Comilla (; bn, কুমিল্লা, Kumillā, ),
officially spelled Cumilla,
is the fifth largest city of
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
and second largest in Chittagong division. It is the administrative centre of the
Comilla District
Comilla District, officially known as Cumilla District, is a district of Bangladesh located about 100 kilometres south east of Dhaka. Comilla is bordered by Brahmanbaria and Narayanganj districts to the north, Noakhali and Feni districts to t ...
. The name Comilla was derived from ''Komolangko'' (কমলাঙ্ক), meaning the pond of lotus.
History
Ancient era
![Shalban Bihar Temple Ruins](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Shalban_Bihar_Temple_Ruins.jpg)
The Comilla region was once under ancient
Samatata
Samataṭa (Brahmi script: ''sa-ma-ta-ṭa'') was an ancient geopolitical division of Bengal in the eastern Indian subcontinent. The Greco-Roman account of ''Sounagoura'' is linked to the kingdom of Samatata. Its territory corresponded to much ...
and was joined with
Tripura
Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east a ...
State.
This district came under the reign of the kings of the
Harikela
Harikela () was an ancient empire located in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, it was a neighboring independent and independent township of ancient East Bengal, which had a continuous existence of about 500 years. The st ...
in the ninth century AD. Lalmai Mainamati was ruled by the
Deva dynasty (eighth century AD), and (during the 10th and mid-11th century AD). In 1732, it became the centre of the Bengal-backed domain of
Jagat Manikya
Jagat Manikya, pre-reign name Jogotroy, was the Bengali-backed ruler of Roshnabad, which had been until then part of the Kingdom of Tripura from 1732.
In that year Jogotroy decided that he wanted to be the ruler instead of his relative Dharm ...
.
The Peasants' Movement against the king of Tripura in 1764, which originally formed under the leadership of
Shamsher Gazi
Shamsher Gazi ( bn, শমসের গাজী; 1712-1760), also known as the Tiger of Bhati ( bn, ভাটির বাঘ, Bhatir Bagh), was a ruler of Roshnabad and Tripura, which covers parts of modern-day Bangladesh and India. Gazi's reign ...
is a notable historical event in Comilla. It came under the rule of
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
in 1765. This district was established as the Tripura district in 1790. It was renamed Comilla in 1960. Chandpur and Brahmanbaria subdivisions of this district were transformed into districts in 1984.
British era
![Mainamati War Cemetery 2018-01-09 (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Mainamati_War_Cemetery_2018-01-09_%281%29.jpg)
Communal tension spread over Comilla when a Muslim was shot in the town during the partition of
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
in 1905. On 21 November 1921,
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam ( bn, কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম, ; 24 May 1899 – 29 August 1976) was a Bengali poet, Bengali literature, writer, Bangladeshi music, musician, and is the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul is regarded as one ...
composed patriotic songs and tried to awaken the townspeople by protesting the
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
's visit to India. During this time,
Avay Ashram Abhay Ashram ( bn, অভয় আশ্রম) is a social welfare organization founded by Dr. Prafulla Chandra Ghosh, Dr. Suresh Bandyopadhyay, Haripada Chattopadhyay and Dr. Nripen Basu in 1910 in Comilla in the then Eastern Bengal and Assam, in ...
, as a revolutionary institution, played a significant role. Poet
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...
and
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
visited Comilla at that time. In 1931, approximately 4000 peasants in Mohini village in
Chauddagram Upazila revolted against a land revenue tax. The British Gurkha soldiers fired indiscriminately on the crowd, killing four people.
In a major peasant gathering, the police fired at Hasnabad of
Laksam Upazila
Laksam ( bn, লাকসাম) is an upazila of Comilla District in the Division of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Laksam is widely known as the birthplace of Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani.
History
Laksam was made into an upazila in 1983. On 6 April ...
in 1932. Two people were killed and many were wounded.
Comilla Victoria Government College
Comilla Victoria Government College is a college in Comilla, Bangladesh. It is one of the oldest and renowned colleges in Comilla as well as in Chittagong division. The college is located beside of Ranir Dighi on 32 acres of land including its inte ...
in the city was named in memory of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
. The main meaning of the context is that the people of Comilla have always maintained good relations and harmonized with others.
World War II
Comilla Cantonment
Cumilla Cantonment ( bn, কুমিল্লা সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located near Mainamati, Cumilla city in Bangladesh. The personnel of Bangladesh Army with local civilian inhabit here. The 33rd Infantry Division HQ is ...
is an important
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
base and the oldest in
East Bengal
ur,
, common_name = East Bengal
, status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan
, p1 = Bengal Presidency
, flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg
, s1 = East ...
