These gentlemen began collecting subscriptions in the Dacca District, while the following gentlemen volunteered to collect subscriptions in the other Districts of Eastern Bengal and elsewhere:—
Babu Braja Sundar Mitter, Deputy Magistrate, Tipperah.
Babu Durga Mohan Das, Pleader, Barisal.
Babu Bhagavan Chandra Basu, Dy. Magistrate, FaridpurBabu Ram Chandra Banerjee, Treasurer, Mymensingh.
Babu Ram Sankar Sen, Deputy Magistrate, Kisoregunj.
Babu Bhagavan Chandra Basu, Dy. Magistrate, Brahamanbarriah.
Babu Kali Mohan Das, Pleader, High Court, Calcutta.
Babu Kasi Kant Mukerjee, Inspector of Schools, Rajashahi.
Babu Dina Bundha Mallick, Dy. Magistrate, Madaripur.
Babu Uma Charan Das, Assistant Master, Jessore.
Babu Hara Chandra Chowdhry Zamindar, Sherpore.
In 1867 the foundation of the new Mandir was laid by Babu Abhoy a Kumar Datta, Small Causes Court Judge, Dacca, and in December 1869 the Mandir was completed at a cost of nearly Rupees Ten Thousand and opened by Brahmanand Kesab Chandra Sen who came down from Calcutta for the ceremony. This new Mandir was called the East Bengal Brahma Samaj Mandir.
In the following year 1870-71 began the schism between the conservative and the progressive Brahmas. The former consisted of all the influential gentlemen mentioned above and the elderly people who joined the Brahma Samaj movement, and the latter consisted of the younger generation led by Babu Bejoy Krishna Goswami. This was exactly like the schism that took place in Calcutta in 1865 between the Adi Samaj and Bharat Varasiya Brahma Samaj lead by Babu Kesab Chandra Sen. The progressive party would have nothing to do with any thing connected with idolatry and the caste system, while the conservative party would not proceed to that length. As time went on the conservatives began to lose strength and at last the progressives took possession of the Mandir. Unlike Calcutta the conservatives in Dacca did not form a separate Samaj like the Adi Samaj.
The progress of the East Bengal Brahma Samaj continued uninterrupted until 1878 when owing to the Cooch-Behar Marriage of Babu Kesab Chandra Sen’s daughter the few followers of Kesab in tbe East Bengal Brahma Samaj headed by Babu Banga Chandra Sen left the E. B. Brahma Samaj and held a separate Samaj elsewhere. This small congregation was afterwards called the New Dispensation Church of Dacca. The East Bengal Brahma Samaj henceforth attached itself to the cause of Shadharan Brahma Samaj established in Calcutta on the 16th May 1878.
The East Bengal Brahma Samaj has now a large congregation of more than 200, of whom more than 100 are subscribers. Its present Minister is Babu Bhuhan Mohan Sen, B A., late Head Master of the Dacca Collegiate School. Its present Secretary is Babu Satis Chandra Ghosh and Assistant Secretary Babu Rames Chandra Mukherjee.
Brajendra K. Guha.
Wari, Dacca,
5-7-1906.
Dacca. Estd. 12th Sept. 1880,
(2) The East Bengal New Dispensation Brahma Samaj, Armanitola, Dacca.
Secretary:—Babu Girindra Chandra Das, B.L., Bangla Bazar, Dacca.
Members: —Men 20, Women 20, Children 36. Only four of these are Non-anusthanic. All others are anusthanic.
Sympathisers:—About 10.
Meetings:—The number of meetings is five conducted in Bengali.
Mandir:—The Samaj has a Mandir and a sanctuary for daily worship. The date of consecration is 13th September 1884.
Funds: - Subscripfions are voluntary. Mission Fund is Rs. 15-12-0 and Mandir Fund is Rs.3-12-0.
Institutions.—
1. The Girls’ Rescue Home.
2. The Students’ Welfare Association (Monthly).
3. Sangt Sabha for young students (Weekly).
4. Do. for adults (Weekly).
5. Ladies’ Sangat (Monthly).
6. Sunday Class for children (Thrice a month).
The ‘Destitute Brahma Families Relief Fund’ is an institution attached to the East Bengal Brahma Conference. Its Secretary is Babu Chandi Kishor Kushari, Parambrahmashram Colotolab, Dacca. The amount realised up to Sept. 1906 was Rs. 2,213. The institution was established in 1892.
Publications.—The New Dispensation Samaj has published the following pamphlets (1) Universal Religion, (2) The New Religious Ideal, (3) The highest truths of all religions, (4) Joydeb and Geeta Govind.
(4) (a) ‘The East’ an English Bi-weekly Bs. 8. (b) ‘The New Light’ and ‘Navalok’ (Anglo. Bengali monthly) Rs. 2
Missionaries:—
1. Rev. Bhai Banga Chandra Roy.—Minister, edits a biweekly English paper “The East” which is now 36 years old devoted to politics and a religious monthly the “New Light”, author of many English and Bengali sermons. Born in 1839, doing missionary work since 1873. An Apostle of the Church of the New Dispensation, with Eastern Bengal as his centre of work. Address.—Bidhan- palli, Dacca.
2. Rev. Bhai Isan Chandra Sen.—Missionary, Manager, N.D Mandir, preaches generally in North Bengal and Assam. Born in 1850, is co-adjutor of the local Minister since 1874.
Address.—Bidhanpalli, Dacca.
3. Rev. Bhai Durganath Roy.—Missionary, possessed of a sweet voice and power of composing extempore hymns at Divine Service, has composed hundreds of such hymns printed in the Bidhan Sangit, and published by the Mission officeat Dacca. Born in 1850. Coadjutor of the Local Minister since 1874. For over two years now Minister of the Cooch Behar State Church.
Address—Minister, N. D. Samaj, Cooch-Bear.
4. Rev. Bhai Baikunta Nath Ghosh.—Missionary. Joined the Dacca Mission in 1875; now doing Mission work in connection with the Calcutta N. D. Samaj. Born in 1854.
Address—Brahma Mission Office, 3, Ramanath Majumdar’s Street, Calcutta.
5. Rev. Bhai Mahim Chandra Sen—Missionary. Joined the Missionary body in 1882 after having resigned his post as a teacher in Government Zila School, generally does work at Dacea. Born in 1850.
Address—Bidhampalli, Dacca.
6. Rev. Bhai Sasi Bhusan Mullik.—Missionary. Joined the Missionary body with his old father, the late Parameswar Mallik whose eventful life and conversion are described by him in a book ‘God’s Dealings in the Life of a Sinner”—Founder and Superintendent of the Girls’ Rescue Home at Dacca.
Address—Bidhanpalli, Dacca.
7. Rev. Bhai Mahesh Chandra Chakravarty.—Missionary for about ten years, generally resident at Itna, a village in the District of Mymensingh. Preaches on Social Reform in his tours through Bengal.
Address—Itna P. O. Mymensingh.
Lay Workers.
1. Babu Govinda Chandra Das, B. L.—Secretary of the N. D.
Samaj—resigned the bar in 1902, and since then doing miscellaneous philanthropic and religious work in connection with the Church and helping in the open-air-preaching organized in different quarters of the town now in abeyance for some time.
Address—Banglabazar, Dacca.2. Babu Sasi Bhusan Datta—Retired in 1895 from Government Education Service in Assam where he was Head Master and Deputy Inspector of Schools and now settled in Dacca; helping in the work of the Church, chiefly in open-air-preaching.