Barisal বরিশাল | |
|---|---|
| Barishal | |
     .jpg) From top: Barisal Launch Terminal, University of Barisal,Guthia Mosque, Oxford Mission Church, Brojomohun College, Barisal Museum | |
| Nickname: Venice of the East | |
  Barisal Barisal (Bangladesh) Show map of Bangladesh | |
| Coordinates:22°42′36″N90°21′47″E / 22.710°N 90.363°E /22.710; 90.363 | |
| Country | Bangladesh |
| Division | Barisal Division |
| District | Barisal District |
| Municipality established | 1876; 149 years ago (1876) |
| City Corporation | 2002; 23 years ago (2002) |
| Granted city status | 19 April 2001[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–Council |
| • Body | Barishal City Corporation |
| • Administrator | Md. Shaukat Ali |
| • Chief Executive Officer | Md. Israel Hossain |
| • City Council | 30 constituencies |
| • Parliament | 1 constituencies |
| Area | |
| • Urban | 35.19 km2 (13.59 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 69.61 km2 (26.88 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1 m (4 ft) |
| Population (2022)[3] | |
| • Urban | 386,775 |
| • Urban density | 11,000/km2 (28,000/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 448,152 |
| • Metro density | 6,400/km2 (17,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Barishali, Barishailla |
| Time zone | UTC+6 (BST) |
| Postal code | 8200 |
| Calling code | 0431 |
| National calling code | +880 |
| Police | Barisal Metropolitan Police |
| Domestic airport | Barisal Airport |
| Website | www |
Barisal (/ˌbʌrəˈsɑːl/ or/ˈbærəˌsɔːl/;Bengali:বরিশাল,pronounced[boɾiʃal]),[a]officially known asBarishal,[4] is a major city that lies on the banks of theKirtankhola river in south-centralBangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of bothBarisal District[b] andBarisal Division. It is one of the oldest municipalities and river ports of the country. The city was once called theVenice of the East or theVenice of Bengal.[6]
Barisal municipality was established in 1876 during theBritish rule in India and upgraded to City Corporation on 25 July 2002.[7] Barisal is Bangladesh's third largest financial hub afterDhaka andChittagong.[8][9] The city consists of 30 wards and 50 mahallas with a population of 533,000, according to the 2023 national census, and about 250,000 voters, according to the 2018 voter list of city election.[10] The area of the city is 58 km2.[11]
Barisal was part of the ancient kingdoms ofVanga,Gangaridai andSamatata. The region was ruled byKhadga,Pala,Chandra,Sena andDeva dynasty in the mediaeval period. It was conquered byMuhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji and was later a significant territory of theDelhi Sultanate andBengal Sultanate. After the decline of theSuri Empire, the territory became a semi-independent area in theMughal period because of heavy fighting between theMuslims andHindu chiefs, although most parts of the city were totally under the control of the governors of the proto-industrialisedBengal Subah. In course of time, it fell under theBengal Nawabs. Raja Ramranjan Chakravarty was put as ade jure king during theBengal Presidency of the British, later passed toEast Pakistan at independence and finallyBangladesh.[12]
In ancient times, it was called Chandradwip (চন্দ্রদ্বীপ), while during the Medieval Islamic times it was also known as Ismailpur & Bacola (বাকলা) in Europe.Ralph Fitch, the first ever Englishman, a leather merchant, known to have visited Bengal in the mid-1580s, described Barisal in his journal as, "From Chatigan in Bengal, I came to Bacola; the king whereof is a Gentile, a man very well disposed and delighted much to shoot in a gun. His country is very great and fruitful, and hath store of rice, much cotton cloth, and cloth of silk. The houses are very fair and high built, the streets large, and people naked, except a little cloth about their waist. The women wear a great store of silver hoops about their necks and arms, and their legs are ringed with silver and copper, and rings made from elephants' teeth."[13]
The central city of this region is the city of Barisal. It is one of the biggest river ports in Bangladesh. It is a city with nearly 0.38 million people and a divisional headquarters,medical college,cadet college, some pharmaceutical industries, textile industries and theBangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority's head office. Barisal is fast growing city of the country stands on the Kirtankhola River. the country's first short landing and take off airport has been completed in Barisal and a private Airlines named Air Bengal has begun its regular air flight betweenDhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal Airport and Barisal.[citation needed]
