111-507: Sylhet City Corporation ( SCC ) is a self-governing body, which governs the municipal areas of Sylhet , Bangladesh . This civic body of Sylhet was formed according to the Sylhet City Corporation Act, 2001 . At the 2022 Bangladesh Population and Housing Census, SCC has a population of 532,426 of whom 275,838 are male and 256,474 are female. SCC government is elected by popular vote every 5 years. The Sylhet City Corporation
222-641: A relay station headquartered in the Kazitula neighborhood. From 2000 to 2002, privately owned Ekushey Television broadcast terrestrially on VHF channel 11 in Sylhet. Cricket is the most popular sport in Sylhet. 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
333-537: A 164.6 km inter-state border. There were several clashes between the local people of the Mizoram and Barak regarding land disputes in the border areas on regular basis. The root of the dispute is a 1,318 km ( 509 square miles) area of hills and forests that Mizoram claims as its own. This is on the basis of an 1875 British law. But Assam insists this area is part of theirs as its "constitutional boundary". On 17 November 2022, Mizoram Home Minister have apologised for
444-464: A Hindu house. When a Hindu boy tried to chase the cow, some Muslims beat him up. Soon after that clashes erupted between the two communities. The ensuing riot claimed 82 lives. Hailakandi riot (1990) In October 1990, a wounded cow was found near a common land, which led to clashes between Hindus and Muslims. Police records reveal that the Hindus of Hailakandi had demanded that parcel of land to construct
555-547: A bullet wound in chest. Ullaskar Dutta send nine bouquets for nine martyrs. On 20 May, the people of Silchar took out a procession with the bodies of the martyrs in protest of the killings. After the incident and more protests, the Assam government had to withdraw the circular and Bengali was ultimately given official status in the Barak region by Assam government. Soon after that a circular of Section 5 of Assam Language Act XVIII, 1961,
666-511: 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
777-485: A few years later. The population of Muslims in the colonial era Barak Valley decreased in the late 19th century largely because the fertile lands were occupied by earlier settlers of the region and later they immigrated to the present Hojai of Assam which was also a part of Kachari Kingdom up to 1832 AD. A population 85,522 of diverse backgrounds including hill tribes, in the 1851 Census, Muslims and Hindus, 30,708 and 30,573, respectively, mostly Bengalis, constituted 70% of
888-614: A good number of Bengali advisers (mostly Brahmins ) around him and gave grants of land to some of them, but the population resembled that of the North Cachar Hills of today as evident from various historical chronicles and sources. Bengali settlers from neighbouring East Bengal poured into the Cachar plains after the British annexation of the region in 1832 A.D., turning it into a Bengali-majority region. Once, Barak Valley from (1832–1874) A.D.
999-712: A literacy rate of 67.8%. The majority of the population are Bengali Muslims , while significant minority population groups include the Bengali Hindus , Bishnupriya Manipuri and others. Sylheti is spoken by the vast majority of the people, while Standard Bengali is the official language used by the state government and officials. Ethnic minorities are 2,424 (0.45%), 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
1110-477: A modern and European model new town was built on the wreckage. From the beginning of the 20th century, the importance of Sylhet increased with the establishment of the tea industry. In 1947, following a referendum and the partition of British India , Sylhet became part of East Pakistan. In 1995, the Government of Bangladesh declared Sylhet as the sixth divisional headquarters of the country. Sylhet has played
1221-404: A population of 532,839. 15.93% of the population was under 10 years of age. Sylhet had a literacy rate of 84.57% for those 7 years and older and a sex ratio of 107.51 males per 100 females. As of the 2011 Bangladesh census , Sylhet has a population of 485,138. The population growth rate of the city is 1.73%, a decrease from 1.93% in 1991. Sylhet has a sex ratio of 861 females to 1000 males and
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#17328522608591332-462: 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. 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
1443-640: 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 longtime 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
1554-525: 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. 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
1665-589: Is Sylhet's first college in Bandarbazar area established by Rai Bahadur Raja Girish Chandra Roy named it after his maternal grandfather Murari Chand Roy. Sylhet is twinned with: As of 2009, Sylhet has friendly relations with: 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
