The establishment of Gandhi Ashram Trust is rooted with the ‘Peace Mission’ of Mahatma Gandhi immediate after the communal riot in 1946 at Noakhali. Gandhi stayed for about four months in the riot stricken areas. He started moving around the villages and motivates the people of his peaceful co-existence and non-violence philosophy. The day was 29th January 1947 when Gandhiji came to Jayag and all sphere of life greeted him with whole-hearted support.
At that time, Barrister Hemanta Kumar Gosh of the village donated all his resources to Mahatma for the development and peace of the area and “Ambika Kaliganga Charitable Trust” was formed. The office of the Gandhi Peace Mission, formerly known as Gandhi Camp, was shifted to the present campus of Jayag. The Gandhi Camp started working for both peace and charitable functions and it continues till partition of India.
After the partition, especially after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, most of the Gandhi followers left Noakhali except a few. The non-secular government of Pakistan come-up with oppression to the Gandhians and majority of them were in jail for almost the lifetime of Pakistan. The properties of the Trust were forcefully taken away by some land gravers and anti-social elements. The activities of the Trust were not possible. The Team manager of Peace Mission Mr. Charu Chowdhury was detained in jail for several times and finally for 1963-71. He was released in 1971 after independence of Bangladesh.
Charu Chowdhury started re-organizing the Ashram in the newly independent Bangladesh and released land and properties from the land gravers. It tooks final shape with the Gazette notification of Bangladesh Government where “Ambika Kaliganga Charitable Trust” was renamed as “Gandhi Ashram Trust”. A committee representing from both Bangladesh and Indian Government was formed to run the activities of the Trust.
Travelers Diary Bangladesh 