Sylhet

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}}Template:Main other Sylhet (Template:Langx; {{#invoke:IPA|main}}) is a 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 of 2024, has a population of 999,374Template:Citation needed making it the Fifth-largest city in Bangladesh.

Sylhet is known for its tea plantations and natural scenery.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The region has been inhabited since ancient times, and since the city's establishment in the 14th century has been ruled by various dynasties including the Mughals, the British, and the Nawabs of Bengal. The city is also home to several important landmarks, such as one of the Islamic sites in Bangladesh, the Shah Jalal Dargah, which attracts thousands of pilgrims annually.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sylhet is also the first city in the country to have a road with no overhead cable.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Sylhet is one of the most economically important cities in Bangladesh after Dhaka and Chittagong.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A major commercial and financial center, Sylhet is home to several multinational companies and industries, including the tea industry, which generates a significant amount of revenue for the city. Sylhet has diverse transport infrastructure, with a modern airport, railway station, and bus terminals that connect it to other parts of the country.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The city also has several educational institutions, including Sylhet Agricultural University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Sylhet Cadet College.

Etymology and names

Sylhet is the anglicisation of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Śilhôṭ), one of the archaic native names for the city.Template:Citation needed The local name is generally thought to be directly derived from {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Śrīhaṭṭa), the Sanskrit name of the city.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The city of Śrīhaṭṭa takes its name from Śrīhaṭṭanātha, the tutelary deity of the Nātha dynasty who promoted the early settlement of Nāthas in the Surma and Barak valleys between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, founding the Śrīhaṭṭa janapada and establishing Śrīhaṭṭanātha idols across the region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The later Hindu monarchs 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.<ref name=achyut>Template:Cite book</ref>

History

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In 1303, the Sultan of Lakhnauti Shamsuddin Firoz Shah conquered Sylhet by defeating Gour Govinda.<ref name="Fazal2013">Template:Cite book</ref> Sylhet became a part of the Bengal Sultanate. In the 16th century, Sylhet was controlled by the Baro-Bhuiyan zamindars and later became a sarkar (district) of the Mughal Empire.<ref name="Sangma1994">Template:Cite book</ref> Sylhet emerged after 1612 as the Mughals' most significant imperial outpost in Bengal east of Dhaka, and its importance remained as such throughout the seventeenth century.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> British rule began in the 18th century under the administration of the East India Company. Sylhet became a key source of lascars in the British Empire due in part to its ancient seafaring tradition. The Sylhet municipal board was established in 1867.<ref name="sylhetcitycorporationbd.org">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Originally part of the Bengal Presidency and later Eastern Bengal and Assam, the town became part of Colonial Assam in 1874. 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.Template:Citation needed From the beginning of the 20th century, the importance of Sylhet increased with the establishment of the tea industry.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1947, following a referendum and the partition of British India, Sylhet became part of East Pakistan.<ref name="Fazal2013"/> In 1995, the Government of Bangladesh declared Sylhet as the sixth divisional headquarters of the country.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Sylhet has played a vital role in the Economy of Bangladesh. Several of Bangladesh's finance ministers have been members of parliament from the city of Sylhet. Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran was a long time mayor of Sylhet. Humayun Rashid Choudhury, a diplomat from Sylhet, served as President of the UN General Assembly and Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament.

In 2001, the municipality was upgraded to the Sylhet City Corporation. It was made a metropolitan city in 2009.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Geography and climate

Sylhet is located 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 (Köppen Am) bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Cwa) at higher elevations. The rainy season runs from April to October, and is generally hot and humid with heavy showers and thunderstorms almost every day. The shorter dry season runs from November to February, with very warm and fairly clear weather. Nearly 80% of the annual average rainfall of Template:Convert occurs between May and September.<ref>Monthly Averages for Sylhet, BGD Template:Webarchive MSN Weather. Retrieved 25 May 2009.</ref>

The city is located within a topographically distinctive region of Bangladesh characterized by dramatic hills and basins. The physiography of Sylhet consists mainly of hill soils and encompasses a few large depressions known locally as "beels," which are frequently oxbow lakes caused by tectonic subsidence during the earthquake of 1762.

