Moulvibazar District is the part of Sylhet division with a total area of 2601.84 sq km. It is located in between 24°08′ and 24°29′ north latitudes and in between 91°36′ and 92°17′ east longitudes. The area consist of 904918 male and 875879 female. Total population of the area is 1780797. Moulvibazar is surrounded by Sylhet district on the north, Tripura state of India on the south, Assam and Tripura states of India on the east, Habiganj district on the west. Moulvibazar is the home of the people from different religions within Bengali and Non-Bengali entity. The Bengali community is divided by 1281773 Muslims, 482952 Hindu, 14189 Buddhist, 29 Christian and 30 others. Indigenous communities such as Manipuri, Khasia, Tripura and Halam uphold the flag of diversity within the area. Maulvibazar Sub-division was established in 1960 and later turned into a district in 1984. Maulvibazar Municipality was established in 1930. Manu, Dhalai, Juri, Longla; Hakaluki, Hail and Kawadighi Haors are notable water bodies of Moulvibazar.
In 1595, The great Pathan warrior Khawasa Osman fought a battle with Raja Subidha Narayan was fought in at Rajnagar area of Moulvibazar. During the Brithish period, Gaus Ali Khan, zamindar of Pritthim Pasha, gave refuge to atleast 300 sepahi who looted the Chittagong Treasury, in the time of Sepahi Biplob (revolt) in 1857. The physiography of the area was seriously reformed as a consequence of the earthquake of 12 July 1897. The anti-british movements in started by some scholars in the region. Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, Maulana Hossain Ahmed Madani and Sarojani Naidu were the pioneers of the movement inspired people to join it after attending the Khilafat Conference in 1921. Concurrently, Purnendu Kishore Sengupta formed the Viddha Aashram at Rangirkul of Kulaura. Among many other significant historical events in the district, The Nankar Movement (1931-32), Haor Karaiya Movement (1968-69) and Vanubal Peasant Movement(1307 BS), lead by Panchanan Singh, Kasem Ali, Baikuntha Shawrma and Themba Singh are remarkable.
In 1971, during the war of liberation Maulvibazar district was under Sector 4. Back in those days many gory battels occurred at Shamshernagar, Sherpur and other places of the district. The first defence against the Pakistani Army started from the Sreerai Nagar Village in the district on 27th of March. Muktibahini resisted the Pakistani Armed Force at Manumukh, Kamalpur, Sherpur and many other places of the district. Most of the time the freedom fighters fought direct encounterts against the Hanadar Bahini. The Pakistani Army attacked on the mass people at different upazilas of the region. A combined attack planned by he members of the EPR and the freedom fighters against the Pak army on 29 March at Kamalganj killed many soldiers of Pakistani Amry. A huge number of mass killing, rape, destruction of properties had been conducted by the Pak Army at Shreemangal, Rajnagar, Dharbari, Shahjibari, Uttara Bhag, Chatura, Mahalal, Pancheswar and many other places. The joint forces (freedom fighters and the allied forces) fought a battel against the Pakistani Army at Fultala, Sagarnal and Kapnapahar areas of Kulaura upazila on 2 and 3 December in 1971. A group of 30 freedom fighters attacked and took control over a military camp on December 4 set by the Pakistani Army at Udna Tea Garden of Rajnagar upazila. Birsrestha (The highest title given for the contribution in the liberation war) Mohammad Hamidur Rahman received martyrdom at Ambasa, a village on the border area of Kamalganj upazila. The Pak army established camps in those times in many hospitals and schools in the district. They murdered about one hundred freedom fighters and innumerable innocent people. The Pak army were controlling different tea gardens of the area called Juri. The freedom fighters operated promiscuous attack on Pak army. The Muktibahini destroyed culvert and bridges of the regions to interrupt the connections of the Pak army and made Juri upazila liberated on 4 December and Barlekha and Rajnagar upazilas on 6 December.
Moulvibazar is the district of tea gardens. 91 out of 153 tea gardens in Bangladesh are placed here. Three largest tea gardens of the world as for size and production also situated in the Moulvibazar district. Shreemangal Upazila is known as the ‘tea capital of Bangladesh’ because of the foremost number of tea plantation in the area. Shreemangal is also famous for pineapples consist of natural sweetness and falvour. Moulvibazar contribute in the exportation of the country with many products such as, Bamboo, Tea, Pineapple, Cane, Jackfruit, Oranges, Agar, Rubber, Mangoes and Lemons.
