Moulvibazar District, () also spelled Moulavibazar, or Maulavibazar, (previous name: South Sylhet) is the southeastern

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

Sylhet Division Sylhet Division () is a northeastern Divisions of Bangladesh, division of Bangladesh, renowned for its lush tea gardens, rolling hills and vibrant cultural heritage. Covering an area of approximately 12,298 square kilometres, it is bordered by t ...

in northeastern

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

, named after the town of

Moulvibazar Moulvibazar (), 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 River. History In 1771, Moulvi S ...

. It is bordered by the

Indian states India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

Tripura Tripura () is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a populat ...

and

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

to the south and east, respectively; by the Bangladeshi districts of Habiganj to the west and

Sylhet Sylhet (; ) is a Metropolis, metropolitan city in the north eastern region of Bangladesh. It serves as the administrative center for both the Sylhet District and the Sylhet Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Surma River and, as o ...

to the north.

Etymology

The district, Moulvibazar is named after the

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

which serves as its headquarter. The word is derived from two words, moulvi and bazar, meaning 'Market of the Moulvi'. 'Moulvi' is an Islamic honorific title and 'bazar' is the

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

word for market or township. Moulvibazar is named after Moulvi Syed Qudratullah, a local judge and a descendant of Shah Mustafa, an Islamic preacher active during the advent of Islam in the region. It is believed that the name was coined in the 1771 when Syed Qudratullah established a small bazaar on his

zamindari A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous Indian feudalism, feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian language, Persian was the offi ...

land and local people named it as Moulvibazar. This market was established at riverside of the present Poschim Bazar (West Market), which gradually expanded over the time.

History

Copper plates have been found from 930 AD in Paschimbagh, Tengubazar Mandir, Rajnagar and one of Raja Marundanath from the 11th century in Kalapur, Srimangal. The district was also part of the ancient

Kamarupa Kamarupa (; also called Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa), an early state during the Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, was (along with Davaka) the first historical kingdom of Assam. The Kamrupa word first appeared in the ...

kingdom. It is suggested that the area was inhabited by

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

s and

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

s as evidence from inscriptions suggests there was an ancient university in Panchgaon, Rajnagar. The terrain was headquarters of the ancient ''Ita Kingdom'' founded by Raja Bhanu Narayan and its capital was in the villages of Bhumiura and Eolatoli. Other regions included Chandrapur or Chandrarajya which is modern-day Moulvibazar Sadar. After the

Conquest of Sylhet The Conquest of Sylhet () predominantly refers to an Early Muslim conquests, Islamic conquest of Srihatta (present-day Sylhet, Bangladesh) led by Sikandar Khan Ghazi, the military general of Sultan Shamsuddin Firoz Shah of the Lakhnauti Sultanat ...

in 1303, many disciples of

Shah Jalal Shāh Jalāl Mujarrad Kunyāʾī (), popularly known as Shah Jalal (), was a celebrated Sufi Saint, conqueror and historical figure of Bengal. His name is often associated with the Muslim conquest of Sylhet and the Spread of Islam into the ...

scattered across the

Sylhet region Sylhet Division () is a northeastern Divisions of Bangladesh, division of Bangladesh, renowned for its lush tea gardens, rolling hills and vibrant cultural heritage. Covering an area of approximately 12,298 square kilometres, it is bordered by t ...

and the rest of

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

. Shah Mustafa of

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

, a descendant of

Abdul Qadir Gilani Abdul Qadir Gilani (; ; c. 1077/78 – 1166) was a Hanbali scholar, preacher, and Sufi leader who was the eponym of the Qadiriyya, one of the oldest Sufi orders. He was born c. 1077/78 in the town of Na'if, Rezvanshahr in Gilan, Persia, ...

