Sylhet Sadar Upazila

Sylhet Sadar Upazila (sylhet district) area 301.80 sq km, located in between 24°52' and 25°02' north latitudes and in between 91°01'and 91°40' east longitudes. It is bounded by companiganj, gowainghat and jaintiapur upazilas on the north, dakshin surma upazila on the south, Jaintiapur and golapganj upazilas on the east, chhatak and bishwanath upazilas on the west.

Population Total 829103; male 436679, female 392424; Muslim 738958, Hindu 88071, Buddhist 328, Christian 988 and others 758. Indigenous communities such as khasia and manipuri belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: surma, kushiyara, Singra; Dabu Beel, Bagola Beel and Patamora Beel are notable.

Administration Sylhet Sadar Thana was turned into an upazila in 1984.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	8	88	353	526412	302691	2747	67.88 (2001)	49.7

City Corporation
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
21.09 (2001)	27	207	485138	12480 (2001)	67.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
31.14 (2001)	3	41274	951(2001)	65.5

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kandigaon 38	8672	20657	20331	45.6
Khadimnagar 40	18844	29339	27121	47.0
Khadim Para 42	11303	45317	43476	61.0
Jalalabad 34	8473	8797	9171	35.6
Tuker Bazar 90	8342	28158	25674	57.6
Tultikar 95	2727	14429	12474	56.3
Mogalgaon 55	7568	15192	15358	43.5
Hatkhola 32	8649	14134	14337	41.5

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Stone inscription of the tomb of shah jalal (r), Ghardoar Nawabi Mosque, statue made of black basalt at Bishwamvar Akhra, stone inscription of Shahi Eidgah, Kreen Bridge.

War of Liberation Freedom fighters had a fierce encounter with the Pak army on 4 April 1971 at the Hospital area of the upazila in which a number of Pakistani soldiers and freedom fighters were killed. On 5 April the freedom fighters attacked the Sylhet Airport and exploded bomb causing heavy damages there. To control the situation Pakistani soldiers rushed to the airport area. Taking advantage of the absence of most enemy soldiers in guard, the freedom fighters entered the Sylhet Jail and liberated about 2500 people including freedom fighters and general public. On 19 April the freedom fighters launched an attack on the Airport again. During the war of liberation more than one hundred freedom fighters were killed in various encounters with the Pak army including at Laltila, Uriatila, Malinichhara Tea Garden, Tultikar, Zindabazar Police Line and Jalalabad. Sylhet Town was liberated on 16 December. There are 6 mass killing sites (at Sylhet Cadet College, Civil Surgeon's Bungalow, Laltila, Uriatila, Khadimnagar, Sheikh Burhanuddin Road) and 6 mass grave (at Zindabazar Police Line, Malnichhara Tea Garden, Cadet College, Tultikar) in the upazila; 6 memorial monuments were built and a memorial sculpture was built at at Jalalabad Cantonment.

For details: see সিলেট সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ১০।

Religious institutions Mosque 375, temple 12, church 2, Math 2, tomb 6. Noted religious institutions: Sheikh Sunaullah Mosque, Nawabi Mosque, Dargah Mosque, Kudrat Ullah Mosque, Shah Paran Mosque, Abu Turab Mosque, tomb of Hazrat Shah Jalal (R), tomb of Hazrat shah paran (r), tomb of Garam Dewan, tomb of Panch Pir, tomb of Zindah Pir, Shiva Mandir of Gotatik, Kalighat Kali Mandir, Satir Pithasthan, Jainpur Pithasthan, Sath Sanga Vihara, Ramkrisna Mission and Math, Presbyterian Church (1897), Church at Nayasarak.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 61.3%; male 64.6%, female 57.6%. Educational institutions: university 5, medical college 4, technical college 3, college 7, secondary school 44, primary school 115, community school 6, kindergarten 80, madrasa 30. Noted educational institutions: shahjalal university of science and technology (1987), Sylhet Agricultural University, Darul Ihsan University, MAG Osmani Medical College (1975), Sylhet Engineering College, Jalalabad Public School and College, MC college (1889), Sylhet Sanskrit College (1902), Sylhet Government Pilot High School (1836), Raja Jimi High School (1886), Agragami Government Girls' High School (1903), Model High School (1932), Government Madan Mohan College (1940), The Aided High School (1942), Kishori Mohan Girls' School (1944), Hazrat Shah Jajal (R) High School, Hazrat Shah Paran (R) High School, Sylhet' Government Alia Madrasa (1948).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Sylheter Dak, Sabuj Sylhet, Sylhet Sanglap, Manchitra, Yugveri, Sylhet Bani, Alokito Sylhet, Jalalabad; defunct: Shrihatta Prakash (1875), Paridarshak (1875-80), Srihattamihir (1889), Shrihattabasi (1895), Janashakti (1920), Jugbani (1925), Gyanannesan (1931), Jagaran (1938), Al Jalal (1941), Sylhet Samachar (1977), Sylhet Kantha (1981), Weekly Jalalabad (1982), Daily Jalalabadi (1984), Daily Sudin (1992), Ajker Sylhet (1992), Ajker Vishwa Sangbad (1992).

Tourist spots Tomb of Shah Jajal (R), tomb of Hazrat Shah Paran (R), Gour Gobinda Fort, Malnichhara Tea Garden, MAG Osmani International Airport, Osmani Museum, Museum of Rajars', Parjatan Motel.

Cultural organisations Library 3, museum 3, cinema hall 8, auditorium 5, theatre stage 3, theatre group 10, women organisation 3, literary organisation 6, playground 4.

Main sources of income Agriculture 16.44%, non-agricultural labourer 5.31%, industry 1.61%, commerce 24.45%, transport and communication 5.91%, service 17.14%, construction 3.00%, religious service 0.32%, rent and remittance 6.38% and others 19.44%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 36.30%, landless 63.70%.

Main crops Paddy, tea, potato, vegetables, onion, garlic, betel leaf.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, linseed, mustard, kaun, black pepper.

Main fruits Water melon, pomegranate, orange, wood-apple.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 50, dairy 5, poultry 100, hatchery 15.

Communication facilities Pucca road 198 km, semi-pucca road 12 km, mud road 417 km; railway 49.07 km; culvert 750, bridge 15; airport 1.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, ice factory, textile mill, bidi factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, weaving, potteries, wood work, bamboo and cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 32, fairs 6, most noted of which are Kazir Bazar, Jalalabad Bazar, Hatkhola Bazar, Kalighat Bazar, Lal Bazar, Rikabi Bazar, Mira Bazar, Zinda Bazar, Shibganj Bazar, Shah Paran Bazar, Khadimnagar Bazar, Salutikar Bazar, Islampur Manipuri Rajbari Mela, Rathjatra Mela, Chaitra Mela, Chalibandar Charak Mela and Maharram Mela (Shahi Eidgah).

Main exports Natural gas, tea, betel leaf, orange, dried fish, Manipuri cotton fabrics, bamboo and cane furniture, shital pati.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 99.8% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Natural gas.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 46.0%, tap 1.7% and others 52.3%.

Sanitation 49.2% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 48.7% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 2.1% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 5, health and family welfare centre 7, community clinic 20, clinic 22, family planning centre 5.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, CARE, asa, Save the Children. [Md. Farruk Ahmed Chowdhury]

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Field report of Sylhet Sadar Upazila 2010.