Sylhet Division সিলেট বিভাগ | |
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| Nickname(s): | |
 Sylhet Division in Bangladesh Districts of Sylhet DivisionClockwise from the top: Jaflong,Tanguar Haor,Shah Jalal Dargah,Bichnakandi,Ali Amjad's Clock andRatargul Swamp Forest | |
| Coordinates:24°30′N91°40′E / 24.500°N 91.667°E /24.500; 91.667 | |
| Country |  Bangladesh |
| Established | 1 August 1995; 30 years ago (1995-08-01) |
| Previously was | Part ofSurma Valley Division (1874–1947) andChittagong Division (1947–1995) |
| Capital and largest city | Sylhet |
| Districts | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Local governing division under thecentral government |
| • Body | Divisional Commissioner's Office |
| • Divisional Commissioner | Khan Md. Reza-Un-Nabi[2] |
| • Additional Divisional Commissioner | Ashrafur Rahman[2] |
| • Parliamentary constituency | Jatiya Sangsad (19 seats) |
| • Judiciary | District and Sessions Judge Courts |
| Area | |
| 12,298.4 km2 (4,748.4 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 334.67 m (1,098.0 ft) |
| Population | |
| 11,034,952 (Enumerated) | |
| • Density | 897.267/km2 (2,323.91/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 2,065,498 |
| • Rural | 8,968,558 |
| • Metro | 532,748 |
| • Adjusted Population[4] | 11,415,113 |
| Demonym | Sylheti |
| Languages | |
| • Official language | Bengali[5] |
| • Regional language | Sylheti[6][7] |
| • Minority languages | |
| Time zone | UTC+6 (BST) |
| Postal code | |
| ISO 3166 code | BD-G |
| HDI (2019) | 0.631[15] medium |
| Notable sport teams | |
| Largest airport | Osmani International Airport |
| Largest train station | Sylhet Railway Station |
| Largest haor | Hakaluki |
| Major river | Surma |
| Website | sylhetdiv |
Sylhet Division[a] (Bengali:সিলেট বিভাগ,pronounced[sileʈbibʱaɡ]ⓘ) is the northeasterndivision ofBangladesh. It covers an area of approximately 12,298 km2 (4,748 sq mi), and shares international borders with theIndian states ofMeghalaya,Assam andTripura to the north, east and south respectively—while domestically it adjoins the divisions ofChattogram to the southwest andDhaka andMymensingh to the west. Renowned for its lush tea gardens, rolling hills and vibrant cultural heritage—Sylhet's capital isits namesake, and thefifth-largest urban agglomeration in Bangladesh.
Prior toPartition in 1947, it includedKarimganj subdivision (presently inBarak Valley, Assam, India). However, Karimganj (including thethanas ofBadarpur,Patharkandi andRatabari) was inexplicably severed from Sylhet by theRadcliffe Boundary Commission. According toNiharranjan Ray, it was partly due to a plea from a delegation led byAbdul Matlib Mazumdar.[16]
The Sylhet Division is named after its headquarters, the city ofSylhet. Sylhet is theanglicisation ofশিলহট (Śilhôṭ), one of the archaic native names for the city.[citation needed] The local name is generally thought to be directly derived fromশ্রীহট্ট (Śrīhaṭṭa), theSanskrit name of the city.[17] The city of Śrīhaṭṭa takes its name fromŚrīhaṭṭanātha, thetutelary deity of the Nātha dynasty who promoted the early settlement ofNāthas in the Surma andBarak valleys between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, founding the Śrīhaṭṭajanapada and establishingŚrīhaṭṭanātha idols across the region.[18] The laterHindurajas of Sylhet, such asGour Govinda, continued to pay tribute to the deity asHāṭkeśvara orHaṭṭanātha as evident from theDevipurana and copper-plate inscriptions.[19]
In 1874, the current Sylhet Division, which includedKarimganj District, was entirely known as the 'Sylhet district'. On 16 February 1874, Sylhet was separated from mainland Bengal to be made a part of thenon-regulationChief Commissioner's Province of Assam (Northeast Frontier Province) in order to facilitate Assam's commercial development.[20][21] The people of Sylhet submitted a memorandum to the Viceroy protesting the inclusion in Assam.[22] The protests subsided when the Viceroy,Lord Northbrook, visited Sylhet to reassure the people that education and justice would be administered from Bengal,[23] and when the people in Sylhet saw the opportunity of employment in tea estates in Assam and a market for their produce.[24] In 1905, Sylhet district rejoined Bengal as a part of the newSurma Valley Division ofEastern Bengal and Assam. In 1912, the then Sylhet district was once again moved to the newly createdAssam Province alongside the other districts of the Surma Valley Division. Historically, the entire Sylhet region was a single district within theSurma Valley and Hill Districts Division as part of the Assam Province.