, migrated to Chandrapur ruled by Raja Chandra Singh where he lived on top of a small hill with his son Syed Ismail and would preach to the local people. Mustafa would eventually succeed Singh as the ruler of Chandrapur after marrying the Raja's daughter. Other Sufi disciples and saints who preached in Moulvibazar included Shah Kala, Haji Rasul, Shah Dorong, Helimuddin Nurnali, Hamid Faruqi, Syed Nasrullah, Syed Yasin, Syed Ismail, Nur Ali Shah, Shah Wali Muhammad, Sheikh Shihabuddin, Sabur Shah, Shah Helal and Shah Kamaluddin. The final

raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

of the Ita Kingdom, Raja Subid Narayan lost a battle in 1610 in which the region became under the rule of

Khwaja Usman Khawāja Uthmān Khān Lōhānī (), popularly known as Khwaja Usman, was a Pashtun chieftain and warrior based in northeastern Bengal. As one of the Baro-Bhuyans, he was a zamindar ruling over the northern parts of Bengal, including Greater M ...

, a fierce opponent of the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

. He then established his new capital in Uhar, Kamalganj and managed to gain control of South Sylhet. However, this rule was short-lived after

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

General

Islam Khan I Shaikh Alauddin Chisti (1570–1613; popularly known as Islam Khan Chisti) was a Mughal general and the Subahdar of Bihar and later Bengal. He transferred the capital of Bengal from Rajmahal to Sonargaon and founded the city of Jahangirnagar. ...

's attack in 1612. An important battle between the

and the

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

s was held in Pathan Ushar, Kamalganj. This led to the death of Afghan leader

. The Panchgaon Factory in

Rajnagar Upazila Rajnagar () is an upazila of the Moulvibazar District in Sylhet Division, Bangladesh. The district has roughly 43,070 houses and an area of approximately 340 km2. There are three well-known rivers which flow across the Upazila border side of R ...

produced cannons for the

. The famous '' Jahan Kosha Cannon'', built by Janardan Karmakar remains in display in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

. After the

Battle of Plassey The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company, under the leadership of Robert Clive, over the Nawab of Bengal and his French Indies Company, French allies on 23 June 1757. The victory was made possible by the de ...

in 1757, the British gave the region surrounding Moulvibazar high importance, especially in

tea production Tea processing is the method in which the leaves from the tea plant ''Camellia sinensis'' are transformed into the dried leaves for brewing tea. The categories of tea are distinguished by the processing they undergo. In its most general form, te ...

. A rebellion against the permanent settlement of the British took place in Latu in 1857. On 1 April 1882, the area was declared a sub-division, or

mahakuma A mahakuma () was a mid-level administrative division used in parts of South Asia. In 1950s Assam, a ''mahakuma'' was a sub-division. As of 1977, Bangladesh was divided into 19 ''zilas'' (districts). The districts were subdivided into 62 ''mahakum ...

, and named "South Srihatta" (and later "South Sylhet"), consisting of 26

pargana Pargana or parganah, also spelt pergunnah, equivalent to Mohallah as a subunit of Subah (Suba), was a type of former administrative division in the Indian subcontinent during the time of the Delhi Sultanate, Mughal and British Colonial empire ...

s. A mass deforestation took place from 1898 to 1899, clearing the Longla-Singla Reserve in order to make space for settlements. In 1912, there was an anti-British protest held in the village of Jagatshi in the Sadar Upazila. It was organised by Swami Dayananda having its seat at Dolgovinda Ashram. In 1921, the anti-British

Khilafat Movement The Khilafat movement (1919–22) was a political campaign launched by Indian Muslims in British India over British policy against Turkey and the planned dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire after World War I by Allied forces. Leaders particip ...

also spread to Moulvibazar and campaigners that were present included

Chittaranjan Das Chittaranjan Das (5 November 1870 – 16 June 1925), popularly called ''Deshbandhu'' (friend of the country), was a Bengali freedom fighter, political activist and lawyer during the Indian Independence Movement and the political guru of Indi ...

Hussain Ahmad Madani Hussain Ahmad Madani (; 6 October 1879 – 5 December 1957) was an Indian Islamic scholar, serving as the principal of Darul Uloom Deoband. He was among the first recipients of the civilian honour of Padma Bhushan in 1954. ...

and

Sarojini Naidu Sarojini Naidu (Birth name, née Chattopadhyay) (; 13 February 1879 – 2 March 1949) was an Indian political activist and poet who served as the first Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Governor of United Provinces, after Independence Day (India), Indi ...

