Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a

metropolitan city A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big ci ...

in northeastern

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 ...

. It is the administrative seat of the

Sylhet Division Sylhet Division ( bn, সিলেট বিভাগ) is the northeastern division of Bangladesh. It is bordered by the Indian states of Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura to the north, east and south respectively, and by the Bangladeshi divisions of ...

. Located on the north bank of the

Surma River The Surma River ( bn, সুরমা নদী) is a major river in Bangladesh, part of the Surma-Meghna River System. It starts when the Barak River from northeast India divides at the Bangladesh border into the Surma and the Kushiyara rivers. ...

at the eastern tip 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 ...

, Sylhet has a

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

climate and lush highland terrain. The city has a population of more than half a million and is one of the largest cities in Bangladesh after

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...

and

Khulna Khulna ( bn, খুলনা, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of Khulna District and Khulna Division. Khulna's economy is the third-largest in Bangladesh, contributing $53 b ...

. Sylhet is one of Bangladesh's most important spiritual and cultural centres. Furthermore, it is one of the most economically important cities after

and

. The city produces the highest amount of tea and natural gas. The hinterland of the Sylhet valley is the largest

oil and gas A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels ...

-producing region in Bangladesh. It is also the largest hub of

tea production in Bangladesh Bangladesh is an important tea-producing country. It is the 10th largest tea producer in the world. Its tea industry dates back to British rule, when the East India Company initiated the tea trade in the hills of the Sylhet region. In addition t ...

. It is notable for its high-quality

cane Cane or caning may refer to: *Walking stick or walking cane, a device used primarily to aid walking *Assistive cane, a walking stick used as a mobility aid for better balance *White cane, a mobility or safety device used by many people who are b ...

and

agarwood Agarwood, aloeswood, eaglewood or gharuwood is a fragrant dark resinous wood used in incense, perfume, and small carvings. This resinous wood is most commonly referred to as "Oud" or "Oudh". It is formed in the heartwood of aquilaria trees when ...

. The city is served by the

Osmani International Airport Osmani Airport ( bn, ওসমানী আন্তর্জাতিক বিমানবন্দর, ') in Sylhet, Bangladesh, is the third largest airport in Bangladesh after Dhaka and Chittagong. The airport is operated by the Civil Avi ...

, named after General Bangabir M A G Osmani, the Commander-in-Chief of the

Mukti Bahini The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...

during the

Bangladesh Liberation War 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 War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...

. People from Sylhet form a significant portion of the

Bangladeshi diaspora The Bangladeshi diaspora ( bn, প্রবাসী বাংলাদেশী) are people of Bangladeshi birth or descent who live outside of Bangladesh. First-generation migrants may have moved abroad from Bangladesh for various reasons in ...

, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States and other countries in the Middle East.

Etymology and names

The name of Sylhet descended from

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

word ''Srihatta'' (श्रीहट्ट / শ্রীহট্ট) which literally means ''elegant market''. The name ''Sylhet'' is an

anglicisation Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...

of ''Shilhot'' (শিলহট). Its origins seem to come from the

according to the words of শিলা śilā (meaning stone) and হট্ট haṭṭa (meaning marketplace). These words match the landscape and topography of the hilly region. The shila stones were abundant across Sylhet and the King

Gour Govinda Govinda Fenchu ( bn, গোবিন্দ ফেঞ্চু), better known by his regnal title Gour Gobind ( bn, গৌড় গোবিন্দ) and also known by the sobriquet Shomudro Tonoy ( bn, সমুদ্র তনয়), was the ...

is known to have used stones to guard his capital. The word had changed to Shilhot due to the

elision In linguistics, an elision or deletion is the omission of one or more sounds (such as a vowel, a consonant, or a whole syllable) in a word or phrase. However, these terms are also used to refer more narrowly to cases where two words are run toget ...

of letter-final ''ô'' in the

Bengali language Bengali ( ), generally known by its endonym Bangla (, ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Bengal region of South Asia. It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second m ...