1776-417: Is appointed as deputy mayor. In the absence of the mayor, the deputy mayor controls all functions of the City Corporation. This article about a Bangladeshi organisation is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sylhet Sylhet ( Bengali : সিলেট IPA: [sileʈ] ; Sylheti : ꠍꠤꠟꠐ ) is a metropolitan city located in the northeastern region of Bangladesh . It
1887-691: Is based at Jalalabad Cantonment in Sylhet. 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. 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 . In 2018, Sylhet Medical University
1998-418: Is bordered by Mizoram and Tripura to the south, Bangladesh and Meghalaya to the west and Manipur to the east respectively. Once North Cachar Hills was a part of Cachar district which became a subdivision in 1951 and eventually a separate district. On 1 July 1983, Karimganj district was curved out from the eponymous subdivision of Cachar district. In 1989 the subdivision of Hailakandi
2109-488: 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 4,200 millimetres (170 in) occurs between May and September. 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
2220-408: Is known for its distinct flavors and aromatic dishes. Popular delicacies in the city include pitha (rice cakes), shorshe ilish (hilsa fish in mustard sauce), shatkora beef, and doi chira (flattened rice with yogurt). The region's love for tea is evident in its numerous tea gardens and the consumption of "seven-layer tea," a unique layered beverage. State-owned Bangladesh Television operates
2331-457: Is often described as a division filled with Bangladeshis . It lost its "Bangladeshi tag" after the final NRC draft results were published on 31 July 2018. Mr. Paul, a resident of Cachar district, said that the latest NRC draft had put an end to the controversy regarding the citizenship of the residents of the Valley. He further said: "It was often claimed that they are all or the majority of people of
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#17328522608592442-409: Is responsible for administering and providing basic infrastructure to the city. Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) has announced a budget of ৳ 925.4 crore (US$ 77 million) for 2023-24 fiscal year. The deputy mayor (also known as Panel mayor) is a second-ranking official of city corporation. 3 Panel mayors are appointed by vote of councillors. The 1st panel mayor with the highest number of votes
2553-416: Is still lagging behind in comparison to the Assam's mainland Brahmaputra valley that has access to all of those facilities mentioned above. On 20 January 2023, Barak Democratic Front 's Chief Convenor and former ACKHSA leader Pradip Dutta Roy said, "If Centre is planning to grant separate statehood to Kamtapur , then they should also fulfill the longstanding demand of separate Barak state by granting
2664-551: Is the anglicisation of শিলহট ( Śilhôṭ ), one of the archaic native names for the city. The local name is generally thought to be directly derived from শ্রীহট্ট ( Śrīhaṭṭa ), the Sanskrit name of the city. 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
2775-568: Is the administrative center of Sylhet Division and is situated on the banks of the Surma River . Sylhet is the fifth-largest city in Bangladesh, with a population of around 530,000 people in 2022. Sylhet is known for its tea plantations and natural beauty. The city has a history dating back to the 14th century and has been ruled by various dynasties and empires, including the Mughals , British , and
2886-656: Is the extension of the Greater Surma/Meghna Valley of Bengal in every aspect from culture to geography". Assam's Surma Valley (now partly in Bangladesh ) had Muslim-majority population. On the eve of partition, hectic activities intensified by the Muslim League as well Congress with the former having an edge. A referendum had been proposed for Sylhet District . Abdul Matlib Mazumdar along with Basanta Kumar Das (then Home Minister of Assam) travelled throughout
2997-436: Is the official as well as the most spoken language of the region with approximately 2,930,378 native speakers. Although Bengali is reported as the most spoken in the census, the most common spoken language is Sylheti , a language that is generally grouped with Bengali as a dialect. Meitei (also called Manipuri ) is the associate official language of the region with 126,498 speakers. Hindi , Bishnupriya and Dimasa are
3108-742: The Bangladeshi diaspora , particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. According to The Daily Star , about 95% of Bangladeshi population in the UK comes from the Sylhet district. Sylhet has diverse transport infrastructure, with a modern airport, railway station, and bus terminals that connect it to other parts of the country. The city also has several educational institutions, including Sylhet Agricultural University , Shahjalal University of Science and Technology , and Sylhet Cadet College . Sylhet