. On the same year, the

non-cooperation movement Non-cooperation movement may refer to: * Non-cooperation movement (1919–1922), during the Indian independence movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule * Non-cooperation movement (1971), a movement in East Pakistan * Non-cooperatio ...

also spread here after being established by Purnendu Kishore Sengupta in Vidia Ashram, Rangirkul, Kulaura. The peasant rebellion led by Panchanan Singh, Qasim Ali, Baikuntha Sharma and Themba Singh was also held in the 1900s in Vanubal, Kamalganj. In 1947, despite the Hindu majority in the region voting for joining India in the

1947 Sylhet referendum The 1947 Sylhet referendum was held in Sylhet District of the Assam Province of British India to decide whether the district would remain in undivided Assam and therefore within the post-independence Dominion of India, or leave Assam for Ea ...

, the region was included in East Pakistan. In 1960, the South Sylhet sub-division was renamed as Moulvibazar by the mahakuma administrator Dr M A Sattar. In 1950, the Shah of Iran,

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980) was the last List of monarchs of Iran, Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown by the ...

, visited Prithimpassa in Kulaura and stayed for four days at the palace and went wildlife hunting in the Estate forests alongside Khwaja Nazimuddin and

Ayub Khan Mohammad Ayub Khan (14 May 1907 – 19 April 1974) was a Pakistani military dictator who served as the second president of Pakistan from 1958 until his resignation on 1969. He was the first native commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army, se ...

. He was hosted by Nawab Ali Haider Khan. Armed resistance begun at the village of Srirainagar in Kanakpur on 27 March 1971. The Pakistan army was said to have made a surprise attack on the procession there in which two people were killed. On 20 December, a number of people were killed and wounded by mine explosions at the premises of the Moulvibazar Government High School. On 22 February 1984, the

President of Bangladesh President of Bangladesh (POB), officially the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is the head of state of Bangladesh and commander-in-chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The role of the president has changed three times since ...

Hussain Muhammad Ershad Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1 February 1930 – 14 July 2019) was a Bangladeshi military officer, dictator and politician who served as President of Bangladesh, the president of Bangladesh from 1982 to 1990. He seized power as a result of a 1982 ...

, upgraded its sub-division status to a district as a part of his decentralisation programme. Shakir Uddin Ahmed was made the district's inaugural deputy commissioner whilst Mukhleshur Rahman was made the first district police super.

Geography

Moulvibazar is in

, a district to the North-East of

. It is 2,707 km² in area, and has a population of 1.38 million. It is situated between 24.10 degree 24.35 degree north latitude and between 90.35 degree and 91.20-degree east longitude. It is surrounded by

Sylhet District Sylhet District (), located in north-east Bangladesh, is one of the four districts in Sylhet Division, which contains Sylhet, the regional capital. History Sylhet District was established on 3 January 1782, and until 1878 it was part of Benga ...

in the north,

Habiganj District Habiganj District (; ), formerly known as Habibganj District (), is a district in north-eastern Bangladesh, located in the Sylhet Division. It was established as a district in 1984 as a successor to its ''subdivision'' status since 1867. It is na ...

in the west and

and

in the east and south respectively. The main rivers of the district are the Manu, the Dholoi and the Juri which flow from India. Every year during the rainy season, when there is excessive rainfall in India, the surplus water flows through these rivers and causes floods in low-lying parts of Moulvibazar (for example, the villages of Balikhandi and Shampashi on the northern side of the river Manu). Unless the rivers are properly dredged the floods can be devastating. In the last few years, Moulvibazar has had a muti-million dollar flood defence system built, which is the only one like it in the whole country.

Demographics

According to the

2022 Census of Bangladesh The 2022 Bangladeshi census () was a detailed enumeration of the Bangladeshi population constituting the sixth national census in the country. It was scheduled to be held in June 2022, was conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, and th ...

