Sylhet Division

Coordinates: 24°30′N 91°40′E / 24.500°N 91.667°E / 24.500; 91.667
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the administrative division of Sylhet. For other uses, see Sylhet (disambiguation).

Sylhet Division
সিলেট বিভাগ
Śilhôṭ-Jalalabad
19 seats)
Area
 • Total12,298.4 km2 (4,748.4 sq mi)
Elevation
[2]
334.67 m (1,098 ft)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total11,034,863
 • Density900/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
DemonymSylheti
Demographics
 • Literacy rate71.92%
Languages
 • Official languageBengali[3]
 • Regional languageSylheti[4][5]
 • Indigenous minority languages
List[11]
UTC+6 (BST)
ISO 3166 codeBD-G
HDI (2019)0.631[12]
medium
Notable sport teams
Websitesylhetdiv.gov.bd

Sylhet Division (Bengali: 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 divisions of Chittagong to the southwest and Dhaka and Mymensingh to the west.

Prior to the Partition in 1947, it included Karimganj subdivision (presently in Barak Valley, Assam, India). However, Karimganj (including the thanas of Badarpur, Patharkandi and Ratabari) was inexplicably severed from Sylhet by the Radcliffe Boundary Commission. According to Niharranjan Ray, it was partly due to a plea from a delegation led by Abdul Matlib Mazumdar.[13]

Etymology

Sirote was a name used by Europeans in the 1700s

The Sylhet Division is named after its headquarters, the city of

Hindu rajas of Sylhet, such as Gour Govinda, continued to pay tribute to the deity as Hāṭkeśvara or Haṭṭanātha as evident from the Devipurana and copper-plate inscriptions.[16]

History

Main article: History of Sylhet
The Assam Province's Sylhet District contained Karimganj.

In 1874, the current Sylhet Division, which included

Chief Commissioner's Province of Assam (Northeast Frontier Province) in order to facilitate Assam's commercial development.[17][18] The people of Sylhet submitted a memorandum to the Viceroy protesting the inclusion in Assam.[19] The protests subsided when the Viceroy, Lord Northbrook, visited Sylhet to reassure the people that education and justice would be administered from Bengal,[20] and when the people in Sylhet saw the opportunity of employment in tea estates in Assam and a market for their produce.[21] In 1905, Sylhet district rejoined Bengal as a part of the new Surma Valley Division of Eastern Bengal and Assam. In 1912, the then Sylhet district was once again moved to the newly created Assam Province
alongside the other districts of the Surma Valley Division.

Historically, the entire Sylhet region was a single district within the Surma Valley and Hill Districts Division as part of the Assam Province. In 1947, a

South Sylhet, Habiganj and Sunamganj) joined the Dominion of Pakistan; subsequently forming East Bengal
's 'Sylhet district' in the Chittagong division.

Following the

H M Ershad's decentralisation programme. The four districts remained in the Chittagong Division
until 1995 when they formed the new Sylhet Division.

The Sylhet Division has a "friendship link" with the city of

Rochdale, Oldham, London, and many more places.[citation needed
]

Economy

Main article:
Economy of Sylhet
The Mulnicherra Estate is the oldest tea garden in South Asia

The area around Sylhet is a traditional tea growing area. The Surma Valley is covered with terraces of tea gardens and tropical forests.

Srimangal
is known as the tea capital of Bangladesh; for miles around, tea gardens are visible on the hill slopes.

The area has over 150 tea gardens, including three of the largest tea plantations in the world, both in terms of area and production. Nearly 300,000 workers, of which more than 75% are women, are employed on the tea estates. Employers prefer to engage women for plucking tea leaves since they do a better job than, but are paid less than, men. A recent drought has killed nearly a tenth of the tea shrubs.

The plantations, or gardens, were mostly developed during the British Raj. The plantations were started by the British, and the managers still live in the white timber houses built during the Raj. The bungalows stand on huge lawns. The service and the lifestyle of managers are still unchanged.

Numerous projects and businesses in the city and in large towns have been funded by Sylhetis living and working abroad. As of 1986, an estimated 95 percent of ethnic

Export Processing Zone
(EPZ) in Sylhet, in order to attract foreign investors, mainly from the UK.