. After the

Conquest of Sylhet The Conquest of Sylhet ( bn, শ্রীহট্টের বিজয়, Srīhôtter Bijôy, Conquest of Srihatta) predominantly refers to an Islamic conquest of Srihatta (present-day Sylhet, Bangladesh) led by Sikandar Khan Ghazi, the milit ...

in 1303, the city colloquially became nicknamed as Jalalabad (জালালাবাদ). It is made up of two words ''Jalal'' (), a name of

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

origin meaning majesty but in this case referring to

Shah Jalal Jalāl Mujarrad Kunyāʾī (), popularly known as Shah Jalal, was a celebrated Sufi figure of Bengal. His name is often associated with the Conquest of Sylhet and the spread of Islam into the region, part of a long history of interactions bet ...

, and '' Abad'' (), meaning settlement. This colloquial name continued to be used in the

Mughal period The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

. Currently, in the

Sylhet City Corporation Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) is a self-governing organisation which governs the municipal areas of Sylhet. This civic body of Sylhet Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative se ...

, there exists a metropolitan thana known as the Jalalabad Thana as well an area in its 7th ward.

History

In 1303, the Sultan of Lakhnauti

Shamsuddin Firoz Shah Shamsuddin Firuz Shah ( fa, شمس الدين فيروز شاه, bn, শামসুদ্দীন ফিরুজ শাহ, ''Shams Ad-Dīn Firūz Shāh'') (reigned: 1301–1322) was the independent ruler of the Gauḍa (city), Lakhnauti Ki ...

conquered Sylhet by defeating

. Sylhet was a realm of the

Bengal Sultanate The Sultanate of Bengal ( Middle Bengali: শাহী বাঙ্গালা ''Shahī Baṅgala'', Classical Persian: ''Saltanat-e-Bangālah'') was an empire based in Bengal for much of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. It was the dominan ...

. In the 16th-century, Sylhet was controlled by the

Baro-Bhuyan The Baro-Bhuyans (or ''Baro-Bhuyan Raj''; also ''Baro-Bhuians'' and Baro-Bhuiyans) refers to the confederacies of soldier-landowners in Assam and Bengal in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. The confederacies consisted of loose ...

zamindar A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...

s and later became a sarkar (district) of the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

. Sylhet emerged as the Mughals' most significant imperial outpost in the east, and its importance remained as such throughout the seventeenth century.

British rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

began in the 18th century under the administration of the

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 ...

. Sylhet became a key source of

lascars A lascar was a sailor or militiaman from the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Arab world, British Somaliland, or other land east of the Cape of Good Hope, who was employed on European ships from the 16th century until the middle of the 2 ...

in the British Empire with its ancient seafaring tradition. The Sylhet municipal board was established in 1867. Originally part of the

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...

and later

Eastern Bengal and Assam Eastern Bengal and Assam was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India between 1905 and 1912. Headquartered in the city of Dacca, it covered territories in what are now Bangladesh, Northeast India and Northern West Bengal. Hist ...

; the town was part of Colonial Assam between 1874 and 1947 when following a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

and the

partition of British India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: India and Pakistan. T ...

, it became part of East Pakistan. The

was constituted in 2001. The Government of Bangladesh designated Sylhet a metropolitan area in 2009.

Modern history

In 1995, the Government of Bangladesh declared Sylhet as the sixth divisional headquarters of the country. Sylhet has played a vital role in the

Bangladeshi economy The economy of Bangladesh is a major economy of South Asia and a developing nation, developing market economy. — — —Siddiqi, Dina M. “Miracle Worker or Womanmachine? Tracking (Trans)National Realities in Bangladeshi Factories.” Econo ...

. Several of Bangladesh's

finance ministers A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

have been Members of Parliament from the city of Sylhet.

Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran ( bn, বদর উদ্দিন আহমেদ কামরান; 1 January 1951 – 15 June 2020) was a Bangladeshi politician and the first mayor of Sylhet City, a role he was elected to twice. In 2013, he lost t ...

was a longtime mayor of Sylhet.

Humayun Rashid Choudhury Humayun Rasheed Choudhury ( bn, হুমায়ূন রশীদ চৌধুরী; 11 November 1928 – 10 July 2001) was a Bangladeshi career diplomat and Speaker of the Jatiyo Sangsad, Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament from 19 ...