, Moulvibazar District had a population of 2,123,447 with an average 4.80 people per household. Approximately, 14.00% of the inhabitants lived in urban areas. The population density was 759 people per km². 19.21% of the population was under 10 years of age. Moulvibazar had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 75.85%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 92.57 males per 100 females.

Religion

The district of Moulvibazar consists 2967 mosques, 613 temples, 56 churches and 22

temples.

division's largest

temple "Kadipur Shib Bari" located at Kulaura upazila in Moulvibazar district. Notable mosques include the Mosque of Shah Mustafa,

Goyghor Mosque The Goyghor Masjid, (; ), also known as the Goyghor Historical Khwaja's Mosque, is an ancient Sunni mosque located in the village of Goyghor in Mostafapur Union, Moulvibazar District, Bangladesh. It was built and established on top of a small h ...

Jiladpur Mosque The Jiladpur Mosque (, ) is an ancient three-domed mosque in Moulvibazar District, in the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. It is believed that the mosque was built in the late 1500s CE. Location The mosque is located in the village of Jiladpur ( ...

, and the Lawachara Jame Mosque. The revivalist

Deobandi movement The Deobandi movement or Deobandism is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam that adheres to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It was formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the name ...

is popular in with Jamia Luthfia Anwarul Uloom Hamidnagar being a notable centre in Srimangal and many are part of the

Tablighi Jamaat Tablighi Jamaat ( , also translated as "propagation party" or "preaching party") is an international Islamic schools and branches, Islamic religious movement. It focuses on exhorting Muslims to be more religiously observant and encourages f ...

. Another Islamic institution is the Sujaul Senior Fazil Madrasha in Barlekha. A small minority of

Shia Muslim Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

s gather during

Ashura Ashura (, , ) is a day of commemoration in Islam. It occurs annually on the tenth of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. For Sunni Muslims, Ashura marks the parting of the Red Sea by Moses and the salvation of the Israelites ...

every year at the Nawab Bari in Prithimpasha, which was home to an royal Shia family in Kulaura. There is a sizeable Hindu population in Moulvibazar many who are living in Sreemangal. Moulvibazar has the second-highest proportion of Hindu residents of any district in Bangladesh, after Gopalganj. Begum Talib-un-Nisa Khatun of Prithimpasha's Chhoto Saheb Bari established the famous Rabir Bazar Jame Masjid in the late 18th century. Muslims make up 74.65% of the population, while Hindus are 24.45% and Christians 0.84% of the population. Moulvibazar was formerly a Hindu-majority region before Partition. During the Partition of 1947 many Hindus migrated to neighbouring districts of India. Later, a further wave of emigration of Hindus to India occurred during the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh. Ethnic population is 73,303 (3.45%), mainly tea tribes and indigenous groups like Tripuri and Khasi. 18,031 were Manipuri, 10,045 Khasi, 8,158 Munda, 6,308

Santal The Santal (or Santhal) are an Austroasiatic languages, Austroasiatic-speaking Munda peoples, Munda ethnic group of the Indian subcontinent. Santals are the largest tribe in the Jharkhand and West Bengal in terms of population and are also found ...

, 4,468 Oraon, 4,132

Garo Garo may refer to: People and languages * Garo people, a tribal people in India ** Garo language, the language spoken by the Garo tribe Places * Kingdom of Garo, a former kingdom in southern Ethiopia * Garo, Colorado * Garo Hills, part of the ...

and 3,318 Bhumij.

Administration

Moulvibazar is made up of 7 subdivisions or

upazila An ''upazila'' ( pronounced: ), formerly called ''thana'', is an administrative division in Bangladesh, functioning as a sub-unit of a district. It can be seen as an analogous to a county or a borough of Western countries. Rural upazilas ...

s. They are: # Moulvibazar Sadar # Kamalganj # Kulaura # Rajnagar # Sreemangal # Barlekha (originally part of Joldhup in

Karimganj Karimganj, officially Sribhumi, is a town in the Karimganj district of the Indian States and territories of India, state of Assam. It is the administrative headquarters of the district. Karimganj town is located at . The area of Karimganj Tow ...