Sylhet has also benefited from tourism. There are many natural landmarks people tend to visit, such as the Keane Bridge, Ali Amjad's Clock, Lalakhal, Jaflong, Madhabkunda waterfall, Ratargul Swamp Forest, Hakaluki Haor, Lawachara National Park, Tanguar Haor and Bichnakandi.[24] Sylhet is also considered to be the spiritual capital of Bangladesh, due to the resting place of Shah Jalal, a Sufi saint who spread Islam in Bangladesh, along with hundreds of his disciples. The Sylhet Shahi Eidgah is a famous place where Eid prayers take place and it is one of the largest Eidgahs in Bangladesh, built by Farhad Khan during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. There are a number of hotels and resorts, particularly in Sreemangal Upazila and Bahubal Upazila.

Governance

Osmani International Airport
Sylhet Railway station

In 1995, Sylhet split from the Chittagong Division and was declared the 6th division of the country. The Sylhet Division is overseen by the Divisional Commissioner, the current Divisional Commissioner is Md. Mashiur Rahman. The Sylhet Division is divided into four districts (

Parliamentary constituencies. The headquarters of the Sylhet Division is the city of Sylhet in Sylhet Sadar Upazila, Sylhet District. Pre-partition Sylhet's Karimganj has been governed by India
since 1947.

Name Capital Area (km2)[25] Population
1991 Census		 Population
2001 Census		 Population
2011 Census 		Population

2022 census

Habiganj District Habiganj 2,536.58 1,526,609 1,757,665 2,089,001 2,358,886
Moulvibazar District Moulvibazar 2,601.84 1,376,566 1,612,374 1,919,062 2,123,445
Sunamganj District Sunamganj 3,669.58 1,708,563 2,013,738 2,467,968 2,695,495
Sylhet District Sylhet 3,490.40 2,153,301 2,555,566 3,434,188 3,857,037
Total District 4 12,298.4 6,765,039 7,939,343 9,910,219 11,034,863
List of Upazilas in Sylhet Division
District Upazila
Habiganj District
  1. Ajmiriganj Upazila
  2. Bahubal Upazila
  3. Baniachong Upazila
  4. Chunarughat Upazila
  5. Habiganj Sadar Upazila
  6. Lakhai Upazila
  7. Madhabpur Upazila
  8. Nabiganj Upazila
  9. Sayestaganj Upazila
Moulvibazar District
  1. Barlekha Upazila
  2. Juri Upazila
  3. Kamalganj Upazila
  4. Kulaura Upazila
  5. Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila
  6. Rajnagar Upazila
  7. Sreemangal Upazila
Sunamganj District
  1. Bishwamvarpur Upazila
  2. Chhatak Upazila
  3. Dakshin Sunamganj Upazila
  4. Derai Upazila
  5. Dharamapasha Upazila
  6. Dowarabazar Upazila
  7. Jagannathpur Upazila
  8. Jamalganj Upazila
  9. Madhyanagar Upazila
  10. Shantiganj Upazila
  11. Sullah Upazila
  12. Sunamganj Sadar Upazila
  13. Tahirpur Upazila
Sylhet District
  1. Balaganj Upazila
  2. Beanibazar Upazila
  3. Bishwanath Upazila
  4. Companiganj Upazila
  5. Fenchuganj Upazila
  6. Golapganj Upazila
  7. Gowainghat Upazila
  8. Jaintiapur Upazila
  9. Kanaighat Upazila
  10. Osmani Nagar Upazila
  11. South Surma Upazila
  12. Sylhet Sadar Upazila
  13. Zakiganj Upazila

Geography

Kala pahar
located in the Longla Ridge (Hararganj-Singla range).
Hakaluki Haor is the largest haor in Bangladesh.