3219-604: The Dimasa -inhabited areas, namely North Cachar Hills , greater parts of Cachar district , Hailakandi district , significant parts of Hojai district and Karbi Anglong district in Assam together with part of Dimapur district in Nagaland . Durga puja is one of the major festivals of Barak valley, as the region is home to a large population of Bengalis in Assam . Durga puja is celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm in every part of
3330-586: 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. 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
3441-657: The Hanafi school of jurisprudence. Significant numbers of people also follow Sufi ideals, particularly the teachings of Abdul Latif Fultali . 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. A number of shopping centres, restaurants and hotels have opened as
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3552-464: The Jaintia kingdom ; and Tripura kingdom held most of the southern highlands and the adjoining lowlands. The EIC, an erstwhile mercantile company, got into the revenue-farming and judiciary business with the diwani grant of 1765 and developed a keen interest in monopolising traditional trade routes and expanding settled farming for revenue. This was achieved by marking boundaries—company officers served
3663-718: The Kachari kingdom . The Kacharis/Dimasas appear in historical accounts in the 13th century, when Sukaphaa encountered them in the Brahmaputra valley. They had their capital in Dimapur, but due to the pressure from the Ahom kingdom, they moved their capital twice—once to Maibong in Dima Hasao, and then to Khaspur in the Cachar plains close to present-day Silchar . In the 16th century, the Tripura kingdom
3774-560: The Nawabs of Bengal . The city is also home to several important landmarks, such as the Shah Jalal Dargah , which is one of the holiest Islamic sites in Bangladesh and attracts thousands of Muslim pilgrims every year. Sylhet is one of the most economically important cities in Bangladesh after Dhaka and Chittagong . Sylhet is a major commercial and financial center, and it is home to several multinational companies and industries, including
3885-661: The Sylhet City Corporation . Barak Valley The Barak Valley is the southernmost region and administrative division of the Indian state of Assam . It is named after the Barak river . The Barak valley consists of three administrative districts of Assam namely - Cachar , Karimganj , and Hailakandi . The main and largest city is Silchar , which seats the headquarter of Cachar district and also serves as administrative divisional office of Barak valley division. The valley
3996-522: The Sylhet City Corporation . It was made a metropolitan city in 2009. 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
4107-454: The 7th century. Till 1787, when Brahmaputra changed its course to meet the Meghna a hundred miles farther south, the land between Netrokona in the west and Sylhet in the east was inundated for half of each year forming haors which made the higher plains of the upper Surma-Kushiara basin not as easily accessible from the west as it was from the Cachar plains in the east. Sylhet is farther to
4218-803: The Assam government, 1.3–1.5 lakh such people residing in the Barak Valley are eligible for citizenship if the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019 becomes a law. There were reverse im-migration vice-versa trends as well. The Muslim percentage of the Cachar Valley have decreased from 42.48% to 38.49% during (1941–1951) period. On the eve of Partition of Bengal and Sylhet Referendum , most of Bengali Muslim employees hailing from Barak Valley opted for Pakistan's Sylhet and migrated there as refugees. Similarly, Bengali Hindu employees hailing from Sylhet opted for Cachar Valley and majority of them settled in
4329-422: The Assam police arrested three prominent leaders of the movement, namely Nalinikanta Das, Rathindranath Sen and Bidhubhushan Chowdhury, the editor of weekly Yugashakti. On 19 May, the dawn to dusk hartal started. Picketing started in the sub-divisional towns of Silchar, Karimganj and Hailakandi. A Bedford truck carrying nine arrested activists from Katigorah was fired and the truck driver and the policemen escorting
4440-621: The Awami League. The present foreign affairs minister DR. A K Abdul Momen , who is the younger brother of Abdul Muhith, currently represents the Sylhet-1 seat in parliament. Sylhet has high rates of electricity 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
4551-593: The Bengali new year, is one of the most important and major festivals of the valley celebrated by the ethnic Bengalis , irrespective of their religious affiliation and social status. This festival marks the beginning of Bengali new year and is being celebrated 15 April every year. Eid is also a major festival of the region as the Muslims constitute half of valley's population. Just like Durga puja , every year lakhs of Muslims celebrated eid with great joy and happiness throughout