Geologically, the region is complex and diverse; higher-elevation regions date partly to the Plio-Miocene 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 have hit the city with magnitude of at least 7.5 on the Richter Scale, most recently in 1918.<ref name="ds10Feb2006">Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Sylhet weatherbox

File:Tea garden 31118.jpg

A tea garden at Jaflong, Sylhet

File:পানিতে নিমজ্জিত রাতারগুল জলাবনের গাছ.jpg

Ratargul Swamp Forest

Administration

Robert Lindsay, who served as the District Collector of Sylhet from 1778 to 1790, mentioned Sylhet in his autobiography, Oriental Miscellanies: Anecdotes of Indian Life, as 'a small bazaar (market)'. He wrote, "The town was then merely a small market. The inhabitants’ houses were situated on the hills and hidden behind forests and jungles."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Exactly 100 years after his tenure, in 1878, Sylhet was upgraded into a municipality with an approximate area of about 1.75 square kilometers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The civic body of Sylhet was formed according to the Sylhet City Corporation Act, 2001, which came into effect on April 10, 2001.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On July 28, 2002, Sylhet Municipality board was upgraded to a City Corporation, which covered an area of 26.50 square kilometers and was divided into 27 wards. Currently, the city is administered by the Sylhet City Corporation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On August 31, 2021, a gazette notification was issued to expand the area of Sylhet City Corporation. According to the gazette, several mouzas from four unions of Sylhet Sadar Upazila and three unions of Dakshin Surma Upazila were included in the City Corporation. Subsequently, the expanded areas were reorganized and boundaries were defined on a ward basis under Sections 29 and 30 of the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009. Currently, the City Corporation consists of 42 wards and covers an area of 79.5 square kilometers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At present, Sylhet is the district-headquarters as well as the divisional headquarters of the districts of Sunamganj, Habiganj, Moulvibazar 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.<ref>The Sylhet City Corporation Template:Webarchive Swadhinata Trust. Retrieved 26 May 2009.</ref> Sylhet is divided into 6 metropolitan thanas (police stations), 42 wards, and 1224 mahallas.Template:Citation needed

Military

Sylhet is strategically important for the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Bangladesh Army's 17th Infantry Division is based at Jalalabad Cantonment in Sylhet.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The cantonment is also home of the School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T) and the 1st Para-commando Battalion, an elite commando unit of the Bangladesh Army.Template:Citation needed

Healthcare

Sylhet is also home to many hospitals such as the Shahid Shamsuddin Hospital District Hospital, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College, North East Medical College, and Sylhet Women's Medical College.Template:Citation needed

In 2018, Sylhet Medical University was established in the city, following the Prime Minister's order to found a medical university in each division with the goal of maintaining medical standards in colleges. According to the order, Chittagong and Rajshahi Medical University have already been established, and Sylhet Medical University is the fourth Medical University of the directive.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Demographics

Template:See also Template:Bar box As of the 2011 Bangladesh census, Sylhet has a population of 485,138.<ref name="census2011" /> The population growth rate of the city is 1.73%, a decrease from 1.93% in 1991.<ref name="BangladeshStatPock2007">Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Pocket Book, 2007 (pdf-file) Template:Webarchive 2007 Population Estimate. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> Sylhet has a sex ratio of 861 females to 1000 males and a literacy rate of 67.8%.<ref name="census2011">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The majority of the population are Bengali Muslims, while significant minority population groups include the Bengali Hindus, Bishnupriya Manipuri and others.<ref>Exploring the Marginalized Template:Webarchive Samir Ranjan Nath. BRAC. February 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2017.</ref> Sylheti is spoken by the vast majority of the people, while Standard Bengali is the official language used by the state government and officials.<ref name="omniglot">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Christina Julios (2008). Contemporary British Identity: English Language, Migrants, and Public Discourse. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp.40–41. Template:ISBN</ref> 2,424 (0.45%) of the population are of an ethnic minority, of which 2,040 are Manipuri.