, a diplomat from Sylhet, served as

President of the UN General Assembly The president of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on a yearly basis. The president is the chair and presiding officer of the General Assembly. Election ...

and Speaker of the

Bangladesh National Parliament The Jatiya Sangsad ( bn, জাতীয় সংসদ, lit=National Parliament, translit=Jatiyô Sôngsôd), often referred to simply as the ''Sangsad'' or JS and also known as the House of the Nation, is the supreme legislative body of B ...

. In 2001, the municipality was upgraded to the

. It was made a metropolitan city in 2009.

Geography and climate

Sylhet is located at , in the northeastern region of Bangladesh within the Sylhet Division, the Sylhet District and Sylhet Sadar Upazila. Sylhet has a typical Bangladeshi

tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Am'') bordering on a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(''Cwa'') at higher elevations. The rainy season starts from April to October and it is so hot and humid with very heavy showers and thunderstorms almost every day, whilst the short dry season starts from November to February and it is very warm and fairly clear. Nearly 80% of the annual average rainfall of occurs between May and September. The city is located within the region where there are hills and basins which constitute one of the most distinctive regions in Bangladesh. The

physiography Physical geography (also known as physiography) is one of the three main branches of geography. Physical geography is the branch of natural science which deals with the processes and patterns in the natural environment such as the atmosphere, h ...

of Sylhet consists mainly of hill soils, encompassing a few large depressions known locally as "

beel A beel (Bengali and Assamese: বিল) is a billabong or a lake-like wetland with static water (as opposed to moving water in rivers and canals - typically called in Bengali, in the Ganges - Brahmaputra flood plains of the Eastern Indian s ...

s" which can be mainly classified as

oxbow lake An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are call ...

s, caused by tectonic subsidence primarily during the earthquake of 1762. Geologically, the region is complex having diverse sacrificial geomorphology; high topography of Plio-

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

age. Available limestone deposits in different parts of the region suggest that the whole area was under the ocean in the Oligo-Miocene. In the last 150 years three major earthquakes hit the city, at a magnitude of at least 7.5 on the

Richter Scale The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...

, the last one took place in 1918, although many people are unaware that Sylhet lies on an earthquake prone zone. Tea garden 31118

Administration

Sylhet is divided into 6 metropolitan

thana Thana means "police station" in South Asian countries, and can also mean the district controlled by a police station. * Thanas of Bangladesh, former subdistricts in the administrative geography of Bangladesh; later renamed ''upazila'' * in (Briti ...

s(police station) and consists of 27 wards and 224 mahallas. The thanas are: * Bimanbandar Thana * Kotwali Than
Google Maps
* Jalalabad Than
Google Maps
* Dakshin Surma Than
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* Mogla Bazar Than
Google Maps
* Shah Paran Thana It is a small city with an area of 26.50 km². The rapid growth and expansion of Sylhet occurred during the colonial period. Sylhet Municipality was established in 1878. A devastating earthquake demolished almost the entire town on 12 June 1897 following which a modern and European model new town was built on the wreckage. Many new roads were constructed in the late 1890s and Sylhet became really connected to the other parts of the country with the establishment of an extension line of

Assam Bengal Railway The Assam Bengal Railway (ABR) was one of the pioneering railway companies in British India. Headquartered in Chittagong, it functioned from 1892 to 1942. History Assam Bengal Railway was incorporated in 1892 to serve British-owned tea plantat ...

in 1912–15. From the beginning of the 20th century, the importance of Sylhet increased with the establishment of the tea industry. In the 1950s and 1960s, rapid urbanisation took place in the town, fostered by the expatriate Sylhetis and the process is still ongoing. On 10 April 2001, Sylhet was changed to a city corporation from a municipal board, and currently the city is administrated by the ''Sylhet City Corporation''. At present, Sylhet is the district-headquarters as well as the divisional headquarters of the districts of

Sunamganj Sunamganj ( bn, সুনামগঞ্জ) is a town in the Sylhet Division of northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative headquarters and largest town of Sunamganj District. It is located on the banks of the Surma River, approximately ...

Habiganj Habiganj ( bn, হবিগঞ্জ) is a major town and district headquarters of Habiganj District in the division of Sylhet, Bangladesh. Population: Total population of Habiganj is about 95,000 Railroad *Habiganj Bazar–Shaistaganj–Ba ...

