Tarika-e-Maizbhandari

Tarika-e-Maizbhandari or the Maizbhandari Sufi order is a Sufi Tariqa (religious order)
based in Chittagong District of Bangladesh founded by Ahmed Ullah Maizbhanderi.
Saifuddin Ahmad Maizbhandari is the order's current leader.
According to German scholar Hans Harder, the order based in Maijbhandar "is a powerful religious institution whose very popularity and influence defy any notions of marginality. It has been able to draw adherents from all sections of society, including the urban middle class, and have managed to assert their perspective on Islam vis-à-vis pressure from reformist quarters while keeping in touch with the religious mainstream in Bengal."
History
Syed Ahmad Ullah Maizbhandari (1826 AD − 1906 AD) established the order in the nineteenth century. The popularity of this order in Bangladesh has made Maijbhandar a major pilgrim centre for more than a century, especially to commemorate the death anniversaries of major saints. Maizbhandari assigned deputies to spread Maizbhandari Sufism across the continent.
Literature and practices
In terms of literature, there has been "a sizeable textual output from within the movement since the beginning of the twentieth century, including hagiographies and theological treaties, in the form of monographs, leaflets and journals".
The order is known for its gatherings for spiritual listening and devotional music, which are important in Bengali Sufi traditions. There are over 10,000 such songs, transmitted orally at first but now on CD and video, and they have come to form their own distinct genre of music in Bangladesh.

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