) # Juri (formed in 2005 from unions of Kulaura and Barlekha) There are 67 unions, 2,064 villages and 5 Pourashavas namely Kamalganj, Kulaura, Sreemongal, Barlekha and

. Almost 50,000 of the clan population belong to Manipuri, Khasia and

clans. They tend to live in the areas of Kamalganj, Sreemongal and Kulaura Upazila of this district. There are 92 tea gardens in the district. During the

British colonial period The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

, South Sylhet subdivision was divided into three tax collectory zilas, further divided into 28

s.Sreehatter Itibritta – Purbangsho (A History of Sylhet), Part 2, Volume 1, Chapter 1,

Achyut Charan Choudhury Achyut Charan Choudhury (; 5 February 1866 – 25 September 1953) was a Bengali writer and historian. Though he wrote several books regarding Vaishnav Hinduism, Choudhury is most well known for his monumental work on the history of the Sylhet reg ...

; Publisher: Mustafa Selim; Source publication, 2004 The incomplete list of parganas of South Sylhet are as follows: * Noyakhali Zila: Chowallish, Balishira, Satgaon, Chautali, Giasnagar, Chaitanyanagar, Athanagiri * Rajnagar Zila: Ita, Shamshernagar, Alinagar, Indeshwar, Panishail/Panishali, Bhanugach, Adampur * Hingazia Zila: Kanihati, Baramchal, Bhatera, Patharia, Yaqubnagar, Longla Later on, South Sylhet subdivision was divided into five

thana Thana means " station" or "place" in South Asian countries. The word ''thana'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''sthana'' or "sthanak", meaning "place" or "stand", which was anglicized as ''thana'' by the British. * Thanas of Bangladesh, forme ...

s: * Moulvibazar Thana: Parganas - Shamshernagar, Chowallish, Shaistanagar, Howlisatrasati * Kamalganj Thana: Parganas - Adampur, Bhanugach, Chhoychiri, Shamshernagar * Kulaura Thana: Parganas - Kanihati, Patharia, Longla, Baramchal * Rajnagar Thana: Parganas - Indeswar, Shamshernagar * Sreemangal Thana: Parganas - Balishira, Chautali

Economy

The main exports of Moulvibazar are

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

, tea, pineapple,

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 blind or visually i ...

jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...

, oranges,

agar Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from " ogonori" and " tengusa". As found in nature, agar is a mixture of two components, t ...

, rubber,

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

es and lemons. Ninety-one of Bangladesh's 153 tea gardens are located in Moulvibazar. The area is also home to the three largest tea gardens (size and production wise) in the world. Pineapples from the Sreemangal area are famous for their flavour and natural sweetness. Srimangal is known as the 'tea capital of Bangladesh' due to the high frequency of tea plantations found there.

Transport

The main transport systems used in the city are Cycle

rickshaws Rickshaw originally denoted a pulled rickshaw, which is a two- or three-wheeled cart generally pulled by one person carrying one passenger. The first known use of the term was in 1879. Over time, cycle rickshaws (also known as pedicabs or tri ...

auto rickshaws 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 other terms in various countries, including three-wheeler, Adaidaita Sahu, Keke-napep, Maruwa, auto, ...

(mainly known as baby-taxis or CNGs), buses, mini-buses and cars. There are about 10,000 rickshaws running each day. Bus service prices have increased as of 2008, up to 30% higher, prices ranges from Tk4 to 25.95. The Kulaura Railway Station, Sreemangal Railway Station is the main railway station providing trains on national routes operated by the state-run

Bangladesh Railway Bangladesh Railway () 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 Railway. The Bangladesh Railway is governed by the Mi ...

. Also Bhanugach Railway Station, Tilagaon, Vatera, Rashidpur Station is used by local peoples. There is a public-use airport in Shamshernagar.