Moulvibazar Moulvibazar ( bn, মৌলভীবাজার) is a town in north-eastern Bangladesh just south of Sylhet. It is the capital of Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila and Moulvibazar District, and is located on the banks of the Manu River, Tripura, Manu R ...

and

Sylhet District Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট), located in north-east Bangladesh, is the divisional capital and one of the four districts in the Sylhet Division. History Sylhet district was established on 3 January 1782, and until 1878 it was part of Bengal Pro ...

. The Sylhet City Corporation is responsible for the services that are provided within the city which includes traffic, roads, garbage collection, water supply, registrations and many others. The corporation consists of the Mayor and 22 other commissioners, and focuses on the development of the city.

Military

Sylhet is strategically important for the

Bangladesh Armed Forces The Bangladesh Armed Forces ( bn, বাংলাদেশ সশস্ত্র বাহিনী, Bangladesh Sashastra Bahinī) are the Armed forces, combined military forces of the Bangladesh, People's Republic of Bangladesh. It consists ...

. The

Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and def ...

's 17th Infantry Division is based at

Jalalabad Cantonment Jalalabad Cantonment ( bn, জালালাবাদ সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Jalalabad Cantonment is the home of the Bangladesh Army's 17th Infantry Division, the School of Infantry & Tactics ...

in Sylhet. The cantonment is also home of the School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T) and the

1st Para-commando Battalion The Para Commando Brigade ( bn, :bn:প্যারা কমান্ডো ব্রিগেড (বাংলাদেশ), প্যারা কমান্ডো ব্রিগেড) is a special forces, special operations force of the ...

, an elite

commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...

unit of the Bangladesh Army.

Healthcare

Sylhet is also home to many hospitals that strategically provide healthcare to the community such as the Shahid Shamsuddin Hospital District Hospital,

Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College The Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College (SOMC) ( bn, সিলেট এম.এ.জি ওসমানী মেডিকেল কলেজ) is a government medical school in Bangladesh, established in 1962. It is located in Sylhet. Originally na ...

Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College (JRRMC) ( bn, জালালাবাদ রাগীব-রাবেয়া মেডিকেল কলেজ) is a private medical school in Bangladesh, established in 1995. It is located in the Pathan ...

North East Medical College North East Medical College (NEMC) ( bn, নর্থ ইস্ট মেডিকেল কলেজ) is a private medical school in Bangladesh, established in 1998. It is located in South Surma Upazila, on the southern fringes of Sylhet. It is ...

Sylhet Women's Medical College Sylhet Women's Medical College (SWMC) ( bn, সিলেট মহিলা মেডিকেল কলেজ) is a private medical school in Bangladesh, exclusively for female students, established in 2005. Sylhet Women's Medical College and Ho ...

, Parkview Medical College, ''Ibn Sina Hospital Sylhet Ltd'', ''Noorjahan Hospital (pvt) Ltd'', Oasis Hospital, ''Mount Adora Hospital'', Square Medical Service, Popular Medical Service, Medinova Medical Service, Labaid Ltd and the Mohanagar Hospital as well as world's leading five star hospital such as the Al Haramain Hospital. Recently a medical university called Sylhet Medical University has been established in the city. According to the Prime Minister's order to strictly monitor whether medical standards are being properly maintained in medical colleges, a medical university will be set up in each division. According to the order, Chittagong and Rajshahi Medical University have already been established. Sylhet Medical University is the 4th Medical University of the directive.

Demographics

According to the

2011 Bangladesh census In 2011, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, conducted a national census in Bangladesh, which provided a provisional estimate of the total population of the country as 142,319,000. The previous decennial census was the 2001 census. Data were reco ...

, the city had a population of 485,138. The population growth rate of the city is 1.73%, which has reduced from 1.93% in 1991.Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Pocket Book, 2007 (pdf-file)
2007 Population Estimate. Retrieved 29 September 2008. Sylhet has a sex ratio of 861 females to 1000 males and a literacy rate of 67.8%. As of 2001, It had average literacy rate of 69.73%. The highest

literacy rate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...

was 84.24% in Ward 22 and the lowest was 48.15% in Ward 10 (2001). The total number of households was 97,991. The majority of the population are

Bengali Muslims Bengali Muslims ( bn, বাঙালি মুসলমান; ) are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising about two-thirds of the global Bengali population, they are the sec ...

of Sylheti background, while there are significant minority groups which includes the

Bengali Hindus Bengali Hindus ( bn, বাঙ্গালী হিন্দু/বাঙালি হিন্দু, translit=Bāṅgālī Hindu/Bāṅāli Hindu) are an ethnoreligious population who make up the majority in the Indian states of West Benga ...