"Barisal guns" is a natural phenomenon named after Barisal; it is kind of a booming sound heard near lakes and rivers which is due to seismic activity under water, first heard in this region by the British in the 19th century.[citation needed]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1872 | 12,501 | — |
| 1891 | 15,482 | +23.8% |
| 1901 | 18,978 | +22.6% |
| 1911 | 22,473 | +18.4% |
| 1921 | 26,744 | +19.0% |
| 1931 | 35,716 | +33.5% |
| 1931 | 61,316 | +71.7% |
| 1951 | 89,694 | +46.3% |
| 1961 | 69,936 | −22.0% |
| 1974 | 98,127 | +40.3% |
| 1991 | 142,098 | +44.8% |
| 2001 | 224,389 | +57.9% |
| 2011 | 328,278 | +46.3% |
| 2022 | 576,927 | +75.7% |
| sources:[14] | ||
As of 2022 census results, Barisal City Corporation had 105,200 households and a population of 419,484. 16.19% of the population was under 10 years of age. Barisal had a literacy rate of 88.90% for those 7 years and older and a sex ratio of 103.87 males per 100 females.[3]
Most people in Barisal areBengalis. The long-standing inhabitants of the city are known as Barisaliya and the most spokenBengali dialect of this region is known asEastern Bengali. Apart from them, the city population is composed of people from neighboringupazilas anddistricts (Patuakhali,Bhola,Pirojpur,Jhalakati,Barguna).[citation needed]
| Religions in Barisal City Corp. (2022)[3] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religion | Percent | |||
| Islam | 90.36% | |||
| Hinduism | 9.01% | |||
| Christianity | 0.61% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.02% | |||
The majority of Barisal's people are Muslims (90.36%), mainlySunni Islam of theHanafi school. Other religious groups include Hindus (9.01%), and very few numbers of other religions, mainly Christians (0.61%) and Buddhists (0.01%).[3]
Since 2015, the Catholic minority has its ownRoman Catholic Diocese of Barisal.
Barisal city occupies an area of 58 km2.
Barisal District, with an area of 2790.51 km2, is bounded byMadaripur,Shariatpur,Chandpur andLakshmipur districts on the north,Patuakhali,Barguna andJhalokati District on the south, Bhola and Lakshmipur districts on the east, Jhalokati, Pirojpur andGopalganj districts on the west. Several rivers flow across Barisal including the Kirtankhola, Arial Khan, Khoyrabad, Kalijira and Sandha.
Barisal has a climate on the border between a dry-winterhumid subtropical climate (KöppenCwa) and atropical savanna climate (Aw).
| Climate data for Barisal (1991–2020, extremes 1883-present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.0 (87.8) | 35.6 (96.1) | 38.0 (100.4) | 43.6 (110.5) | 37.5 (99.5) | 37.0 (98.6) | 36.5 (97.7) | 36.8 (98.2) | 37.3 (99.1) | 35.8 (96.4) | 34.0 (93.2) | 31.5 (88.7) | 43.6 (110.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.4 (77.7) | 28.8 (83.8) | 32.5 (90.5) | 33.7 (92.7) | 33.6 (92.5) | 32.4 (90.3) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.6 (88.9) | 32.0 (89.6) | 31.9 (89.4) | 29.9 (85.8) | 26.7 (80.1) | 30.8 (87.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.6 (63.7) | 21.4 (70.5) | 25.9 (78.6) | 28.4 (83.1) | 29.0 (84.2) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.3 (82.9) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.3 (82.9) | 27.2 (81.0) | 23.5 (74.3) | 19.1 (66.4) | 25.5 (77.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.8 (53.2) | 15.4 (59.7) | 20.5 (68.9) | 23.9 (75.0) | 25.1 (77.2) | 26.0 (78.8) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.0 (78.8) | 25.6 (78.1) | 23.9 (75.0) | 18.9 (66.0) | 13.8 (56.8) | 21.4 (70.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 5.0 (41.0) | 8.5 (47.3) | 11.5 (52.7) | 17.0 (62.6) | 18.4 (65.1) | 21.6 (70.9) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 21.5 (70.7) | 16.6 (61.9) | 13.0 (55.4) | 6.5 (43.7) | 5.0 (41.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 12.0 (0.47) | 21.0 (0.83) | 45.0 (1.77) | 101.0 (3.98) | 210.0 (8.27) | 380.0 (14.96) | 423.0 (16.65) | 334.0 (13.15) | 288.0 (11.34) | 190.0 (7.48) | 47.0 (1.85) | 6.0 (0.24) | 2,057 (80.98) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 11.0 | 18.0 | 24.0 | 23.0 | 18.0 | 10.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 119.0 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 81 | 78 | 76 | 80 | 83 | 88 | 90 | 89 | 89 | 87 | 84 | 83 | 84 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 218.9 | 223.1 | 241.1 | 233.3 | 214.5 | 144.7 | 130.9 | 145.6 | 151.8 | 214.9 | 230.6 | 212.9 | 2,362.3 |