Tourism

The District contains the highest amount of tea plantations in the country. Srimangal is known as the Tea Capital of Bangladesh and is the only place where one can have the original 7-layered tea. Moulvibazar also has notable religious sites such as the

dargah A Sufi shrine or dargah ( ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargāh'' दरगाह درگاہ, ''dôrgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervi ...

and mosque of Shah Mustafa, a companion of

; as well as the

and

, two ancient mosques from the 15th century. Moulvibazar town has many shopping malls and several Indian, Chinese and American eateries. Madhabkunda waterfall in Barlekha is probably the most well-known tourist attraction of the district. The Hum Hum waterfall located in the Razkandi Reserve Forest in Kamalganj was also recently discovered in 2010. The district also contains one of the country's major national parks,

Lawachara National Park Lawachara National Park () is a national park and nature reserve in Bangladesh, located at Kamalganj Upazila and Moulvibazar District in the northeastern region of the country. It is located within the West Bhanugach Reserved Forest. Lawachara ...

, famous for its biodiversity. The park was also the filming site for the 1956 film '' Around the World in 80 Days''. Madhobpur Lake is the only place in the country in which you can find the white-bellied heron.

Hakaluki Haor Hakaluki Haor () is a marsh wetland ecosystem of north-eastern Bangladesh. It is one of Bangladesh's largest and one of Asia's large marsh wetland resources. The haor is bounded by the Kushiara river as well as a part of the Sonai Bardal river t ...

, Hail Haor and Bilashchhara Lake are also other nearby

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

s. The memorial monument of

Hamidur Rahman Hamidur Rahman (2 February 195328 October 1971) was a sepoy in Bangladesh Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Rahman was killed on 28 October 1971 at Dholoi during the Battle of Dhalai, Srimangal during an attempt to capture the Pakistan ...

can be found in Kamalganj. There is also a multi-use stadium called Saifur Rahman Stadium.

Education

The Bangladesh Tea Research Institute can be found in Srimangal. It has made significant contributions in evolving and standardising the quality of tea, and introducing its research findings to the tea industry of Bangladesh. The oldest school of Moulvibazar district is Moulvibazar Government High School.

Notable people

Altaf Husain Altaf Husain (, ; 26 January 1900 – 25 May 1968) was an educationist, journalist, and Pakistan Movement activist. He is noted as one of the pioneers of print journalism in Pakistan and was the founding editor and the first editor-in-chief of ...

(1900 –1968) educationist, journalist. *

Syed Mujtaba Ali Syed Mujtaba Ali (, ; 13 September 1904 – 11 February 1974) was a Bengali writer, journalist, travel enthusiast, academic, scholar and linguist. He lived in Bangladesh, India, Germany, Afghanistan and Egypt. Early life and education Syed Mujt ...

, writer, scholar and linguist (1904-1974) * Md. Keramat Ali, MLA, 1954 and MNA, 1965 * Abdul Muntaquim Chaudhury MNA, MP *

Mohammad Ataul Karim Mohammad Ataul Karim (; born 4 May 1953) is a Bangladeshi American scientist and higher education administrator, with expertise in electro-optical systems, optical computing, and pattern recognition. Ataul Karim is ranked amongst the top 50 re ...

is provost and executive vice chancellor at

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth or UMassD) is a Public university, public research university in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It is the southernmost campus of the University of Massachusetts system. Formerly "Southeas ...

. * Tommy Miah, restaurateur and celebrity chef *

Shafiqur Rahman Shafiqur Rahman (; born 31 October 1958) is a Bangladeshi politician who is the current Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Early life Rahman was born on 31 October 1958 in Bhatera Union under Kulaura Upazila of Moulvibazar District. His ...

, physician and Amir of the

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh. The origin of the party can be traced back to the original faction founded by Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi in 1941. The predecessor of Jamaat which is known as Ja ...

Saifur Rahman Saifur Rahman () is a male Muslim name, meaning ''sword of the Most Gracious''. Notable people with the name include: *Akhundzada Saif-ur-Rahman Mubarak (1925–2010), Sufi sheikh of the Naqshbandi Mujaddadi Tariqa *Saifur Rahman (Bangladeshi pol ...

, longest serving

Finance Minister of Bangladesh The Finance Minister of Bangladesh heads the Ministry of Finance (Bangladesh), Ministry of Finance of the Government of Bangladesh. It is one of the most important positions in the Ministries of Bangladesh, Cabinet and the Finance Minister must d ...