The majority of people in Sylhet are Muslims (86.5%), while other religious groups include Hindus (13.3%) and less than 0.2% of other religions, mainly Buddhists and Christians. The majority of Muslims in Sylhet are Sunnis who follow the Hanafi school of jurisprudence.<ref name=ourbang>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Self-published source</ref> Significant numbers of people also follow Sufi ideals, particularly the teachings of Abdul Latif Fultali.<ref name=BDUK>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Economy

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:More citations needed section The Sylhet Metropolitan Area is one of Bangladesh's main business centres. Sylhet's economy is closely linked with the Bangladeshi diaspora, especially the British Bangladeshi community. The city receives a significant portion of the country's annual remittances, which have driven growth in real estate and construction.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A number of shopping centres, restaurants and hotels have opened as a result. Sylhet also relies on religious tourism, with thousands of devotees visiting its Sufi shrines annually, as well as ecotourism in its broader natural hinterland.Template:Citation needed 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 operates several flights from Sylhet to the United Kingdom and the Middle East. Roads connect Sylhet with the Indian states of Meghalaya and Assam.

Sylhet's hinterland plays a vital role in the economy of Bangladesh. It is home to the country's largest natural gas fields, sole crude oil field,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> largest tea plantations, rubber, palm oil, cane, agarwood<ref name="archive.thedailystar.net">Template:Cite news</ref> and citrus farms. Rice production in the region is one of the country's highest. Heavy industries include power plants, fertilizer plants, cement plants and liquefied petroleum gas plants. Other major industries in the region include ceramics, machinery and equipment, ready-made garments and pharmaceuticals. Most of the tea production in Bangladesh is based around Sylhet, much of which is eventually exported internationally.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Utilities

Sylhet has high rates of electricity shortages and water shortages. According to the Power Development Board, as of 2009, Sylhet was only receiving 50 MW, half of the required demand of 100 MW. The city corporation was also supplying only 22,500 gallons of water, far less than the demand of about 65,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The major sources of water to the city are the tube wells and the Surma River.Template:Citation needed 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There are about 331 registered restaurants in the city, but only 15% maintain sanitary facilities and 85% have unhygienic conditions that are unsafe for the public.<ref>Study of Water Quality in Sylhet City and its Restaurants: Health Associated Risk Assessment Template:Webarchive Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Retrieved 29 May 2009.</ref>

Media and communications

State-owned Bangladesh Television operates a relay station headquartered in the Kazitula neighborhood.<ref name="lalfita">Template:Cite news</ref> From 2000 to 2002, privately owned Ekushey Television broadcast terrestrially on VHF channel 11 in Sylhet.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Sports

File:সিলেট আন্তর্জাতিক ক্রিকেট স্টেডিয়াম.jpg

Sylhet International Cricket Stadium

Cricket is the most popular sport in Sylhet.Template:Citation needed The Bangladesh Premier League franchise Sylhet Strikers 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 specifically to host matches for the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. It is situated near lush green tea gardens on the city fringe.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the National Cricket League, Sylhet Division has not won any titles but did win in the One-Day Cricket League during the 2001–02 season. Notable players from Sylhet who have played for the Bangladesh national cricket team include Rajin Saleh,<ref>Players and Officials – Rajin Saleh Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 May 2009.</ref> Enamul Haque Jr,<ref>Players and Officials – Enamul Haque jnr Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 May 2009.</ref> Tapash Baisya,<ref>Players and Officials Hasibul Hussain who was the opening bowler in the 1999 World Cup – Tapash Baisya Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 May 2009.</ref> and Alok Kapali.<ref>Players and Officials – Alok Kapali Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 May 2009.</ref> Chess player Rani Hamid was awarded the FIDE Women's International Master (WIM) title in 1985, while her son Kaiser Hamid was the captain of the Bangladesh national football team in the early 90s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Transport

Road

The main transport systems used in Sylhet are cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws (mainly known as baby-taxis or CNGs), buses, mini-buses and cars. About 80,000 rickshaws run each day within the city. Bus service prices have increased up to 30% higher, and as of 2008 prices range from Tk 4 to 15.95.<ref>Sylhet city bus services hike fares on whim Template:Webarchive New Age Metro. 4 November 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2009.</ref>

The N2 connects the city with Bangladesh's capital and largest city, Dhaka, as well as with many other parts of the country. The N2 highway is also part of the Asian Highway Network's two longest routes, AH1 and AH2.