. It was widely used by the
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It was the headquarter of the British
14th Army. There is a war cemetery,
Maynamati War Cemetery
The Mainamati War Cemetery (alternatively: Comilla War Cemetery) is a war cemetery and a memorial in Comilla, Bangladesh, for Second World War graves from nearby areas. The cemetery contains 736 Commonwealth burials. It was established and mainta ...
, in Comilla that was established after World War II to remember the Allied soldiers who died during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and II, mostly from Commonwealth states and the United States. There are a number of Japanese soldiers buried there as well, from the Second World War.
War of liberation of Bangladesh
During the war for the
liberation of Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali ...
, when
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
created the 39th ''ad hoc'' Division in mid-November, from the 14th Division units deployed in those areas, to hold on to the Comilla and
Noakhali
Noakhali ( bn, নোয়াখালী, , New canal), historically known as Bhulua ( bn, ভুলুয়া), is a district in southeastern Bangladesh, located in the Chittagong Division. It was established as district in 1821, and officia ...
districts, and the 14th Division was tasked to defend the Sylhet and Brahmanbaria areas only. Pakistan Army's 93,000 troops unconditionally surrendered to the Joint Coalition forces on 16 December 1971.
This day and event is commemorated as the
Bijoy Dibos ( bn, বিজয় দিবস) in Bangladesh
Geography
Comilla is bounded by
Burichang Upazila
Burichang, also known as Burichong, ( bn, বুড়িচং) is an upazila of Comilla District in the Division of Chittagong, Bangladesh.
History
Raghunath Tarkavachaspati, a Bramhin scholar in the subject of logic migrated from Dingshai vill ...
and
Tripura
Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east a ...
on the north, Laksham, and Chauddagram on the south, and Barura on the west. The major rivers that pass through Comilla include
Gomoti River and Little Feni. The
Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, which is also referred to as the Northern Tropic, is the most northerly circle of latitude on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward ...
crosses Comilla town on the south side just over the Tomsom Bridge.
Climate
Comilla has a
tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is Aw. The climate of Comilla is generally marked with
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
s, high temperature, considerable
humidity
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present.
Humidity depe ...
, and heavy rainfall. The hot season commences early in April and continues until July. The average annual temperature in Comilla is . About of precipitation falls annually.
Points of interest
Comilla has a number of tourist attractions. Various archaeological relics discovered in the district, especially from the seventh–eighth centuries, are now preserved in the Mainamati Museum. There is a World War II war cemetery in Comilla, which is protected and maintained by the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...
.
Sports
Comilla Victorians
Comilla Victorians ( bn, কুমিল্লা ভিক্টোরিয়ান্স) is a Bangladeshi professional men's cricket team which competes in the Bangladesh Premier League, a Twenty20 cricket league. The team is based in Cum ...
is a professional cricket team based in Comilla and is the most successful club in the
Bangladesh Premier League
The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ প্রিমিয়ার লীগ) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league consisting of seven franchises. The BPL is one of the three professional cricket leagues in ...
.
Administration
Comilla is controlled by the Comilla City Corporation. It has 27 wards.
Metro neighbourhoods
These are the neighbourhoods of Comilla:
* Baghmara
* Bara Para
* Belghar
* Bholain (North)
* Bholain (South)
* Bijoypur
* Chapapur
* Durlovpur
* Chouara
* Galiara
* Purba Jorekaran
* Pachim Jorekaran
* Perul (North)
* Perul (South)
Demographics
At the time of the 2011 census, Comilla City Corporation had a population of 339,133, of which 177,300 were male and 161,833 were female.
Muslims are over 91% of the population, while Hindus make up over 8%.
Transportation
Highway
One of the oldest highways of the Indian subcontinent, 'The Grand Trunk Road', passes through the city. The
Dhaka–Chittagong Highway
The N1 or Dhaka–Chittagong Highway is a main transportation artery in Bangladesh, between Dhaka and Chittagong. Approximately in length, the road links the country's two largest cities, Dhaka and Chittagong. The highway is known along vari ...
bypasses the city from the cantonment to Shuagaji through Poduar Bazar.
The intercity bus terminal is located at Ashrafpur Bus terminal and ShashonGacha.There are many buses to go to Cumilla from Dhaka like Tisha, Royal Coach, Asia Line, Unique etc. Besides these there are also some local buses which take low price from the travellers.
Railway
Comilla is a nearby city of Laksham Junction and Akhaura Railway Junction. Rail connection is available to Dhaka, Chittagong, Brahmanbaria, and Sylhet.
Education
The
Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education is responsible for holding public examinations (JSC, S.S.C, and H.S.C) in Comilla and five nearby districts.
