Early Muslim Settlers of Bam: The origin of majority of present Muslim population of Bam can be traced back to present Hailakandi District and various parts of mainland Cachar district and to some extent to Karimganj district then a part of Sylhet. No one came from present Sylhet of Bangladesh even though it was a part of Assam then. The villages in Hailakandi which has largely contributed to Bam populatin are Bilpar Dhumkar, Boalipar, Nitainagar, Algapur,Syedbond,Bahadurpur, Vichingcha ,Shahabad ,Bhadurpur etc.A large part of Bam popupation are from villages in the neighbourhood of Silchar of Cachar District such as, Bagpur, Kanakpur,  Krishnapur, Neairgram, Beranga,Udharbond, Madhurbond,  Krishnapur, Banskandi,Meherpur,Tikarbosti, Majhirgram,Bhuribail, Ruknipar, Ramnagar etc. Bam witnessed  another major inflow of Muslim population  immediately after  1950.This group of migrants are mostly from Tikarbasti ,Meherpur and villages in the immediate neighbourhood of Silchar town.They sold out their small holdings to town’s people at comparatively higher price and acquired more land in Bam.Silchar town expanded  rapidly ,developing land thus alienated by Muslim villagers.

   The first settlers must have been enterprising and adventurous lot of people in search of fortune and thrill of adventure for the unknown world. The less enterprising and lazy people would not have dared to venture out and walk down twenty to fifty Km through dense jungle infested by wild bests, poisonous reptiles and insects and risk of diseases looming large. The Hailakandi people took the shortcut route cutting through pass popularly known as Ronfarnhi of Rengti Hill which is eastern boundary of Hailakandi district opposite Bam via  Dwarbond , a distance of about 30-35 km. It was less arduous for people from main land Cachar district. They traversed through the jungle plains and no hills. But still it was jungle path.When settlement of Bam was going on in the last decade of nineteenth and early years of twentieth century there was no road from Silchar towards Bam.In 1905 only two PWD roads existed in Cachar district-Badarpur-Silchar-Jirighat road and Silchar-Chatla Hawar-Somairkona-Hailakandi road. Village roads –mainly cart roads maintained by local boards formed the basis of road communication in the then Cachar.There was no carriage except few bullock carts in Cachar.

 P.S :To be continued in the next section “Areas Where Muslims Settled in Bam”