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4662-473: The Cachar plains thereafter. Also during partition, most of the Sylhet-origin Muslim businessmen living in Cachar and Karimganj have exchanged their business, houses and residences with Hindu businessmen of Sylhet migrating to Cachar and Karimganj. In March 2020, Wasbir Hussain , the editor in chief of North East Live and member of clause 6 committee while defining who is an Assamese have stated that
4773-494: The Cachar plains, suggesting that it was the Dimasa people that gave the name Cachar to the plains. Barak valley Division comprises three districts, namely Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi. The three districts of the Barak Valley have their own historical origins; nevertheless the region has been defined not from a natural growth from social, historical or cultural lives of the vernacular groups present in these regions, but they are
4884-562: The Chief Minister for providing implicit support to the separation call. The southernmost region of Assam that is Barak Valley has an overwhelming Bengali majority population of about 80.8% as per 2011 census report. On 27 September 2023, members of Barak Democratic Front (BDF) held a press conference at the Kolkata Press Club shedding light on the long-standing grievances of Barak Valley residents while attempting to garner support for
4995-587: The EIC interests in generating more revenue and confronting Ava militarily, but they also served their own private commercial interests. According to David R. Syiemlieh , up to 1837 A.D. the plains of Cachar Valley were sparsely populated and were dominated by the Dimasa Cachari , a Tibeto Burmese tribe, under the rule of the Kachari Raja, who have established his kingdom's capital at Khaspur, Cachar plains. He had
5106-586: The Hailakandi district, the major languages are Bengali, Hindi, Tripuri language , Manipuri and Bhojpuri. In the Karimganj district, the major languages are Bengali and Hindi. Religions in Barak Valley (2011) Hinduism , by a sliver, is the slight majority religion, while Islam is the second-largest religion in the Valley. The religious composition of the valley population is as follows: Hindus 50%, Muslims 48.1%, Christians 1.6%, and others 0.3%. Hindus are
5217-511: The Homeless. Sylhet was chosen because it is the home region for a large ethnic minority population in St Albans. 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
5328-607: 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, largest tea plantations, rubber, palm oil , cane , agarwood 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
5439-444: 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. Sylhet's first direct international flight arrived on 15 March 2017 when a Flydubai direct flight from Dubai landed at
5550-697: The Valley. While Islam is overwhelmingly practised by Bengalis , with some small populace of Meitei Pangals , Kacharis and Biharis . Christianity is mainly practised by Tea-garden community , tribals such as Khasis , Mizos , Hmars , Kukis and Nagas living in the Valley. The below are population by district tehsils in 2011: Hindus are majority in three tehsils of Cachar district namely Silchar, Lakhipur and Udharbond, while Muslims are majority in Katigora and Sonai circle according to 2011 census. Hindus are significant in two tehsils of Hailakandi namely Katlichara and Lala, while Muslims are majority in all
5661-526: The airport. 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. In May 2007, Biman announced direct Hajj flights originating from the airport later that year. As of 2020, Biman Bangladesh operates direct flight to London from Sylhet. All Bangladeshi airlines operate regular domestic flights to Dhaka and Biman operates regular domestic flights to Cox's Bazar . In response to
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#17328522608595772-424: The arrested fled the spot. Soon after that the paramilitary forces, guarding the railway station, started beating the protesters with rifle butts and batons without any provocation from them. They fired 17 rounds into the crowd. Twelve persons received bullet wounds and were carried to hospitals. Nine of them died that day. Two more persons died later. One person, Krishna Kanta Biswas survived for another 24 hours with
5883-403: The case of Cachar Valley, the language of the region ( Bangla )". Mizoram used to be a district of Assam as Lushai hills before being carved out as a separate union territory and later, becoming another separate state in 1987 by States Reorganisation Act, 1956 . Because of the history, the district's borders did not really matter for local Mizos for a long time. Mizoram shares a border with
5994-530: The city is administered by the Sylhet City Corporation . 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