During the partition of India in 1947, a plebiscite was held to determine whether the Sylhet region would remain in India or join East Pakistan.Abdul Matlib Mazumdar led a delegation advocating for the region to remain with India. However, due to demands from the Muslim League and support from Assam's political leaders at the time,[25] the plebiscite resulted in Sylhet's transfer to Pakistan by a narrow margin. Allegations of electoral fraud and irregularities were raised, but the results stood.[26] However, the district'sKarimganj subdivision was given to India by Cyril Radcliffe, after apparently being pleaded by a delegation led by Abdul Matlib Mazumdar. The four other subdivisions (North Sylhet,South Sylhet,Habiganj andSunamganj) joined theDominion of Pakistan; subsequently formingEast Bengal's 'Sylhet district' in the Chittagong division.
Following theindependence of Bangladesh in 1971, Sylhet became part of the new nation. In 1984, the four subdivisions of Sylhet District were upgraded to districts as part ofChief Martial Law AdministratorHussain Muhammad Ershad's decentralisation programme. The four districts remained part ofChittagong Division until 1995, when they formed the new Sylhet Division.
The Sylhet Division has a "friendship link" with the city ofSt Albans, in the United Kingdom. The link was established in 1988 when theSt Albans 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.[27] Sylhet also has many "friendship links" with other cities in the United Kingdom, as the majority of the half-millionBritish Bangladeshis have origins in Sylhet. This includes places such asRochdale,Oldham, London, and many more places.[citation needed]
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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 out of a total of 166 tea estates located all over Bangladesh,[28] 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 theBritish Raj, theMalnicherra Tea Estate being established in Sylhet in the year 1854. 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.[28]
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 ethnicBritish Bangladeshis originated from or had ancestors from the Sylhet region.[29] The Bangladesh government has set up a specialExport 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 theKeane Bridge,Ali Amjad's Clock,Lalakhal,Jaflong,Madhabkunda waterfall,Ratargul Swamp Forest,Hakaluki Haor,Lawachara National Park,Tanguar Haor andBichnakandi.[30] Sylhet is also considered to be the spiritual capital of Bangladesh, due to the resting place ofShah Jalal, a Sufi saint who spread Islam in Bangladesh, along with hundreds of his disciples. TheSylhet Shahi Eidgah is a famous place where Eid prayers take place and it is one of the largest Eidgahs in Bangladesh, built byFarhad Khan during the reign of Mughal emperorAurangzeb. There are numerous hotels and resorts, particularly inSreemangal andBahubal.