Bishnupriya Manipuri Bishnupriya Manipuri, also known as simply Bishnupriya, is an Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Bengali–Assamese languages, Bengali–Assamese linguistic sub-branch. It is a creole language, creole of Bengali language and Meitei languag ...

and others.

Sylheti Sylheti may refer to: * Sylhetis, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group in the Sylhet division and South Assam * Sylheti language Sylheti ( Sylheti Nāgarī: ; bn, সিলেটি ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by an estimated 11 mill ...

is spoken by the vast majority of the people, while

Standard Bengali Bengali ( ), generally known by its endonym Bangla (, ), is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Bengal region of South Asia. It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second most widely spoken of t ...

is the official language used by the state government and officials. The majority of Sylhetis are Muslims (87.3%), other religious groups include Hindus (12.5%) and less than 0.2% of other religions, mainly

Buddhists Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

and

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

. The majority of the Muslims are mainly

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...

Hanafi The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools ( maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named aft ...

s; and there are significant numbers of people who also follow

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

ideals, the most influential are the teachings of Abdul Latif Fultali.

Economy

The Sylhet Metropolitan Area is one of Bangladesh's main business centres. Sylhet's economy is closely linked with the

, especially the

British Bangladeshi British Bangladeshis ( bn, বিলাতী বাংলাদেশী, Bilatī Bangladeshī) are people of Bangladeshi origin who have attained citizenship in the United Kingdom, through immigration and historical naturalisation. The term ...

community. The city receives a significant portion of the country's annual

remittances A remittance is a non-commercial transfer of money by a foreign worker, a member of a diaspora community, or a citizen with familial ties abroad, for household income in their home country or homeland. Money sent home by migrants competes with ...

, which have driven growth in real estate and construction. A number of shopping centres, restaurants and hotels have opened as a result. Sylhet also relies on

religious tourism Religious tourism, spiritual tourism, sacred tourism, or faith tourism, is a type of tourism with two main subtypes: pilgrimage, meaning travel for religious or spiritual purposes, and the viewing of religious monuments and artefacts, a branch of ...

, with thousands of devotees visiting its

shrines annually, as well as

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...

in its broader natural hinterland. Nature

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...

s have been built in the city's outskirts. Several important Bangladeshi companies are based in Sylhet, including Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution, Sylhet Gas Fields and Alim Industries.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Biman Bangladesh Airlines ( bn, বিমান বাংলাদেশ এয়ারলাইন্স) commonly known as Biman ( bn, বিমান), pronounced (), is the national flag carrier of Bangladesh. With its main hub at Hazra ...

operates several flights from Sylhet to the United Kingdom and the Middle East. Roads connect Sylhet with the Indian states of

Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a states and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of As ...

and Assam. Sylhet's

hinterland Hinterland is a German word meaning "the land behind" (a city, a port, or similar). Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated ...

plays a vital role in the

economy of Bangladesh The economy of Bangladesh is a major economy of South Asia and a developing market economy. — — —Siddiqi, Dina M. “Miracle Worker or Womanmachine? Tracking (Trans)National Realities in Bangladeshi Factories.” Economic and Political ...

. It is home to the country's largest

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

fields, sole

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...

field, largest

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...

plantations, rubber,

palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 33% of global oils produced from ...

and

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

farms. Rice production in the region is one of the country's highest. Heavy industries include

power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many pow ...

fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...

plants, cement plants and

liquefied petroleum gas Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or LP gas) is a fuel gas which contains a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases, specifically propane, propylene, butylene, isobutane and n-butane. LPG is used as a fuel gas in heating appliances, cooking e ...

plants. Other major industries in the region include

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

, machinery and equipment, ready-made garments and pharmaceuticals. Most of the tea production in Bangladesh is based around Sylhet, and the industry also has significant exports. The area is also known for producing oranges and other similar fruits. One of these fruit is called "Satkara" which is a variety of grapefruit that can be used in pickles and even as an ingredient in traditional Sylheti curry dishes. Two Bangladeshi

from the city have been elected to the

Jatiyo Sangshad The Jatiya Sangsad ( bn, জাতীয় সংসদ, lit=National Parliament, translit=Jatiyô Sôngsôd), often referred to simply as the ''Sangsad'' or JS and also known as the House of the Nation, is the supreme legislative body of B ...