Geographically the region is surrounded by hillocks (known as tillas) from all three sides except its western plain boundary with the rest of Bengal. In the south of the region (Habiganj, Moulvibazar), eight hill ranges enter the plains of Sylhet running uniformly from the west to the east. They are: Raghunandan, Dinarpur-Shatgaon, Balishira, Bhanugach-Rajkandi, Hararganj-Singla, Patharia, Pratapgarh-Duhalia and Sorrispur-Siddheswar hill ranges. At the centre of the region is also an isolated range known as the Ita Hills.[26]

The region is considered one of the most picturesque and archaeologically rich regions in South Asia. It is home to three national parks; the Lawachara National Park, Khadim Nagar National Park and Satchari National Park, as well as numerous smaller parks and forests such as the Ratargul Swamp Forest, Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. Its burgeoning economy has contributed to the regional attractions of landscapes filled with fragrant orange and pineapple gardens as well as tea plantations. The region has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Cwa) at higher elevations. The rainy season from April to October is hot and humid with very heavy showers and thunderstorms almost every day, whilst the short dry season from November to February is very warm and fairly clear. Nearly 80% of the annual average rainfall of 4,200 millimetres (170 in) occurs between May and September.[27]

The

physiography of the division 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.[26]

Geologically, the division is complex having diverse sacrificial geomorphology; high topography of

Richter Scale, the last one took place in 1918, although many people are unaware that Sylhet lies on an earthquake prone zone.[28]

Flora and fauna

The region is home to the

Sylhet roofed turtle.[29]

The Asian elephant were once found in small numbers in places such as Chapghat, Bhanugach, Chamtolla, Mahram and the Raghunandan hills. More abundantly they are found near streams in Singla and Langai.[26]

Culture

Main article:
Culture of Sylhet

Language

The "Nagari Chattar" (Nagari Square), built near Surma river in the city of Sylhet, consists of the Sylheti Nagri script.

The official language of Sylhet is

Sadhu Bhasha
register of Bengali in the district. The
Tripuri.[30]

Architecture

See also:
Bengali architecture, Islamic architecture, and Mughal architecture

The intense building of mosques which took place during the Sultanate era indicates the rapidity with which the locals converted to Islam. Today, mosques are present in every Muslim-inhabited village. Bengali mosques are normally covered with several small domes and curved brick roofs decorated with

Ponds are often located beside a mosque.[31]

Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It stands as the largest eidgah of the region.[32]

In 1872, Nawab Moulvi Ali Ahmed Khan of

Sylhet City.[33][34][35] In 1936, a bridge was constructed across the Surma River known as the Keane Bridge
. These two historic landmarks are known as the gateway to Sylhet city.

Assam-type architecture developed in Sylhet region under Assam Province during the late modern period.

Sports and games

The Sylhet International Cricket Stadium is the largest stadium in the region. It is surrounded by hills and has a scenic view.

Latim and Lathi khela
.

Demography

Srimangal
.
A young Khasi boy in a remote village.

The division's population is over 12 million and

Bauris, Beens, Bonaz, Sabar and Bhumij amongst others.[36]

Religion

Religion in Sylhet (2022)[37]

  Islam (86.2%)
  Hinduism (13.5%)
  Christianity (0.2%)
  Buddhism (0.1%)
  Others (0.1%)

Religion in Sylhet (1872)[38]

  Hinduism (50.0%)
  Islam (49.7%)
  Other (0.3%)

Deobandi movement is also popular in the region with Jamia Tawakkulia Renga being a notable centre and many are part of the Tablighi Jamaat. Haji Shariatullah's Faraizi movement was very popular during the British period and Wahhabism is adopted by some upper-class families.[41] The Ahmadiyya community is mostly concentrated in Selbaras, which was the ancestral home of Ahmad Toufiq Choudhury, the leader of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Bangladesh.[42][43]

There is a very small minority of

Kulaura, home to a royal Shia family, as well as Rajtila
.

Shakti Peetha
.

Other minority religions include Christianity (including the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sylhet and Sylhet Presbyterian Synod), Ka Niam Khasi, Sanamahism, Songsarek as well as animism. In the early 20th century, there were over a hundred Marwaris from Rajasthan that were living in Sylhet, mostly as merchants and followed Jainism.[29]: 90 

There was a presence of

Tegh Bahadur and many hukamnamas were issued to this temple by Guru Gobind Singh. In 1897, the gurdwara fell down after the earthquake
.