| Source 1:NOAA[15] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Bangladesh Meteorological Department (humidity 1981–2010)[16][17] | |||||||||||||
Durga Sagar: with an area of about 2,500 hectare, is the largest pond or dighi of southern Bangladesh. It is located at Madhabpasa village of Babuganj upazila, about 11 km away from Barisal town. Locally it is known as Madhabpasha Dighi. According to a desire of Rani Durgavati, mother of Raja Joynarayan, the dighi was dug in 1780 (1187 BS). There are coconut trees around the dighi which together with the dighi are bounded by brick-walls. In the middle of the dighi, there is an island with bushes. Migratory birds usually come here during winter. The surrounding areas of the dighi has now been turned into a picnic spot. Madhabpasha was a capital of the kingdom ofChandradvipa.[citation needed]
Lakhutia: located approximately 8 km from Barisal's central business district, the Roy family estate is known as 'Lakhutia' (note: there are several variations of the spelling of this word, including 'Lakutia' and 'Lakhotia'). The Lakhutia zamindar estate was founded by Roop Chandra Roy in the late 17th century. Apart from the main mansion itself, the estate has several Shiva temples and large ponds on the vast property. The Lakhutia mansion – including the Roy family's personal property, was effectively destroyed during the1950 East Pakistan Riots, and then again later during the1971 Bangladesh genocide. While most of Lakhutia was destroyed during the 1950 and 1971 riots and genocide, the historical site and sparse remains of the mansion remain one of Barisal's main tourist attractions.
Barisal's buildings are too diverse to be characterised by any particular architectural style, and have been built over a long period of time.
Some well known heritage buildings are:
Cricket andfootball are the two most popular sports in Barisal while tennis andkabaddi are also popular. There is a national stadium in the city known asBarisal Divisional Stadium (also known as Abdur Rab Serniabad Stadium). It is a multi-purpose stadium and has a capacity of 15,000 spectators. It is currently used mostly for cricket matches. It is also used for football and other sports. Besides, different organization share to stage a show there occasionally. Notable players from Barisal who have played for the national team includeShahriar Nafees,Sohag Gazi,Kamrul Islam Rabbi andFazle Mahmud.[citation needed]
There is a regional sports training centre underBangladesh Krira Shiksha Pratisthan (BKSP) situated at Rahamatpur in Barisal[20] Barisal is also home to theBangladesh Premier League franchiseFortune Barishal.
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Barisal Airport is a domestic airport.Biman Bangladesh Airlines,Novoair andUS-Bangla Airlines use this port. Active air-route is Barisal-Dhaka-Barisal.
Barisal River Port is the second largest river port of Bangladesh. It is the most popular way of communication for the people of Barisal to Dhaka, the capital city. It is also a popular transport system with other districts like Bhola, Barguna, Lakshmipur.
Barisal is connected to most other regions of the country via theN8 national highway. There are two bus terminals in Barisal, Nathullabad Central Bus terminal andRupatali Bus Terminal, which connect Barisal to other districts.
Barisal is home to many educational institutions. Govt. Brojomohan College is the oldest institution of higher education in the city, founded in 1889. There is a public universityUniversity of Barisal and two private universities, a government medical collegeSher-e-Bangla Medical College (SBMC), a textile engineering collegeShaheed Abdur Rab Serniabat Textile Engineering College and an engineering collegeBarisal Engineering College. There are also educational institutions likeBarisal Zilla School,Barisal Cadet College,Govt. Syed Hatem Ali College,Government Women's College, Govt. Barisal College,Amrita Lal Dey College, Barisal Govt. Girls High School, Barisal Model School and College and Barisal Asmat Ali Khan Institution (A.K. School). Besides these there are three teacher training colleges, aGovernment Polytechnic institute, two technical institutes, a homeopathic college and a social welfare training centre.[citation needed]
Major institutions include:
Barisal is a center for the newspaper, periodical and book publishers. Some locally published newspapers and periodicals are:
Source:[21]
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