities of war (thus per Islamic law consumable by the Muslim soldiers) and as such supplied them to the Pakistani soldiers. The dead bodies of those raped girls were flung into the nearby river or buried in the mass grave behind the madrasa. The maulana is also alleged to have slain many Hindus and freedom fighters in his own hand (like the head Imam of Mymensingh did as described by Taslima Nasrin in Nirbachita Columns) and threw the dead bodies to the river after slitting their bellies so that they don't float.
Famous novelist Humayun Ahmed and his brother Muhammed Zafar Iqbal and mother went to Fazlul karim's madrasa to get shlter after murder of their father by Pakistan army but refused by Fazlul karim. Humayun Ahmed describes the whole story and evil side of Fazlul kraim in his book Amar Chelebela (my childhood).
After 1971
No case was filed against Fazlul karim or no revenge was taken by any victims. Surprisely he was awarded "Swadhinota Padok" (Independence Medal) by Hossain Mohammad Ershad government in 1980s.
Death
After long suffering from diabetes and kidney disease Fazlul Karim died at the age 71 in his own home at village Charmonai in Sadar upazila of Barisal district at Novemver 24th ,2006 about 9:40 am.
Personal Life
He had two wives,seven sons and a daughter.
Reference
1. "Amar Chelebela" (My Childhood) by Humayun Ahmed.
See Also