6105-515: 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 . 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
6216-500: The city, but only 15% maintain sanitary facilities and 85% have unhygienic conditions that are unsafe for the public. The cultural identity of Sylhet has been shaped by a blend of indigenous practices, Sufi influences, and the assimilation of diverse communities. Sylhet is also known for its music scene, and it is home to several renowned musicians and artists. The city has a rich literary tradition, producing several notable writers and poets including Syed Mujtaba Ali . Sylheti cuisine
6327-509: The clashes that have occurred in Barak-Mizoram border in which six police personnel and one civilian were killed in Lailapur. Barak valley has witnessed many major communal riots since 1960's to the most recent 2021 Hailakandi riots. Lists of riots involving communalism in Barak valley region: Karimganj riot (1968) In the 1968 Karimganj riots, a cow belonging to a Muslim wandered into
6438-525: The creation of a new Purbachal state, separate from Assam. On 29 November 2023, the demand for separate Barak state have been raised before the office of Prime Minister and Home Minister and a memorandum was also submitted by the members of Barak Democratic Front in Parliament of India . The indigenous Dimasa Cachari people of Northeast India have been demanding a separate state called Dimaraji or " Dimaland " for several decades. It would comprise
6549-618: The demand of about 65,000. The major sources of water to the city are the tube wells and the Surma River . 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. There are about 331 registered restaurants in
6660-601: The districts Cachar , Hailakandi and Karimganj which comes under Barak valley region of Assam. Over time, the two states started having different perceptions about where the demarcation should be. While Mizoram wants it to be along an Inner Line Permit notified in 1875 to protect indigenous tribals from outside influence, which Mizos feel is part of their historical homeland, Barak valley region of Assam wants it to be demarcated according to district boundaries drawn up much later. Conflicting territorial claims have persisted for long between Assam's Barak and Mizoram, which share
6771-500: The ethnic Assamese and Bengalis have led to several 'martyrs' on both sides of the administrative divisions. On 19 May 1961, 11 Bengali Protestors at Silchar railway station were killed for protesting against forceful imposition of Assamese language in Barak Valley region. Similarly, during Assam Movement of (1979–1985) or popularly known as the Assam Agitation which aims at detaining and deporting Illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from
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#17328522608596882-737: The final NRC list. The Committee further stated that, "All the Indigenous people of Barak Valley support the government stand of Implementing Clause 6 of the Assam Accord ". One of the early attempts to define the native people of Assam is found in the 1951 Census of Assam . It's clearly stated that "An Indigenous person of Assam means a person belonging to the State of Assam and speaking the Assamese language or any tribal languages- ( Dimasa , Rabha , Koch Rajbongshi , Bodo , Mishing , Karbi etc.) of Assam, or in
6993-863: The following. There are two public universities in Sylhet: Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Sylhet Agricultural University . There are some prominent colleges and schools in Sylhet such as 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 , Sylhet Cadet College , Murari Chand College , 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 . Murari Chand College
7104-601: The government hoarding has led to condemnation from people and various regional organisations of the Brahmaputra Valley, where Assamese organisations such as All Assam Students Union and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad have severely reacted, deeply saddened and protested against it. In retaliation, several Bengali hoardings in Assamese-dominated Brahmaputra Valley have also meet the same fate. The political 'language wars' and strife between
7215-496: The hills and hidden behind forests and jungles." Exactly 100 years after his tenure, in 1878, Sylhet was upgraded into a municipality with an approximate area of about 1.75 square kilometers. The civic body of Sylhet was formed according to the Sylhet City Corporation Act, 2001, which came into effect on April 10, 2001. On July 28, 2002, Sylhet Municipality board was upgraded to a City Corporation, which covering an area of 26.50 square kilometers and divided into 27 wards, and currently
7326-460: The increase in passenger and cargo demand at the airport, work began in 2020 on a new 34,919 square metres (375,860 sq ft) international passenger terminal building, as well as a cargo building, a control tower, parking areas, and a taxiway. 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