. * Doly Begum, Canadian politician * Naser Rahman, former MP for Moulvibazar-3 and chairman of the Saifur Rahman Foundation *

Surendra Kumar Sinha Surendra Kumar Sinha (born 1 February 1951), commonly known as SK Sinha is a Bangladeshi lawyer and jurist who served as the 21st Chief Justice of Bangladesh. He resigned from the position in November 2017 amid the 16th amendment verdict controv ...

, Chief Justice of Bangladesh (2015-2017) * Wali Tasar Uddin MBE, entrepreneur, restaurateur, community leader and chairman of the Bangladesh-British Chamber of Commerce. * Bajloor Rashid MBE, businessman and former president of the Bangladesh Caterers Association UK. *

Nadia Shah Nadia Shah () is a British Labour Party politician, councillor for Regent's Park and former Mayor of Camden. In May 2016, she became the first female mayor of British Bangladeshi heritage. She was elected onto Camden councils cabinet after st ...

, politician, councillor and former Mayor of Camden. In May 2016, she became the first female

British Bangladeshi British Bangladeshis () are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots are from Bangladesh. Bengali Muslims have prominently been migrating to the UK since World War II. Migration reached its peak during the 1970s, with ...

mayor. * Rowshanara Moni, singer and actress. In 2004, her debut album '' Nijhum Raat'' was released. * Shanaj Ahmed, cricketer for

Syed Mohammad Ali Syed Mohammad Ali (9 December 1928 – 17 October 1993) was a Bengali journalist and editor. Ali began his career in East Pakistan. He became an editor for several newspapers in East Asia, including ''The Bangkok Post'' in Thailand, the '' Hong Ko ...

, founder of The Daily Star - the largest circulating daily English-language newspaper in

. *

Syed Abdul Majid Khan Bahadur Syed Abdul Majid, CIE (; 1872–1922), also known by his nickname Kaptan Miah (), was a politician, lawyer and entrepreneur. He is notable for pioneering the development in the agricultural and tea industry in British India as wel ...

CIE, first native minister of Assam, pioneer of the agricultural industry * Dwijen Sharma, botanist, environmentalist and science writer. * Mahbubur Rahman Sufil, footballer and captain of Arambagh KS * Syed Mohsin Ali, former Social Welfare Minister of Bangladesh * Syeda Saira Mohsin, former MP for Moulvibazar-3 * Abdus Shahid, former

chief whip The Chief Whip is a political leader whose task is to enforce the whipping system, which aims to ensure that legislators who are members of a political party attend and vote on legislation as the party leadership prescribes. United Kingdom I ...

for

Bangladesh Awami League The Awami League, officially known as Bangladesh Awami League, is a major List of political parties in Bangladesh, political party in Bangladesh. The oldest existing political party in the country, the party played the leading role in achievin ...

* Shahab Uddin, Bangladeshi Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change * Nawab Ali Amjad Khan, 8th Nawab of Longla, Honorary Magistrate, Expert hunter, Philanthropist and Educationist * Nawab Ali Abbas Khan, Jatiya Party politician and three-time MP for Moulvibazar-2 * Nawab Ali Haider Khan, 9th Nawab of Longla, government minister and leader of the Independent Muslim Party * Abdul Matin, former MP for Moulvibazar-2 * Parvez Haris, biomedical science professor at

De Montfort University De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body ...

* Rangalal Sen,

National Professor National Professor () is a prestigious teaching award given by the government of Bangladesh for outstanding contribution in the field of education. It is awarded by the President of Bangladesh according to ''Bangladesh National Professor Resolutio ...

* Mohammad Zillur Rahman, MP for Moulvibazar-3

Notes

References

* Moulvibajar Jilar Itihas o Oitisyo, Rabbani Choudhury, Agami Prokashon, 2000 * Kazi Mahmudur Rahman, Faculty (Mentors' education Moulvibazar branch) {{Authority control Districts of Bangladesh