Narayanganj ( bn, নারায়ণগঞ্জ ''Naraeongônj'') is a city in central
Bangladesh. It is in the
Narayanganj District, about southeast of the capital city of
Dhaka, and has a population of about 2 million. It is the 6th largest city in Bangladesh.
It is also a center of business and industry, especially the
jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', which is in the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ''Corchorus olit ...
trade and processing plants, and the textile sector of the country. It is nicknamed the
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
of Bangladesh, due to the presence of its many jute mills. (Dundee was the first industrialised 'Juteopolis' in the world.)
History
The city got its name from Bicon Lal Pandey, a
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
religious leader who was also known as Benur Thakur or 'Lakhsmi Narayan Thakur'. He leased the area from the
British East India Company in 1766 following the
Battle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757, under the leadership of Robert Clive. The victory was made possible by the defection of Mir Jafar, ...
. He donated the markets and the land on the banks of the river as ''Devottor'' or 'Given to God' property, bequeathed for maintenance expenses for the worship of the god
Narayan.
[
]
A post office was set up in 1866, and Dhaka-Narayanganj
telegraph service was started in 1877. The Bank of Bengal introduced the first telephone service in 1882.
The Narayanganj Municipality was incorporated on 8 September 1876. The first hospital of the area of Narayanganj Victoria Hospital was established in 1885 by the Municipality with financial contributions from Harakanta Banerjee.
Narayanganj City Corporation was established on 5 May 2011, unifying three former municipalities: Narayanganj Municipality,
Siddhirganj Municipality, and Kadam Rasul Municipality.
The mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) is
Dr Selina Hayet Ivy. Prior to this, she was the mayor of Narayanganj Municipality.
The tomb of
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah is also located in Narayanganj which was built in 1410 CE just before his death. Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah was
Sultan of Bengal from 1390 to 1411.
See also
*
Narayanganj High school
*
Narayanganj Bar Academy school
*
Narayanganj Rail Junction
References
External links
Website of Narayanganj City CorporationNarayanganj: Attractive Places
{{Bangladesh cities
Populated places in Dhaka Division