Mir Mosharraf Hossain (1847-1912) novelist, playwright and essayist, was born at Lahiripara in the district of kushtia on 13 November 1847, son of Mir Moazzem Hossain, a zamindar. Mosharraf Hossain learned Arabic and Persian with a teacher at home and then Bangla at a pathshala. He began his formal education at Kushtia School and then studied up to Class V at Krishnanagar Collegiate School. He was admitted to Kalighat School in Kolkata but could not complete his studies.

Jatindranath (or Jyotindranath, as he used to sign) was born on 8 December 1879 at his maternal uncles’ house at Koya in Kushtia Subdivision (now in Bangladesh) of Nadia district. His ancestral home was at Sadhuhati-Rishkhali in Jhenidah Subdivision of Jessore (now in Bangladesh, too). His father Umeshchandra, a well-to-do Brahmin of patriotic and spirited disposition, died when he was five and his sister, Benodebala, ten.

Kangal Harinath (1833-1896) journalist, poet and singer of baul songs, was born in 1833 in the village of kumarkhali in kushtia district. His real name was Harinath Majumdar, but he was better known as Kangal Harinath. He was also known as Kangal Fikir Chand or Fikir Chand Baul.

Harinath went to the local English medium school but could not continue because of poverty. In 1855 he set up a vernacular school in his village with the help of his friends and taught there. A year later a girls' school was established at Kumarkhali at Kangal Harinath's initiative.