Saifur Rahman {{Short description, Male name Saifur Rahman (Saudi Arabia ar, سيف الرحمن }) is a male Muslim given name, meaning ''sword of the Most Gracious''. سيفور meaning Saifur in arabic. This may refer to: *Akhundzada Saif-ur-Rahman Mubara ...

of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and

Abul Maal Abdul Muhith Abul Maal Abdul Muhith (25 January 1934 – 30 April 2022) was a Bangladeshi economist, writer, civil servant, secretary, diplomat and politician. He served as the Finance Minister of the government of Bangladesh from January 2009 until January ...

of the Awami League. The present foreign affairs minister DR. A K Abdul Momen who is younger brother of the former finance minister Abdul Muhith represents the

Sylhet-1 Sylhet-1 is a constituency represented in the Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) of Bangladesh since 2019 by AK Abdul Momen of the Awami League. Boundaries The constituency encompasses Sylhet City Corporation and Sylhet Sadar Upazila. Histo ...

seat in parliament.

Utility

Sylhet has high rates of electric power shortage and water shortage. According to the Power Development Board, Sylhet is only receiving 50 MW, which is half of the required demand of 100 MW. The city corporation is also supplying only 22,500 gallons of water, far less than the demand of about 65,000. The major sources of water to the city is the tube wells and the

. Tests of tube wells in Sylhet District by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in 1997 found that about 27.6% contained more arsenic than the acceptable limit set by Bangladesh of 50 micrograms per liter, and 49.2% contained more arsenic than the World Health Organization standard of 10 micrograms per liter. There are about 331 registered restaurants in the city, only 15% maintain sanitary facilities and 85% have unhygienic conditions that are unsafe for the public.

Sports

Cricket is the most popular sport in Sylhet.

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 ...

franchise

Sylhet Sunrisers Sylhet Strikers (Sylheti/ bn, সিলেট স্ট্রাইকার্স) is a professional cricket franchise team based in Sylhet, Bangladesh. The team competes in the Bangladesh Premier League. The franchise made their debut at the ...

are based in

Sylhet International Cricket Stadium Sylhet International Cricket Stadium ( bn, সিলেট আন্তর্জাতিক ক্রিকেট স্টেডিয়াম) also known as Sylhet Stadium and previously known as Sylhet Divisional Stadium, is a cricket stad ...

(M.A.G. Osmani Stadium), which was built in 2007 and has a capacity of 18,500 spectators. The Sylhet International Cricket Stadium was renovated in 2013 especially to host matches of

2014 ICC World Twenty20 The 2014 ICC World Twenty20 was the fifth ICC World Twenty20 competition, an international Twenty20 cricket tournament, that took place in Bangladesh from 16 March to 6 April 2014. It was played in three cities — Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet. Th ...

. It is situated near lush green tea gardens on the city fringe. In the

National Cricket League The National Cricket League is the oldest domestic first-class cricket competition in Bangladesh. It is contested by teams representing seven of the eight regional divisions of Bangladesh (there is no team from Mymensingh Division) as well as a t ...

has not won any titles however did win in the One-Day Cricket League in 2001–02 season. Notable players from Sylhet who have played for the

Bangladesh national cricket team The Bangladesh men's national cricket team ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় ক্রিকেট দল), popularly known as The Tigers, is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). It is a Full Member of the Inte ...

include

Rajin Saleh Khondokar Mohammad Rajin Saleh Alam ( bn, খন্দকার মোহাম্মদ রাজিন সালেহ আলম) (born November 20, 1983) is a Bangladeshi former cricketer, who played Tests and ODIs. He was recognised for his ou ...

Enamul Haque Jr Enamul Haque ( bn, এনামুল হক; born 5 December 1986) known as Enamul Haque Jr to distinguish him from Enamul Haque, who also played for Bangladesh, but was not related to him, is a Bangladeshi cricketer. He currently plays for ...