Air

Sylhet is served by Osmani International Airport, located at the north of the city. It is Bangladesh's third busiest airport, and it became an international airport due to demand driven by expatriate Bangladeshis and their families living in the United Kingdom and the United States. The most prevalent airlines at the airport are Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines and Novoair.

Osmani International Airport received its first international arrival on 3 November 2002, with a Biman plane arriving from Kuwait via Abu Dhabi en route to Dhaka.<ref name=weeklyhol>Template:Cite news</ref> Sylhet's first direct international flight arrived on 15 March 2017 when a Flydubai direct flight from Dubai landed at the airport.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Work began 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.<ref name=TheDailyStar040513>Template:Cite news</ref> In May 2007, Biman announced direct Hajj flights originating from the airport later that year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As of 2020, Biman Bangladesh operates direct flight to London from Sylhet.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> All Bangladeshi airlines operate regular domestic flights to Dhaka and Biman operates regular domestic flights to Cox's Bazar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In response to the increase in passenger and cargo demand at the airport, work began in 2020 on a new Template:Convert international passenger terminal building, as well as a cargo building, a control tower, parking areas, and a taxiway.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Rail

File:Parabat Express.jpg

Parabat Express train in Sylhet Railway Station

The Sylhet railway station is the main railway station providing trains on national routes operated by the state-run Bangladesh Railway. Some train routes originating or terminating in Sylhet include the following.

Towards Dhaka

Train No.	Train Name	Train Type	Departures
710	Parabat Express	Intercity	Daily (except Tue)
718	Jayantika Express	Intercity	Daily
740	Upaban Express	Intercity	Daily
774	Kalni Express	Intercity	Daily (except Fri)
10	Surma Mail	Mail	Daily

Towards Chittagong

Train No.	Train Name	Train Type	Departures
724	Udayan Express	Intercity	Daily (except Fri)
720	Paharika Express	Intercity	Daily (except Fri)
14	Jalalabad Express	Mail	Daily

Towards Akahura

Train No.	Train Name	Train Type	Departures
18	Kushiara Express	Mail	Daily

Education

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:Further There are two public universities in Sylhet: Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Sylhet Agricultural University. There are also private universities such as Leading University and Metropolitan University.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Other prominent colleges and schools in Sylhet include Jalalabad Cantonment Public School and College, Jalalabad Ragib Rabeya Medical college, Pathantula Parkview Medical College, MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet, Sylhet Women's Medical College, North East Medical College, Sylhet Engineering College,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sylhet Cadet College, Murari Chand College,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Institute of Health Technology, Sylhet, Border Guard Public School And College, Scholarshome, Blue Bird High School and College, Sylhet Science And Technology College, Sylhet Polytechnic Institute, and Sylhet Government Women's College.

Notable people

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Twin towns – sister cities

Sylhet is twinned with:Template:Citation needed Template:Div col

• Template:Flagicon Bârlad, Romania
• Template:Flagicon Ganja, Azerbaijan
• Template:Flagicon Nishapur, Iran
• Template:Flagicon Al Qadarif, Sudan
• Template:Flagicon Berlin, Germany
• Template:Flagicon Sheki, Azerbaijan
• Template:Flagicon Konya, Türkiye
• Template:Flagicon Kyoto, Japan
• Template:Flagicon Tetovo, North Macedonia
• Template:Flagicon Xi'an, China
• Template:Flagicon Ráckeve, Hungary

As of 2009, Sylhet has friendly relations with:

• Template:Flagicon St Albans, United Kingdom<ref name=stalbans>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Template:Flagicon Rochdale, United Kingdom<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The friendship link with St Albans was established in 1988, when the St 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 home region for a large ethnic minority population in St Albans.<ref name=stalbans/>

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 Sylheti heritage. The Mayor of Sylhet signed it alongside the Mayor of Rochdale, Cllr Keith Swift, at the Sylhet City Corporation.Template:Citation needed

See also

• Barak Valley
• Upazilas of Bangladesh
• Districts of Bangladesh
• Divisions of Bangladesh
• Upazila
• Thana

External links

• Template:Wikivoyage inline
• Official website of Sylhet City Corporation
• Sylhet Tourist Places Video