In 1995, Sylhet split from Chittagong Division and was declared as 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 (Habiganj,Moulvibazar,Sunamganj andSylhet) and further divided into 35upazilas (sub-districts). These upazilas are further divided into 323union parishads. Each union is roughly divided into 9 wards before going to village-level. There are roughly 10,185 villages in the Division. The Division hosts 19Municipal corporations known aspourashavas, and one city corporation inSylhet city. It also has 19Parliamentary constituencies. The headquarters of the Sylhet Division is the city of Sylhet inSylhet Sadar Upazila, Sylhet District. Pre-partition Sylhet'sKarimganj has been governed by India since 1947.
| Name | Capital | Area (km2)[31] | 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 | 2,358,747 |
| Moulvibazar District | Moulvibazar | 2,601.84 | 1,376,566 | 1,612,374 | 1,919,062 | 2,123,349 |
| Sunamganj District | Sunamganj | 3,669.58 | 1,708,563 | 2,013,738 | 2,467,968 | 2,695,294 |
| Sylhet District | Sylhet | 3,490.40 | 2,153,301 | 2,555,566 | 3,434,188 | 3,856,974 |
| Total District | 4 | 12,298.4 | 6,765,039 | 7,939,343 | 9,910,219 | 11,034,364 |
Geographically the region is surrounded by hillocks (known astillas) from all three sides except its western plain boundary with the rest ofBengal. 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.[32]
The region is considered one of the most picturesque and archaeologically rich regions in South Asia. It is home to threenational parks; theLawachara National Park,Khadim Nagar National Park andSatchari National Park, as well as numerous smaller parks and forests such as theRatargul 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 atropical monsoon climate (KöppenAm) bordering on ahumid 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.[33]
Thephysiography of the division consists mainly of hill soils, encompassing a few large depressions known locally as "beels" which can be mainly classified asoxbow lakes, caused by tectonic subsidence primarily duringthe earthquake of 1762.[32]
Geologically, the division is complex having diverse sacrificial geomorphology; high topography ofPlio-Miocene age such as theKhasi and Jaintia Hills and small hillocks along the border. At the centre there is a vast low laying flood plain of recent origin with saucer shaped depressions, locally calledhaors. There are many haors in the region and the largest ones includeHakaluki, Kawadighi,Tanguar and Hail. Available limestone deposits in different parts of the region suggest that the whole area was under the ocean in theOligo-Miocene. In the last 150 years, three major earthquakes hit the city, at a magnitude of at least 7.5 on theRichter Scale, the last one took place in 1918, although many people are unaware that Sylhet lies on an earthquake prone zone.[34]
The region is home to theAsian elephant and theOne-horned rhinoceros, mostly towards the south. Tigers and leopards were once found throughout the region. Other notable fauna include theSambar deer,Indian hog deer,Sylhet hara andSylhet roofed turtle.[35]
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.[32]
The official language of Sylhet isStandard Bengali, which is used in education and all government affairs in the division.Sylheti dialect is the most widely spoken in the division. TheAdivasis and tea labourers brought over during the British colonial rule also have their own native languages such asKhasi,Kuki,Laiunghtor,Meitei,Bishnupriya Manipuri,Hajong,Garo,Odia,Kurmi creole,Hindi,Bhumij andTripuri.[36]
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 most Muslim-inhabited villages. Bengali mosques are normally covered with several small domes and curved brick roofs decorated withterracotta.Ponds are often located beside a mosque.[37]
FaujdarFarhad Khan builtSylhet Shahi Eidgah in the 1660s under the reign ofMughal EmperorAurangzeb. It stands as the largesteidgah of the region.[38]
In 1872, Nawab Moulvi Ali Ahmed Khan ofPrithimpassa constructedAli Amjad's Clock, named after his son, inSylhet City.[39][40][41] In 1936, a bridge was constructed across theSurma River known as theKeane Bridge. These two historic landmarks are known as thegateway to Sylhet city.
Assam-type architecture developed in Sylhet region under Assam Province during the late modern period.
Cricket is the most popular sport in Sylhet. Regional cricket teams includeSylhet Thunder,East Zone and theSylhet Division cricket team. Football is also a common sport and the multi-useSaifur Rahman Stadium are known to host football matches.Beanibazar SC has played in theBangladesh League. The home stadium of the football club,Sheikh Russel KC, is inSylhet District Stadium. Board and home games such asDosh Fochish and its modern counterpartLudo, as well asCarrom Board, Sur-Fulish,Khanamasi andChess, are very popular in the region.Nowka Bais is a common traditional rowing competition during the monsoon season when rivers are filled up, and much of the land is under water. Fighting sports includeKabaddi,Latim andLathi khela.
