Anjuman-i-Mufidul Islam was founded in Calcutta in 1905 under the auspices of Ibrahim Mohamad Duplay of Surat to undertake humanitarian activities consistent with the religious beliefs and practices of Muslims. Its main aim was to revive social consciousness among Muslims through education and culture. Eminent persons such as Justice Sharfuddin, Prince Golam Mohamad Shah, Nawab khwaja salimullah, Nawab syed nawab ali chowdhury, khwaja nazimuddin, ak fuzlul huq, mohammad azizul haque, Khan Bahadur SK Fazi Elabi, huseyn shaheed suhrawardy; and KB Manzur Murshed served the organisation as its president at different times between 1905 and 1947. The Anjuman organised a movement for the education of poor Muslims, and established public libraries and arranged debates. In addition to these activities, its important work was to bury unclaimed Muslim dead bodies.

After the partition of India, AM Salauddin, Chief Administrative Officer of the organisation, with the help of local elite established a branch of the Anjuman in Dhaka (SK Das Road, Gandaria) in September 1947. In 1950, the Anjuman became an independent organisation; its first president was AFM Abdul Haq Faridi (DPI) [1947-49].

Its aims and objects are: (1) to promote friendly relations among the members of Muslim and other communities; (2) to study socio-economic problems in order to launch poverty alleviation programmes on a modest scale; (3) to promote religious, scientific and technical education among boys and girls, particularly those from the disadvantaged families; (4) to assist orphans, widows, poor, old, infirm, invalid, distressed and helpless people to make them useful as citizens; (5) to arrange for shelter, maintenance and training of shelterless women and children; (6) to undertake short term relief measures to meet unforeseen natural calamities in the country; (7) to provide medical assistance to deserving persons irrespective of religion, caste or creed; (8) to bury unclaimed corpses of Muslims dying in hospitals or on the streets and also assist persons without adequate resources to bury their dead in accordance with Islamic rites; (9) to provide free ambulance service to persons irrespective of religion, caste or creed; and (10) to undertake other social and humanitarian activities consistent with the ideals of the Anjuman.

The Anjuman now provides humanitarian services through its 22 branches at Dinajpur, Chittagong, Satkhira, Comilla, Khulna, Natore, Brahmanbaria, Netrokona, Sirajgang, Barisal, Jessore, Rajshahi, Gaibandha, Bagerhat, Mymensingh, Feni, Narsingdi, Jhenaidaha, Madaripur, Rangpur, Bogra and Pabna. The main sources of income of the Anjuman are contributions of its members, zakat and Fitra, collection, and sale of hides and skins during eid-ul azha, donation of the people, government grants and income from the Anjuman's own landed property. It got the Independence Day Award in 1996 and the Islamic Foundation Award in 1984 in recognition of its meritorious services to people in distress. Moreover, the Conrad N Hilton Foundation of Los Angeles, California, USA, had enrolled Anjuman in their primary list for awarding the Hilton Foundation Prize for 1999. [Sunil Kanti Dey]