Tapash Baisya Tapash Baisya ( bn, তাপস বৈশ্য) (born 25 December 1982) is a former Bangladeshi international cricketer. Tapash Baisya took 36 Test wickets, although they came at a bowling average of nearly 60. Nevertheless, he has taken the ...

, and

Alok Kapali Alok Kapali ( bn, অলোক কাপালী; born 1 January 1984) is a Bangladeshi cricketer. He is an allrounder who bats in the middle to lower order and bowls leg spin. He was the first Bangladeshi to take a Test hat-trick. Early life a ...

. Chess player

Rani Hamid Rani Hamid (born 14 July 1944) is a Bangladeshi chess player who became the country's first Woman International Master in 1985. She has become the national champion a total of 20 times. She is the current national champion crowned on the 38th Wo ...

was awarded the

FIDE The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( Fédération Internationale des Échecs), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national c ...

Women's International Master (WIM) title in 1985, while her son

Kaiser Hamid Mohammad Kaisar Hamid is a Bangladeshi former soccer player. He became well known in the 1980s and 1990s as a central defender for Mohammedan Sporting Club in Dhaka's domestic league and in the 1988–89 Asian Club Championship. He also repre ...

was the captain of the

Bangladesh national football team The Bangladesh national football team ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় ফুটবল দল) is the national recognised football team of Bangladesh and is controlled by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). It is a membe ...

in the early 90s.

Transport

The main transport systems used in the city are

cycle rickshaw The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab ...

auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...

s (mainly known as baby-taxis or CNGs), buses, mini-buses and cars. There are about 80,000 rickshaws running each day. Bus service prices have increased as of 2008, up to 30% higher, prices ranges from Tk 4 to 15.95. The N2 is the national highway that connects the city with country's capital and largest city Dhaka as well as with many other parts of the country. The N2 highway is also part of

AH1 Asian Highway 1 (AH1) is the longest route of the Asian Highway Network, running from Tokyo, Japan via Korea, China, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran to the border between Turkey and Bulgaria west of Istanbul ...

and

AH2 Asian Highway 2 (AH2) is a road in the Asian Highway Network running from Denpasar, Indonesia to Merak and Singapore to Khosravi, Iran. The route is connected to M10 of the Arab Mashreq International Road Network. The route is as follows: ...

- two longest routes of the

Asian Highway Network The Asian Highway Network (AH), also known as the Great Asian Highway, is a cooperative project among countries in Asia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to improve their connectivity via hig ...

Air

The city of Sylhet is served by

, located at the north of the city. It is Bangladesh's third busiest airport and became an international airport due to the demand of expatriate Bangladeshis and their descendants from the United Kingdom and the United States. The main frequent airlines of the airport are

US-Bangla Airlines US-Bangla Airlines ( bn, ইউএস বাংলা এয়ারলাইন্স) is a privately owned Bangladeshi airline headquartered in Dhaka and based at Shahjalal International Airport under the umbrella companies of US-Bangla Group ...

and

Novoair NOVOAIR ( bn, নভোএয়ার) is an airline based in Dhaka, Bangladesh operating mostly domestic flights. It operates 25 flights each day from Dhaka to its seven destinations. History NOVOAIR was established in October 2007 as an aviat ...

. The airport received its first international arrival on 3 November 2002, with Biman arriving from

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

via

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

en route to Dhaka. Meanwhile, it received first direct international arrival on 15 March 2017 as a direct flight of

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

based carrier Flydubai landed at the airport. Work started in 2006 to upgrade the airport to international standards, including a new terminal building, a jetway, a taxiway, and expansion of the runway to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft. It was confirmed that in May 2007, Biman will be operating

Hajj The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...

flights directly from the airport later in 2007. Biman operates direct flight to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

from Sylhet. All Bangladeshi airlines operate regular domestic flights to Dhaka and Biman operates regular domestic flights to

Cox's Bazar Cox's Bazar (; bn, কক্সবাজার, Kôksbajar; ) is a city, fishing port, tourism centre, and district headquarters in Southeastern Bangladesh. It is located south of the city of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the na ...

. Government will construct a 34,919 square-metre high-quality international passenger terminal building, cargo building, control tower, parking, taxiway and other important infrastructures to meet the growing demand in line with the increase of passengers and cargo transportation at the airport.