In popular culture

See also

References

  1. ^ "List of Divisional Commissioners". Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Kala Pahar (The Highest peak of Greater Sylhet and Northern Bangladesh)". Wikiloc | Trails of the World. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  3. ^ "The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh". Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Sylheti". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  5. ^ চৌধুরী, ফারজানা (18 June 2021). "যুক্তরাষ্ট্রে আঞ্চলিক ভাষার স্বীকৃতি পেল 'সিলেটি' ভাষা" (in Bengali). Prothom Alo. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  6. ^ "বিলুপ্তির পথে হাজং ভাষাবৈচিত্র্য". Janakantha. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2024. দেশের উত্তর-পূর্বাঞ্চলের নেত্রকোনা, ময়মনসিংহ, শেরপুর, সুনামগঞ্জ ও সিলেটের আংশিক এলাকার ১০৮টি গ্রামে হাজং সম্প্রদায়ের বসবাস।
  7. ^ Mintu Deshwara, Pinaki Roy (21 February 2021). "The last of the Kharia speakers". Retrieved 2 January 2024. After our death, nobody will speak this language [Kharia]. I tried to teach the language to the younger people but they do not show interest and laugh at me when I speak in Kharia.
  8. ^ নিজস্ব প্রতিবেদক (11 February 2023). "খাসি ভাষা ধরে রাখার চেষ্টায় বিদ্যালয় চালু". Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  9. ^ নিজস্ব প্রতিবেদক (11 December 2023). "বিপন্ন 'কুরুখ' ভাষা রক্ষায় নতুন উদ্যোগ". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
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  18. S2CID 145546471
    . To make [the Province] financially viable, and to accede to demands from professional groups, [the colonial administration] decided in September 1874 to annex the Bengali-speaking and populous district of Sylhet.
  19. S2CID 145546471
    . A memorandum of protest against the transfer of Sylhet was submitted to the viceroy on 10 August 1874 by leaders of both the Hindu and Muslim communities.
  20. S2CID 145546471
    . It was also decided that education and justice would be administered from Calcutta University and the Calcutta High Court respectively.
  21. S2CID 145546471
    . They could also see that the benefits conferred by the tea industry on the province would also prove profitable for them. For example, those who were literate were able to obtain numerous clerical and medical appointments in tea estates, and the demand for rice to feed the tea labourers noticeably augmented its price in Sylhet and Assam enabling the Zaminders (mostly Hindu) to dispose of their produce at a better price than would have been possible had they been obliged to export it to Bengal.
  22. ^ Sylhet, Bangladesh Archived 19 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine.St.Albans District Council.
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  24. ^ "Best Things to Do in Sylhet Division of Bangladesh". Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
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  30. ^ Jengcham, Subhash. "Mushahar". Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
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  34. ^ Alam, Mahabub (20 July 2016). এখনও সময় জানায় আমজাদের সেই ঘড়ি [Ali Amjad's clock still telling the time!]. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  35. ^ Chowdhury, Aftab (5 October 2016). আলী আমজাদের ঘড়ি [The Clock of Ali Amjad]. Bangladesh Pratidin (in Bengali). Dhaka. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  36. ^ Jengcham, Subhash. "Bhumij". Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  37. ISBN 978-984-35-2977-0. Archived
    from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  38. ^ "Statements of the District of Cachar" (PDF). Linguistic Survey of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  39. ^ "Islam in Bangladesh". OurBangla. Archived from the original on 19 February 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  40. ^ Dr David Garbin (17 June 2005). "Bangladeshi Diaspora in the UK : Some observations on socio-culturaldynamics, religious trends and transnational politics" (PDF). University of Surrey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  41. ^ Hunter, William Wilson (1875). "District of Sylhet: Administrative History". A Statistical Account of Assam. Vol. 2.
  42. ^ AK Rezaul Karim (15 October 2005). "Zikr-e-Khair". The Fortnightly Ahmadi (in Bengali). 68 (6/7). Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, Bangladesh.
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  44. ^ "'Call The Midwife' Season 4 Premiere: Nurse Barbara Learns About Culture As Cynthia Returns in Sneak Peek [VIDEO]". ENSTARZ. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Sylhet Division.


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