7437-445: 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. Robert Lindsay , who served as the District Collector of Sylhet from 1778 to 1790. In his autobiography, Oriental Miscellanies: Anecdotes of Indian Life , he mentioned to Sylhet as 'a small bazaar (market)'. He wrote, "The town was then merely a small market. The inhabitants’ houses were situated on
7548-483: The last Koch ruler's daughter married the king of the Kachari kingdom , and the rule of Khaspur passed into the hands of the Kachari rulers who adopted the title Lord of Hedamba . The Kachari kings at Khaspur appointed Brahmins as rajpandits and rajgurus and provided land grants to Muslims from Sylhet for cultivation. Some people from Manipur and the Ahom kingdom too moved to the Cachar plains following disturbances in those lands. In 1835 Pemberton reported that
7659-628: The latest final draft list. As a whole, about 11% residents of Barak could not make their name appears on the list. The Assam Indigenous People Protection Committee has protested the exclusion of indigenous people in the final NRC list, which was published on 31 August 2019 in Assam's Barak Valley region. According to the Committee, nearly 1.5 lakh people belong to the Dimasa , Koch Rajbongshi , Meiteis , Manipuri-Muslim ( Pangals ), Bishnupriya Manipuri, Cachari-speaking Muslim, tea tribes , Rongmei Naga , Kuki , Khasi, Gorkha, Hmar , Das Pattni, Nath Jogi and Namasudra Bangali communities were left out of
7770-537: The majority in Cachar district (59.83%) with having (86.31%) Hindu in the district headquarter ; Silchar (which is also the main city of the valley). While Muslims are the majority in Hailakandi district (60.31%) and Karimganj district (56.36%), but Hailakandi town have (67.26%) Hindu majority, Karimganj town have also a Hindu Majority of (86.57%) as of 2011 census. Hinduism is mainly practised by Bengalis , Dimasas , Tripuris , Meiteis , Bishnupriyas , Odias , Nepalis , Biharis and Marwaris living in
7881-442: The number of East Bengali refugees living in Cachar alone is found to be 156,307 which is way higher than the previous census. No new Hindu immigration happened in the post 1971 period in Barak valley. Bengali Hindus who landed up in Barak valley from Bangladesh in the post 1971 census have moved out of the region before the 1991 census. The number of Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh in Barak Valley has varied estimates. According to
7992-531: The original inhabitants of Barak valley are a part of greater Assamese society and he further said that illegal immigrants and migrants are of different bracket. Regarding Indigenousity, Those Bengali-speaking Hindus/Muslims of Barak Valley (comprising districts of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj) who bears surnames like Choudhury, Mazumdar/Mazumder, Laskar/Lashkar, Barlaskar, Barobhuiya, Mazarbhuiya, Talukdar and Hazari and other regular titles mostly brought and given by Kachari kings are Native. The Barak Valley region
8103-481: The other most widely spoken languages with 362,459, 50,019 and 21,747 native speakers, respectively. Tripuri , Khasi , Odia , Nepali and Marwari are also spoken by a considerable minority, while 1.84% of the total population speaks other tribal languages. According to census 2011, the major languages of Cachar district are Bengali , Hindi , Manipuri , Bhojpuri , Bishnupriya Manipuri , Dimasa , Khasi , Hmar and Odia in descending order of population. In
8214-518: The population of the Cachar plains was around 50,000 dominated by the Dimasa people , followed by Muslim immigrants from Sylhet and their descendants; a third group was Bengali and Assamese immigrants and their descendants and Naga, Kuki and Manipuris forming the smallest groups. Hailakandi, claimed by both the Tripura and Kachari kingdoms, was a market town on the banks of the Dalasuri river which connected
8325-526: The products of empire building, especially under the East India Company (EIC) and the British Raj . The pre-colonial kingdoms were not cartographically defined; they were rather defined according to heartlands, and the defence of the margins were not important, and it was communities living in different places owing loyalties to different royal lineages that implied territories. The EIC interests led to drastically differently defined cartographic territories—it
8436-565: The region around Sylhet, which picked up significantly only after 1719 and lasted till the beginning of East India Company rule in 1765. The expansion of Mughal domains in Sylhet was part of an ancient process of Gangetic territorialism that displaced or assimilated extant populations consisting of Munda , Khasi and other peoples. The Mughal administration granted land in Sarkar Sylhet to talukdars , called Chaudhuri , in smaller land parcels called taluks , as opposed to larger zamindars in
