Yahya Alampuri
Yahya Alampuri was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and educationist who served as the 7th Director-General of Darul Uloom Hathazari. He also held senior positions in several religious organizations, including senior vice-president of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, vice-chairman of Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh, amir of the International Majlis-e Tahaffuz-e-Khatm-e Nobuwat Bangladesh, member of the Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh, and chairman of the Bangladesh Nurani Talimul Qur'an Board Chattogram.
Early background
Muhammad Yahya was born on 15 June 1947 in Alampur village of Hathazari Upazila, Chittagong District. His father, Kazi Abdul Aziz, was a disciple of Zamiruddin Ahmad, and his mother, Anjuman Khatun, was a disciple of Saeed Ahmad Sandwipi. At the age of ten, he completed his primary madrasa education under Nurul Haque Alampuri in the Furqania section of Darul Uloom Hathazari, where he continued his studies and received the Dawra-e-Hadith degree in 1973. His teachers included Muhammad Faizullah, Siddique Ahmad, and Shah Ahmad Shafi, the latter of whom later granted him spiritual authorization in four Sufi orders.Career
After completing his studies in 1973, Yahya began his career as a teacher at Garduara Madrasa in Hathazari, where he worked for nine years, followed by three years at Madarsha Madrasa and six years at Ishapur Faiziya Tajbidul Qur'an Madrasa. In 1991, he joined Darul Uloom Hathazari at the invitation of Shafi, then the institution's director-general. Over the following decades, he managed the madrasa's accounts department, oversaw development activities, and served on Shura committees of various Qawmi madrasas across Chittagong and other regions. After the death of Shafi in September 2020, Yahya was made a member of the three-person Majlis-e-Idari, which was created to perform the duties of the director-general collectively. The following year, after the sudden death of Abdus Salam Chatgami, he was appointed director-general of Darul Uloom Hathazari, a post he held until his death in 2023.Yahya took a critical stance on government recognition of Qawmi madrasa certificates, arguing that institutions should remain independent of state authority, similar to the position of Darul Uloom Deoband. He drafted a policy framework for Hathazari to be implemented with approval from the Majlis-e-Shura and later applied through networks of alumni in affiliated institutions. Beyond Hathazari, he held senior roles in several organizations, including serving as senior vice-president of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, vice-chairman of Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh, president of the International Majlis-e Tahaffuz-e-Khatm-e Nobuwat Bangladesh, member of the Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh, and chairman of the Bangladesh Nurani Talimul Qur'an Board Chattogram. Yahya died on 3 June 2023 while receiving treatment at United Hospital in Dhaka; his funeral took place the same evening after Maghrib prayers, and he was buried in the madrasa graveyard. He was succeeded as director-general of Darul Uloom Hathazari by Khalil Ahmad Qasmi.