Media
Daily newspapers published in Comilla include ''Comillar Kagoj'', ''Daily Amader Comilla'', ''Shiranam'', and ''Rupasi Bangla'', established in 1972. ''
Amod'', founded in 1955, is the city's oldest weekly newspaper.
Notable residents
*
Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad
Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (also spelled Khandakar Mushtaq Ahmed; – 5 March 1996) was a Bangladeshi politician. He was the President of Bangladesh from 15 August to 6 November 1975, after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was part ...
,
President of Bangladesh
The president of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রপতি — ) officially the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশে ...
; he also served as Minister and member of
Exile Cabinet of Meherpur Government
*
Kazi Zafar Ahmed
Kazi Zafar Ahmad (; 1 July 193927 August 2015) was a Bangladeshi politician of the Jatiya Party, who was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1989 to 1990.
Early life
Ahmed was born in 1939, in village: Kazi Bari Cheora Chauddagram Upazila, C ...
, Prime Minister
*
Kamrul Ahsan
Kamrul Ahsan is a Bangladeshi diplomat. He is currently serving as his country's Ambassador to the Russian Federation. He is also concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Republic of Belarus and Kazakhstan. Before joining in h ...
: Secretary to the Government and now serving as Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia. Earlier served as
High Commissioner to Canada and Singapore.
*
Buddhadeb Bosu
Buddhadeva Bose (; 1908–1974), also spelt Buddhadeb Bosu, was an Indian Bengali writer of the 20th century. Frequently referred to as a poet, he was a versatile writer who wrote novels, short stories, plays and essays in addition to poetry. H ...
,
Bengali poet
Bengali poetry is a rich tradition of poetry in the Bengali language and has many different forms. Originating in the Bengal region of South Asia, the history of Bengali poetry underwent three successive stages of development: poetry of the ear ...
, novelist, translator, editor, and essayist.
*
Shib Narayan Das
Shib Narayan Das (born 16 December 1946) is the first craftsman of the first national flag of Bangladesh.
Designing the national flag of Bangladesh
As desired by the then NUCLEUS (Shadhin Bangla Biplobi Parishad) by a match stick and yellow col ...
, member of BLF. One of the designers of the first
flag of Bangladesh
The national flag, national flag of Bangladesh, was adopted officially on 17 January 1972. It consists of a red disc or sun on top of a dark green banner. The red disc is offset slightly toward the hoist so that it appears centered when the flag i ...
.
*
Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta was ex-Minister of Law,
Language movement activist and
Shaheed of 1971.
*
Major Abdul Gani, organizer of the First
East Bengal Regiment
The East Bengal Regiment ( bn, ইস্ট বেঙ্গল রেজিমেন্ট) is an infantry regiment ( regimental system type) and the largest military formation of the Bangladesh Army.
History
The East Bengal Regiment was for ...
.
*
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam ( bn, কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম, ; 24 May 1899 – 29 August 1976) was a Bengali poet, Bengali literature, writer, Bangladeshi music, musician, and is the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul is regarded as one ...
, resided at Comilla.
*
Abdul Kadir
Abd al-Qadir or Abdulkadir ( ar, عبد القادر) is a male Muslim given name. It is formed from the Arabic words '' Abd'', ''al-'' and '' Qadir''. The name means "servant of the powerful", ''Al-Qādir'' being one of the names of God in the ...
, poet, researcher and editor.
*
Mustafa Kamal Mustafa Kamal, Mostafa Kamal or variations may refer to:
*Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938), Turkish field marshal, revolutionary statesman, and founder of the Republic of Turkey as well as its first President.
*Mustafa Kemal Kurdaş (1920–201 ...
served as president of the
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body of cricket. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, its members are List of International Cricket Council members, 108 national associations, with 12 List of Internation ...
. He is a member of the Jatiya Sangsad representing the Comilla-10 constituency and is a former Minister for Planning and current Minister of Finance.
*
Shaukat Mahmood
Shaukat Mahmood (born 29 July 1959; also spelled as Shawkat Mahmud) is a Bangladeshi journalist and politician.
For years he has been a journalist community leader and held responsible posts in country's National Press Club.
At The 5th Nationa ...
, senior journalist and editor of ''
Weekly Economic Times
''Weekly Economic Times'' is a weekly newspaper of Bangladesh, is led by Shaukat Mahmood. It was founded by Editor/Publisher Munirul Haq in 1995. Now published in 8-pages, ''Weekly Economic Times'' has its front-page and the last page printed ...
''. Elected president of
National Press Club
Organizations
A press club is an organization for journalists and others professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Press ...
.
*
Abdul Matin Patwari, former vice-chancellor, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and former director general, IUT
See also
*
List of universities and schools in Comilla
References
External links
*
City Corporation
{{Authority control
History of Tripura
8th-century establishments
Populated places in Cumilla District