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The division's population is over 12 million andBengalis make up a large majority of the region's population. The tribal andAdivasi population tend to live in secluded rural areas of the region primarily near the hills and tea gardens. They are made up of several ethnic groups such as theBishnupriya Manipuris,Khasi,Lalengs,Tripuris,Meiteis,Garos, andKukis. In the nineteenth century, the British brought over indigenous peoples from other parts ofBritish India to work as tea garden labourers such as theKurmis,Musahars,Bauris,Beens,Bonaz,Sabar andBhumij amongst others.[42]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muslims | 86.22% | |||
| Hindus | 13.51% | |||
| Christians | 0.23% | |||
| Others | 0.04% | |||
Islam is the largest religion in the whole region practised by theBengali Muslims.Sunni Islam is the largest denomination with majority following theHanafi school of law although some also follow theShafi'i andHanbalimadhhabs.[43] There are significant numbers of people who followSufi ideals similar to theBarelvis, the most influential is the teachings ofAbdul Latif Chowdhury Fultali ofZakiganj – a descendant of one of the disciples ofShah Jalal.[44] The revivalistDeobandi movement is also popular in the region withJamia Tawakkulia Renga being a notable centre and many are part of theTablighi Jamaat.Haji Shariatullah'sFaraizi movement was very popular during the British period andWahhabism is adopted by some upper-class families.[45] TheAhmadiyya community is mostly concentrated inSelbaras, which was the ancestral home of Ahmad Toufiq Choudhury, the leader of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Bangladesh.[46][47]
There is a very small minority ofShia Muslims who gather every year duringAshura for theMourning of Muharram processions. Places of procession include thePrithimpasha Nawab Bari inKulaura, home to a royal Shia family, as well asRajtila.
Hinduism is the second largest religion practised by theBengali Hindus as well as majority of theBishnupriya Manipuri,Beens,Bhumij,Bonaz,Sabar,Musahar,Kurmi,Lalengs,Bauris andTripuri population. Sylhet has the largest concentration of Hindus in Eastern Bengal and is a part of theShakta pitha.
Other minority religions include Christianity (including theRoman Catholic Diocese of Sylhet andSylhet Presbyterian Synod),Ka Niam Khasi,Sanamahism,Songsarek as well as animism. In the early 20th century, there were over a hundredMarwaris fromRajasthan that were living in Sylhet, mostly as merchants and followedJainism.[35]: 90
There was a presence ofSikhism in Sylhet afterGuru Nanak's visit in 1508 to spread the religion.Kahn Singh Nabha has stated that in memory of Nanak's visit,Gurdwara Sahib Sylhet was established.[citation needed] This Gurdwara was visited twice byTegh Bahadur and manyhukamnamas were issued to this temple byGuru Gobind Singh. In 1897, the gurdwara fell down after theearthquake.
দেশের উত্তর-পূর্বাঞ্চলের নেত্রকোনা, ময়মনসিংহ, শেরপুর, সুনামগঞ্জ ও সিলেটের আংশিক এলাকার ১০৮টি গ্রামে হাজং সম্প্রদায়ের বসবাস।
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.
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.
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.
It was also decided that education and justice would be administered from Calcutta University and the Calcutta High Court respectively.
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.
Places adjacent to Sylhet Division | ||||||||||||||||
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| Barisal Division |  | |
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| Chittagong Division | ||
| Dhaka Division | ||
| Khulna Division | ||
| Mymensingh Division | ||
| Rajshahi Division | ||
| Rangpur Division | ||
| Sylhet Division | ||
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Capital:Sylhet | ||
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