Moulvibazar district witnessed many historical event and still uphold many features in itself. Archeological Sites for instance, Khoja Mosque of Laghati village in Dasher Bazar (Barlekha, 16th century), Madhab Mandir located near the Madhabkunda water fall, Rangirkul Viddyashram that established in the first quarter of 19th century at Kulaura upazila, Nawab Bari of Pritthim Pasha which formed in the first quarter of 18th century, Khoja Mosque established in 14th century at Goiyghar, the temple of Agnian Thakur, Nirmmai Shib-Bari set up in 1454, Gaiyebi Eter Masjid at the premises of the tomb of Kazi Khandker (R), Persian manuscripts of Firoz Shah Tuglak’s period (1330 AD), statue of Ananta Naraiyan from 11th century which is now preserved in the Calcutta Museum are notable. Bangladesh’s largest and Asia’s larger marsh wetland resources, Hakaloki Haor is situated in Maulvibazar. It covers about 181.15 km-square of area. Madhabkunda Water Fall, Madhabpur Lake, Muraichhara Eco Park, Rubber Plantation and Tila (Kulaura), Barshijora Eco-Park, Monu Barrage and Tea Garden (Maulvibazar Sadar Upazila), Bangladesh Tea Research Institute, Lawachhara National Park, Bharaura Lake, Magurchhara Khasiapunji, Gas Field and Denston Cemetry are among the most famous tourist spots of Moulvibazar.
Maulvibazar is district laden with different folk traditions include both Bengalis and indigenous culture. Rasnritya, Khamba-Thoibi, Lai-haraoba, Thabal-Changba, Mridanganritya, Dol Festival, Biju Festival, Karam Puja, Lathinritta (stick dance), Jhumur nritya, Charak nritya of the Shabdakar community, proverbs, Poi, riddle, Dak, Geet, marriage song, Dhamail song, Baul song, Sari Gan, Lachari, Bandha song, Baromashi song, Maljora song, Bichched song, etc. are some traditions that are equally famous among Bengalis and Indigenous groups of people.
Moulvibazar is consist of humid subtropical climate. Moulvibazar is identified with a climate of tropical rainy season, high temperature, significant humidity and serious rainfall. Summer season commences early in April and continues till July in the region. 24.7 °C (76.5 °F) is the average annual temperature along with about 2,805 mm (110.43 in) of headlong falls in Maulvibazar.
| At a glance of Moulvibazar | ||
| 01 | Area | 2,799.38 km2
(1,080.85 sq mi) |
| 02 | Population | 1,919,062
Men: 904918 Women: 875879 |
| 03 | Founding Year | 22 February 1984 |
| 03 | Density | 690/km2
(1,800/sq mi) |
| 04 | Literacy Rate | 42.66% |
| 05 | Seats in the Parliament | 4 |
| 06 | Postcode | 3200 |
| 07 | Sector in Liberation War | |
Upazilas(7)
- Moulvibazar Sadar
- Kamalganj
- Kulaura
- Rajnagar
- Sreemangal
- Barlekha
- Juri
Main Rivers
Manu, Dhalai, Juri, Longla; Hakaluki, Hail and Kawadighi Haors are notable.
Notable places
- Madhabkunda Water Fall (Barlekha)
- Madhabpur Lake
- Parikunda and hakaluki haor (Kamalganj)
- Muraichhara Eco Park
- Rubber Plantation and Tila (Kulaura)
- Barshijora Eco-Park
- Monu Barrage and Tea Garden (Maulvibazar Sadar Upazila)
- Bangladesh Tea Research Institute
- Lawachhara National Park
- Bharaura Lake
- Magurchhara Khasiapunji
- Gas Field and Denston Cemetry (Sreemangal).
Highlighted Personalities
- Syed Mujtaba Ali (Writer, scholar and linguist)
- Barrister Muntaquim Chodhury MN (Politician)
- Mohammad Ataul Karim (Executive vice chancellor at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.)
- Tommy Miah (Celebrity chef)
- Saifur Rahman ( Former finance Minister)
- Doly Begum (Canadian politician)
- Naser Rahman (Former MP)
- Shah Mustafa(R) (Associated with spreading Islam to Moulvibazar)
- Surendra Kumar Sinha (Chief Justice of Bangladesh (2015-2017))
- Wali Tasar Uddin MBE (entrepreneur)
- Bajloor Rashid MBE (Businessman)
- Nadia Shah (Politician)
- Rowshanara Moni (Singer and actress)
- Shanaj Ahmed (Cricketer for Sylhet Division)
- Syed Mohammad Ali (Founder of The Daily Star)
- Syed Abdul Majid CIE (First native minister of Assam, pioneer of the agricultural industry)
- Dwijen Sharma (Botanist)
- Mahbubur Rahman Sufil (Footballer)
- Syed Mohsin Ali (Former Minister)
- Syeda Saira Mohsin (Former)
- Abdus Shahid (Former chief whip for Bangladesh Awami League)
- Shahab Uddin (Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change)
- Nawab Ali Abbas Khan (politician)
- Abdul Matin (Former MP)
- Rangalal Sen (National Professor of Bangladesh)
Written & Edited by Shaima Akter Sethu.