Banwari Munshi

Babu Banwari Charan Munshi (Bengali: বনওয়ারীচরণ মুন্সী; 1848 - 24 June 1917) was an Indian Bengali landlord, philanthropist and businessman, who served as the Zamindar of Chougachi. He was widely admired for his gentle demeanor and his spirit of hospitality.

Life

Munshi was born in Kadirpara in 1848. He lost his father Babu Hari Charan Munshi at a very young age. From childhood, he displayed a strong sense of responsibility and practical knowledge, particularly in matters of land and property. After the partition of the joint taluq of the Kadirpara Munshis, he assumed the responsibility of caring for his siblings. In 1865, at the age of only seventeen, he left Kadirpara and settled permanently in Chougachi. Through the individual efforts of Banwari Munshi, the family was able to establish its control over extensive estates in Chougachi. During his tenure, 21 mouzas were incorporated into the estate, each consisting of 3 to 4 villages. He also attained notable success as an indigo trader, and his indigo factory later came to be known locally as the Kuthibari. His son, Babu Amulya Munshi, subsequently renamed the village of Chougachi as Kuthi Chougachi. ) with the responsibility of establishing a primary school on land adjacent to the family residence. However, the school did not remain in operation for long. Later, Amulya Munshi established the first ever school in his memory in the village of Chougachi. Munshi was the grandfather of the Indian commercial artist Annada Munsi and mother-of-pearl artist Manu Munsi. He played significant role for the early education of Annada Munsi. Munshi died on 24 June 1917 at the Chougachi Kachari Bari. The school continued to operate successfully until 1947; however, following the Partition of India and the departure of the zamindar family to Calcutta, it suffered from a lack of sufficient support and was ultimately closed in 1954. Despite this closure, the local community remained committed to promoting education. In 1966, villagers took the initiative to establish a new institution, which was recognized from its inception as a secondary school and began functioning as Chougachi High School. In 2014, the school gained recognition under the Secondary Education Quality and Access Enhancement Project (SEQAEP) of the Ministry of Education (Bangladesh), and in 2016, it was honoured as the best school in Sreepur Upazila, Magura during National Education Week.