By chance Muslims were in majority in East Bengal. This partition opened the chances of progress and prosperity for the Muslims.'
When the proposal for partition was first published in 1903 there was expression of Muslim opposition to the scheme. The moslem Chronicle, the central national muhamedan association, chowdhury kazemuddin ahmad siddiky and Dilawar Hossain Abmed condemned the proposed measure. Even Nawab salimullah termed the suggestion as ‘beastly’ at the initial stage. In the beginning the main criticism from the Muslim side was against any part of an enlightened and advanced province of Bengal passing under the rule of a chief commissioner. They felt that thereby, their educational, social and other interests would suffer, and there is no doubt that the Muslims also felt that the proposed measure would threaten Bengali solidarity. The Muslim intelligentsia, however, criticized the ideas of extremist militant nationalism as being against the spirit of Islam. The Muslim press urged its educated co-religionists to remain faithful to the government. On the whole the Swadeshi preachers were not able to influence and arouse the predominantly Muslim masses in east Bengal. The anti- partition trend in the thought process of the Muslims did not continue for long. When the wider scheme of a self-contained separate province was known to the educated section of the Muslims they soon changed their views. They realized that the partition would be a boon to them and that their special difficulties would receive greater attention from the new administration.
On the other hand, Muslims welcomed the partition. On October 22, 1905, Muslims held a meeting at Dhaka to express their approval of the partition The Muslims accorded a warm welcome to the new Lieutenant-Governor Bampfylde Fuller. Even the Moslem Chronicle soon changed its attitude in favour of partition. Some Muslims in Calcutta also welcomed the creation of the new province. The Mohammedan literary society brought out a manifesto in 1905 signed by seven leading Muslim personalities. The manifesto was circulated to the different Muslim societies of both west and east Bengal and urged the Muslims to give their unqualified support to the partition measure. The creation of the new province provided an incentive to the, Muslims to unite into a compact body and form an association to voice their own views and aspiration relating to social and political matters. Oh 16 October 1905 the Mohammedan Provincial Union was founded. All the existing organizations and societies were invited, to affiliate themselves with it and Salimullah was unanimously chosen as its patron.