The village in Koyra where a disciple of Khan Jahan Ali settled more than 550 years ago

About 90 kilometers south of Khulna city lies the picturesque village of Amadi, nestled beside the Sundarbans in Koyra. With its winding rural paths, rows of trees, lush crop fields, and stone-built pond banks, the village looks like a painting brought to life by an artist’s brush.

Over 550 years ago, Borhan Khan—also known as Bura Khan—a trusted companion of Khan Jahan Ali (RA), and his son Fateh Khan settled in this village. Historians note in their writings that after clearing the forest and beginning cultivation, new groups of people arrived in the area, leading to the village being named 'Amadi'.

According to historical records, Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah was the Sultan of Bengal from 1418 to 1433. During this time, Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali (RA) came to southern Bengal. After reaching Murali in Jessore (Jashore), he divided his group into two: one group, led by himself, headed toward Bagerhat, while the other, under the leadership of his loyal companion Borhan Khan (Bura Khan), moved south and settled in the Amadi area of Koyra near the Sundarbans.

The idea of Bura Khan’s settlement in Amadi village is found in Satish Chandra Mitra’s book “History of Jessore and Khulna.” He wrote that Bura Khan was one of Khan Jahan Ali’s chief companions. On the western side of Amadi village, by the riverbank, were the graves of both Bura Khan and Fateh Khan. Not far from the graves, remnants and traces of their homestead can still be found.

In the book "History and Heritage of Koyra Upazila," retired teacher ABM Abdul Malek of Koyra Kapotakkho College wrote: “In the mid-15th century, Borhan Khan, also known as Bura Khan, and his son Fateh Khan came to the Amadi area. They built the mosque known as Mosjidkur Mosque. Today, remnants of their homestead can be seen just south of the Amadi land office. Nearby, there are several large ponds they excavated—such as Chal Dhoa Dighi (the pond for washing rice), Dal Dhoa Dighi (for washing lentils), and Hati Bandhar Dighi (for tying elephants)—which stand as witnesses to time. On the eastern side of the Amadi market lies the large Amadi Dighi pond.”

Amadi village is located about 15 kilometers north of the Koyra upazila. At the site believed to be Bura Khan’s homestead, there are no remaining houses—only a raised mound. From within a large banyan tree growing on the mound, a date palm tree has sprouted, stretching upward alongside the banyan, with its base now embedded inside the banyan’s trunk. Scattered around the mound are pieces of ancient bricks and stones, remnants of the old settlement.

Seeing someone taking a photo of the mound, a woman named Firoza Begum approached and asked, “Are you photographing the Pir’s house?” She then shared that her home is nearby and recalled how large trees once stood there, and small ancient bricks were piled up. During the cyclone of 1988, all the trees were destroyed. The prayer house, shrine, and tomb (mazar) of Pir Bura Khan once stood by the main road, but they were lost to the erosion of the Kapotakkho River.

Sheikh Touhidul Islam, a resident of the house closest to the site, came forward and said that his ancestors used to serve Borhan Khan and were caretakers of his property. Over time, his family inherited ownership of the homestead land and the ponds, passing down through generations of the Sheikh lineage.

Pointing to a nearby pond with a hand gesture, Sheikh Touhidul Islam said, “This is Chal Dhoa Dighi, the pond Bura Khan excavated for washing rice. If you go a little further down the road, you’ll reach Dal Dhoa Dighi, the pond for washing lentils.” According to official records, Chal Dhoa Dighi covers three bighas of land, and Bura Khan’s homestead spans three and a half bighas. His shrine and tomb once stood by the riverbank, but they have all been claimed by the river over time. Now, a mosque and madrasa named after Bura Khan have been established nearby. A little further away, the Mosjidkur Mosque, built by Bura Khan, still stands.

Following the conversation, we walked to the bank of the Kapotakkho River, which flows along the edge of Amadi village. There, on the river's sandbar, a two-storied mosque and a madrasa have been built. The name inscribed on the madrasa reads: "Hazrat Pir Borhan Uddin Khan Hafezia Madrasa."

Standing on the road in front of the madrasa, there was a conversation with local resident Tapas Kumar Das. He said, “People of all religions used to show respect to the shrine and tomb of this Pir. Even after they were lost to the river, a stone altar and a banyan tree remained at the site. Both Hindus and Muslims would come there to make vows. But those, too, were eventually lost to the river’s erosion.”

Local resident Sheikh Shahid Ali, who is over sixty, shared that Borhan Khan had excavated a canal from the Kapotakkho River, running past his homestead, to connect to the Koyra River in the Sundarbans. This canal was once called Khanka Khal. However, it no longer exists, as people have built houses over it. The two large ponds excavated by Borhan Khan—Chal Dhoa Dighi and Dal Dhoa Dighi—had separate bathing ghats for washing rice and lentils, respectively. That’s how the ponds got their names. The largest pond in the area lies next to the Amadi market.

When asked about Hatibandha Dighi, Sheikh Shahid Ali explained, “That’s not actually a pond; it's the name of a place here. We’ve heard from our ancestors that Borhan Khan kept many elephants. There was a spot along the Kapotakkho River where the elephants were tied, and that place came to be known as Hatibandha. The spot still exists along the river.”

In History of Jessore and Khulna by Satish Chandra Mitra, it is mentioned: “On two sides of Bura Khan’s residence were rivers, and on the other two sides, canals were excavated to serve as moats. This canal is now known as Khanka. It is unlikely that Bura Khan excavated any ornamental ponds himself; the large ponds in the area probably date back to the Pathan era.”

Following the road along the Kapotakkho riverbank, near Amadi market, one can see a vast pond covering an area of 24 bighas. Local residents say that this pond, excavated by Pir Bura Khan, was once the main source of drinking water for the people in the area. People from nearby villages used to fill clay pots with the pond water and sell them at markets. Every day, many visitors from distant places would come to see the pond and drink its water. Today, descendants of Bura Khan’s servants, the people of Sheikh Para, farm fish in this pond.

The village next to Amadi is called Mosjidkur. On the banks of the Kapotakkho River in this village stands the historic Mosjidkur Mosque, built by Borhan Khan, also known as Bura Khan. Inside the mosque, which covers an area of one and a half thousand square feet, nine beautiful domes rest on just four stone pillars. Visitors come from far and wide to admire the mosque’s exquisite architectural style. The mosque is currently maintained under the supervision of the Department of Archaeology, Government of Bangladesh.

Recently, Idris Ali, assistant professor at the History Department of Kazi Nazrul Islam University—the National Poet’s university—visited the site of Borhan Khan’s homestead in Amadi village. He told Prothom Alo that when Borhan Khan came to the Amadi area more than 550 years ago, it was during the Sultanate period. The following era was the Mughal period. The bricks from the Sultanate era still remain in Amadi village.

However, expressing regret over the lack of efforts to preserve the ancient structures, Idris Ali said that such a significant archaeological site is being destroyed. The local people do not understand the importance of the site and show little interest in protecting their heritage and culture. He emphasized that it is essential to preserve the ponds of the Amadi area and the remains of Borhan Khan’s homestead.

*This article, originally published in Prothom Alo online edition, has been prepared by Rabiul Islam.