Comilla District

Comilla is one of the three oldest cities in Bangladesh located along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. Comilla is a city in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh, bounded by Brahmanbaria and Narayanganj districts on the north, Noakhali and Feni districts on the south, Tripura state of India on the east, Munshiganj and Chandpur districts on the west. The Tropic of Cancer crosses Cumilla town on the south side just over the Tomsom Bridge. It is largest city of the southern part of Bangladesh after Chittagong, which uphold a Population of total 4595557 with 2312734 male and 2282823 female. Religious varities are also seen in Cumilla with 4348227 Muslim, 241742 Hindu, 404 Buddhist, 4177 Christian and 1007 others.

 

The Comilla region was once under ancient Samatata and was later a part of the Tripura State. This district was ruled by the kings of the Harikela in the ninth century AD. Deva dynasty ruled Lalmai Mainamati in eighth century AD) and Chandra dynasty during tenth and mid eleventh century AD. East India Company rule the area from 1765. This district was established as Tippera district in 1790 which was renamed Cumilla in 1960. Chandpur and Brahmanbaria were the sub-divisions of this district that  transformed into two districts in 1984. The surrounding area consists chiefly of a level alluvial plain intersected by rivers and inundated during the rainy season. The maim water bodies of the district are, Meghna, Gumti, Dakatia, Little Feni, Buri and Karjon Canal.

 

Cumilla possesses 16  Upazilas named, Barura Upazila, Brahmanpara Upazila, Burichong Upazila, Cumilla Sadar Upazila, Cumilla Sadar Dakshin Upazila, Chandina Upazila, Chauddagram Upazila, Daudkandi Upazila, Debidwar Upazila, Homna Upazila, Laksam Upazila, Lalmai Upazila, Monohorgonj Upazila, Meghna Upazila, Muradnagar Upazila, Nangalkot Upazila, Titas Upazila along with 18 thanas, four municipalities, 192 unions and 3687 villages.

 

Cumilla town is the administrative centre of the Cumilla District, connected by road and rail way with Dhaka and Chittagong. Cumilla has been a centre for the collection of hides and skins. It also has jute and cotton mills as well as a thermal power station. Cane and bamboo basketry, pottery, woodworking, and cotton weaving are the main cottage industries of the district. The city is distinguished by the great size and number of its water-storage tanks; the Dharma Sagar tank which is more than 400, measuring 1 mile (1.6 km) in circumference. It was constructed by a raja(king) in the 15th century. The city was constituted a municipality in 1864. The city is pretty eminent for Cumilla University, several libraries, a museum, and more than a dozen colleges, the oldest and most notable of which is Cumilla Victoria University College (1899).

 

Rice, jute, wheat, mustard seed, and eggplant are the chief crops; jackfruit, bananas, and coconuts are among the main fruits that grows in Cumilla. A few numbers of tea and cotton are grown on the hillsides of the district. Cumilla formed part of the Tippera Hill princely state until 1733, when it was annexed by the Mughals. In 1765 its administration passed to the British East India Company. Punthi-path, Palli geeti, Bhatiyali, Bhawaya, Jarigan, Sarigan, Dak, Khanar Bachan, proverbs are notable folk culture uphold by the district.

 

Cumilla possesses a number of tourist attractions. From the 7th–8th century, various archaeological relics discovered in the district, which are now preserved in the Mainamati Museum. There is a war cemetery of  World War II in the district, which is protected and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Shalban Bihar, Mainamati Museum, Lalmai hills, bard, house of Sachin Dev Burman, house of Shahid Dhirendranath Datta (Comilla Adarsha Sadar), Debidwar Paurashaba Park and Debidwar Paurashaba Shishu (childrens) Park are also attractive tourist place of the district.

 

At a glance of Comilla

01 Area 3,087.33 km2

(1,192.02 sq mi)

02 Population 296,010

Men: 2312734

Women: 2282823

03 Founding Year 1960
03 Density 16,000/km2

(40,000/sq mi)

04 Literacy Rate 57%
05 Seats in the Parliament 11
06 Postcode 3500
07 Sector in Liberation War
08 Thanas 18

Upazilas

  • Barura Upazila
  • Brahmanpara Upazila
  • Burichong Upazila
  • Cumilla Sadar Upazila
  • Cumilla Sadar Dakshin Upazila
  • Chandina Upazila
  • Chauddagram Upazila
  • Daudkandi Upazila
  • Debidwar Upazila
  • Homna Upazila
  • Laksam Upazila
  • Lalmai Upazila
  • Monohorgonj Upazila
  • Meghna Upazila
  • Muradnagar Upazila
  • Nangalkot Upazila
  • Titas Upazila

Notable places

  • Shalban Bihar
  • Mainamati Museum
  • Lalmai hills
  • house of Sachin Dev Burman
  • house of Shahid Dhirendranath Datta (Comilla Adarsha Sadar)
  • Debidwar Paurashaba Park
  • Debidwar Paurashaba Shishu (childrens) Park

Highlighted Personalities

  • Shib Narayan Das (member of BLF. One of the designers of the first flag of Bangladesh.)
  • Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta (ex-Minister of Law, Language movement activist and Shaheed of 1971.)
  • Major Abdul Gani (organizer of the First East Bengal Regiment.)
  • Khondaker Mushtaq Ahmad (President of Bangladesh; he also served as Minister and member of Exile Cabinet of Meherpur Government)
  • Kazi Zafar Ahmed (former Prime Minister)
  • Mustafa Kamal (president of the International Cricket Council.)
  • Shaukat Mahmood (senior journalist and editor of Weekly Economic Times. Elected president of National Press Club.)
  • Buddhadeb Bosu (Bangla poet, novelist, translator, editor, and essayist.)
  • Kamrul Ahsan (Secretary to the Government and now serving as Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia. Earlier served as High Commissioner to Canada and Singapore.)
  • Kazi Nazrul Islam, resided at Comilla.
  • Abdul Kadir (poet, researcher, and editor.)

Written and Edited by- Shaima Akter Sethu.

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