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 ...
. 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 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 i ...
,
Chittagong and
Khulna. Sylhet is one of Bangladesh's most important spiritual and cultural centres. Furthermore, it is one of the most economically important cities 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 i ...
and
Chittagong. 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 combustion, burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, petroleum, oil, and natura ...
-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 ...
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 wh ...
.
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. 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 of ''Shilhot'' (শিলহট). Its origins seem to come from the
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 ...
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 of letter-final ''ô'' in the
Bengali language
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 o ...
.
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 mili ...
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 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. E.Watson; Walter ...
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 betw ...
, 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 s ...
, there exists a
metropolitan thana known as the Jalalabad Thana as well an area in its 7th ward.
History
![Portuguese_map_of_CHT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Portuguese_map_of_CHT.jpg)
In 1303, the Sultan of Lakhnauti
Shamsuddin Firoz Shah conquered Sylhet by defeating
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 ...
.
Sylhet was a realm of the
Bengal Sultanate. 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 ...
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 hims ...
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 South ...
. 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 ...
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
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 s ...
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. 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 Bangladesh National Parliament from 1996 to 2001. He was elected pre ...
, 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
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 s ...
. 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 (''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 "
beels" which can be mainly classified as
oxbow lakes, 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 epoch (geology), 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 mea ...
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.
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
Google Maps* Mogla Bazar Than
Google Maps* Shah Paran Thana
It is a small city with an area of 26.50 km
2.
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 planta ...
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–B ...
,
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. The town has ...
and
Sylhet District. 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 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 defe ...
'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, 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,
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 Path ...
,
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 ...
,
Sylhet Women's Medical College, 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, 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)](_blank)
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 Beng ...
,
Bishnupriya Manipuri and others.
Sylheti
Sylheti may refer to:
* Sylhetis, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group in the Sylhet division and South Assam
* Sylheti language, a language of the Sylheti region
* Sylheti Nagri
Sylheti Nagri or Sylheti Nagari ( syl, , ISO: , ), known in cla ...
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 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'' (Χρ ...
. The majority of the Muslims are mainly
Sunni 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 a ...
s;
and there are significant numbers of people who also follow
Sufi ideals, the most influential are the teachings of
Abdul Latif Fultali.
Economy
![Sylhet, by Murshed](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Sylhet%2C_by_Murshed.jpg)
The Sylhet Metropolitan Area is one of Bangladesh's main business centres. Sylhet's economy is closely linked with 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 ...
, 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 c ...
community. The city receives a significant portion of the country's annual
remittances, 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
Sufi 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 fund ...
in its broader natural hinterland. Nature
resorts 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 Hazr ...
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 state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and J ...
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 Politica ...
. 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 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 north ...
plantations, rubber,
palm oil,
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 ...
,
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 wh ...
and
citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
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 electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an el ...
s,
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 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
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", " ...
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 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
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. ...
. 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 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 (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. ...
. It is situated near lush green tea gardens on the city fringe. In the
National Cricket League 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 ...
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 ...
. 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 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 repr ...
was the captain of the
Bangladesh national football team 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, ...
s,
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- two longest routes of the
Asian Highway Network.
Air
The city of Sylhet is served by
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 ...
, 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
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 Hazr ...
,
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 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 flights directly from the airport later in 2007. Biman operates direct flight to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...
from Sylhet. All Bangladeshi airlines operate regular domestic flights to Dhaka and Biman operates regular domestic flights to
Cox's Bazar. 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
![Parabat Express](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Parabat_Express.jpg)
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 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 Women's Medical College,
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 ...
,
Sylhet Engineering College,
Sylhet Cadet College,
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, Syl ...
,
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 eight ...
,
Blue Bird High School and College,
Sylhet Science And Technology College and
Sylhet Polytechnic Institute,
Sylhet Government Women's College
Notable people
International relations
Sylhet had friendly relations with:
*
St Albans, 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 ]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 s ...
.
See also
* Sylheti language
Sylheti ( Sylheti Nāgarī: ; bn, সিলেটি ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by an estimated 11 million people, primarily in the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh and in parts of Northeast India."Sylheti is an Indo-Aryan language spok ...
* Sylheti Nagari
Sylheti Nagri or Sylheti Nagari ( syl, , ISO: , ), known in classical manuscripts as Sylhet Nagri (, ''Sileṭ Nagri'') amongst many other names (see below), was an Indic script used to write the Sylheti language and Eastern Bengali languages ...
* Barak Valley
The Barak Valley is located in the southern region of the Indian state of Assam. The region is named after the Barak river. The Barak valley consists of three administrative districts of Assam - namely Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi. 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 Corporation
Sylhet Tourist Places Video
{{Authority control
Populated places in Sylhet District
Former capital cities in India