Sheikh (Bangladeshi Surname)
# Sheikh (Bangladeshi Surname)

Sheikh (Bengali:শেখ , romanized: Shekh) is an aristocratic Bengali Muslim surname found in the Bengal region of the subcontinent.

## Etymology and History

The surname "Sheikh" is prevalent in the Bengali Muslim community. It is from the Arabic word "Sheikh" ( Arabic: شيخ shaykh), meaning elder, this word is also applied to those who are in a position of respect such as a leader, especially a religious leader or preacher. After the advent of Islam into the subcontinent, then eventually into Bengal, many Sufi Islamic preachers known as 'Pirs' and 'Dervishes' from places in Western Asia such as Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan had come to spread Islam in Bengal. Notable amongst these Sufi Muslim preachers were Shah Jalal, Bayezid Bostami, Sultan Balkhi, and many other preachers had came to Bengal, all at different times. These preachers had been given the title of 'Sheikh', in Bengal, the title of a person's ancestor in society is the family name, the descendants of these Islamic preachers have the family name of 'Sheikh'. They are part of a larger social class in Bengal, known as the 'Khandan' or 'Sharif', the upper class of Bengali Muslim society. Amongst, this class are families with surnames with a similar origin, being taken from the founder of the family's title, such as 'Khondaker', 'Syed', 'Kazi', 'Mirza', and more.

## Notables with the Surname

* Sheikhs of Tungipara, currently the most powerful political family in Bangladesh
   * Khan Sahib Sheikh Mosharraf Hossain, member of the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly
   * Sheikh Kabir Hossain, businessman and president of Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh
   * Sheikh Shahidul Islam, politician
   * Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, founder of Bangladesh
   * Sheikh Abu Naser, politician
   * Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel, politician
   * Sheikh Helal Uddin, politician
   * Sheikh Sarhan Naser Tonmoy, politician
   * Sheikh Lutfar Rahman, serestadar of Gopalganj civil court
   * Sheikh Sayera Khatun, mother of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
   * Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, First Lady of Bangladesh
   * Sheikh Kamal, founder of Abahani Limited
   * Sheikh Jamal, second lieutenant in the East Bengal Regiment
   * Sheikh Rehana, politician
   * Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh
   * Sheikh Russel, youngest son of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
* Sheikh Mohammad Zakir Hossain, Judge in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh
* Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, politician, Minister of Religious Affairs
* Mohammad Naim Sheikh, cricketer
* Sheikh Abdullah Al-Muti, educator and scientist
* Sheikh Abdul Hamid Madarshahi, Islamic scholar
* Sheikh Abdul Awal, Judge in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh
* Qudratullah Sheikh, Zamindar of Faridpur Mahakumar who defeated the British in court, ancestor of Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani
* Sheikh Enayetullah, Zamindar of Jalalpur Pargana (Barisal), Founder of Ahsan Manzil Zamindar Bari
* Ashu Mohan Sheikh, Zamindar and Social Worker
* Sheikh Mohammad Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Bangladesh Army Staff
* Sheikh Ghulam Azam, Leader of Jamaat Islami Bangladesh
* Sheikhs of Sabalsinghapur, Hooghly
   * Sheikh Azizur Rahman (Shawkat Osman), novelist and short story writer
   * Yeafesh Osman, Minister of Science and Technology
