Badruddin Shah Madar (15th century) sufi saint after whom madaripur district is said to have been named. He was one of the sufi saints who came to Bangladesh from some Middle Eastern country in the 15th century to propagate Islam in Bengal. A few of these sufis established their astanas or stations at different places in faridpur district. While proceeding towards barisal, Badruddin Shah Madar established an astana on the southern bank of the arial khan, a tributary of the padma. In due course, devout Muslims started assembling there. This led to the growth of a small bazar first and then of a large habitation. The habitation later came to be known as Madaripur after the name of Shah Madar. Now Madaripur is a full-fledged district. Shah Madar's dargah or tomb on the bank of the Arial Khan is visited every year by countless people seeking the blessings of the saint. The dargah is listed as a recognised archaeological site. Devotees of the saint say that the Arial Khan came close to the dargah, but then miraculously changed course and spared the holy place. Although the river devoured the surrounding area, the dargah is still intact, allowing the town to spread southward. [Tapan Bagchi]