Rail

The Sylhet Railway Station is the main railway station providing trains on national routes operated by the state-run

Bangladesh Railway Bangladesh Railway ( bn, বাংলাদেশ রেলওয়ে) is the state-owned rail transport agency of Bangladesh. It operates and maintains all railways in the country, and is overseen by the Directorate General of Bangladesh Ra ...

. Some important train that origins/terminates :

Towards Dhaka

Towards Chittagong

Towards Akahura

Education

There are two public universities in Sylhet:

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) is a Public university, public research university, research based university in Sylhet, Bangladesh. It is the List of universities in Bangladesh#Public universities, 8th oldest university o ...

and

Sylhet Agricultural University Sylhet Agricultural University ( bn, সিলেট কৃষি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়) is a flagship public research university in Sylhet, Bangladesh that formally started functioning on 2 November 2006. The veterinary me ...

. There are some prominent colleges in Sylhet such as

Jalalabad Cantonment Public School and College Jalalabad Cantonment Public School and College is an educational institute in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Jalalabad Cantonment Public School and College has occupied a respectable and glorious position among the leading educational institutions in Banglad ...

MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet The Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College (SOMC) ( bn, সিলেট এম.এ.জি ওসমানী মেডিকেল কলেজ) is a government medical school in Bangladesh, established in 1962. It is located in Sylhet. Originally na ...

Sylhet Engineering College Sylhet Engineering College (SEC; bn, সিলেট প্রকৌশল মহাবিদ্যালয়) is a public undergraduate (B.Sc. Engineering) College, established in 2007. It is affiliated with the "Shahjalal University of Sci ...

Sylhet Cadet College Sylhet Cadet College ( bn, সিলেট ক্যাডেট কলেজ) is a military high school for boys (Grade VII - XII) situated in Sylhet City, east to the Osmani Air Port Road, beside Parjatan hotel of Sylhet. History When Banglade ...

Murari Chand College Murari Chand College ( bn, মুরারিচাঁদ কলেজ) (usually referred to as MC College) was the first college in the Sylhet Division. It was established in 1892, making it the seventh oldest college in Bangladesh. Since then i ...

Institute of Health Technology, Sylhet This is a list of educational institutes of Sylhet, Bangladesh. Universities * Shahjalal University of Science and Technology * Sylhet Agricultural University * Sylhet Engineering College * Leading University * Metropolitan University, Sylhet ...

Scholarshome Scholarshome is an English version school and college with six campuses located in and around the city of Sylhet, Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth ...

, Blue Bird High School and College,

Sylhet Science And Technology College Sylhet Science and Technology College (SSTC) is an intermediate college in the city of Sylhet, Bangladesh. It is situated on Mirer Maidan, near the holy Shah Jalal's Dargah Sharif. Founded in 1872, it is the first dedicated science college in th ...

and

Sylhet Polytechnic Institute Sylhet Polytechnic Institute ( bn, সিলেট পলিটেকনিক ইনস্টিটিউট) or SPI is a state supported technical academic institute located in Sylhet, Bangladesh. It was established in 1955 by the then East Pakis ...

Sylhet Government Women's College Sylhet Govt. Women's College ( bn, সিলেট সরকারি মহিলা কলেজ)is an academy located in Sylhet, Bangladesh. It was established in 1939 and makes important contributions in field of women's studies in Bangladesh. ...

Notable people

International relations

Sylhet had friendly relations with: *

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

, United Kingdom *

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...

, United Kingdom The friendship link with St Albans was established in 1988 when the District council supported a housing project in Sylhet as part of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. Sylhet was chosen because it is the area of origin for the largest ethnic minority group in St Albans. In March 2009, the Mayor of Sylhet, Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form another friendship link between Sylhet and Rochdale, home to around 10,000 people with Sylhet heritage, with the Mayor of Rochdale Cllr Keith Swift at the

References

External links

* *

Parabat Express Parabat Express (Train no. 709/710) is an intercity train which runs between Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh) and Sylhet. Parabat Express has been considered one of the prestigious and luxurious trains since the inception of intercity train in Ban ...

Official website of Sylhet City CorporationSylhet Tourist Places Video
{{Authority control Populated places in Sylhet District Former capital cities in India