8547-477: The region be it rural or urban areas with great joy and happiness. Annually, on average 2,500 puja pandals have been organised by puja committees throughout the valley, with 300 durga puja pandals are being concentrated in Silchar alone. The festival marks the victory of good over evil. Kali Puja is one of the most celebrated festivals in the valley after Durga Puja. Every year around 2000 Puja pandals are built in
8658-517: The region east of Sylhet town slowly after it won the right to collect land revenue under the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765. The Barak river today splits into the northern Surma and the southern Kushiara between the towns of Badarpur in the east and Karimganj in the west. Inscriptions suggest that in the 10th century the region around Surma and Kushiara formed frontier settlements called Srihatta and Khanda Kamarupa established by Kamarupa kings in
8769-536: 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. Two Bangladeshi finance ministers from the city have been elected to the Jatiyo Sangshad for Sylhet: Saifur Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party; and Abul Maal Abdul Muhith of
8880-456: The region separate statehood". On 7 September 2023, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma delivered a speech at a rally in Silchar and stated that "If the people of Barak Valley want separation, I will not oppose that demand. Rather the people of Barak Valley should reconsider an independent Barak state ." The BDF subsequently conducted a press conference on 8 September 2023 and congratulated
8991-495: The region to mark the beginning of this festival and to seek the blessings of the goddess Kali for general happiness, health, wealth and peace through prayers Busu Dima is an annual cultural festival celebrated by the Dimasa Kachari tribe of North Cachar Hills and Cachar of Barak valley. It is the biggest harvesting agricultural festival. It is celebrated after the completion of grain harvest in different villages of
9102-509: The resource-rich southern hills with the markets in the north along the Barak river. In 1821-22 when Thomas Fischer surveyed the area, he found that Hailakandi was controlled by the Kacharis, though it was surrounded by villages of the Kuki Tanghum community that owed allegiance to the Tripura kingdom. In this region a past Tripura king received a princess from Manipur. It was uncertain which of
9213-487: The rest of Bengal. Sylhet was itself a borderland when the EIC acquired the Mughal Sarkar Sylhet in 1765. EIC acquired Sarkar Sylhet, primarily the frontier town, bounded by regions that were not in their control—Mughal holdouts moved freely in the lowlands controlled by the highland rulers out of Company reach; Khasi chiefs held most of the land north of the Surma; the land north and east of Sylhet town belonged to
9324-535: 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. Sylhet is divided into 6 metropolitan thanas (police stations), 42 wards, and 1224 mahallas. Sylhet is strategically important for the Bangladesh Armed Forces . The Bangladesh Army 's 17th Infantry Division
9435-511: The state saw as many as 855 Assamese people gave up their lives to protect the Linguistic, ethnic and cultural identity of Assam. In 1947 during Partition of Bengal period, it has been found that from 15 August 1947 to April 1950, the Bengali Hindu refugees population in Cachar increased to 200,000 and but after Liaquat–Nehru Pact it came down to 93,177 in 1951. According to 1961 census,
9546-399: The tea industry, which generates a significant amount of revenue for the city. The city has a diverse population, with native Sylhetis , Bengalis , Manipur & Tripuris , and other ethnic groups. The official language of Sylhet is Standard Bengali , and Sylheti is the most spoken language. English is widely spoken and understood because people from Sylhet form a significant portion of
9657-549: The three districts Cachar , Hailakandi , Karimganj , as well as historical Dima Hasao of Undivided Cachar Valley and some parts of Hojai district to meet the criteria for creating a separate state for themselves by carving out from Assam's Assamese majority Brahmaputra valley post NRC . Silchar is the proposed capital of Barak state. Barak Valley is the most neglected part of Assam in terms of its infrastructure development, tourism sector, educational institutions, hospitals, IT industries, G.D.P, H.D.I etc. which
9768-437: The three kingdoms the communities paid their tributes to and it effectively formed a boundary zone , a concept that differed significantly from the idea of clearly defined borders between kingdoms. Karimganj was with the colonial Sylhet district—despite a referendum result it was split from Sylhet, which was included with Pakistan during partition of India in 1947, and attached to India. East India Company had pushed into
9879-589: The three tehsils, but in Katlichara Muslims form a plurality according to 2011 census. Hindus are majority in two tehsils of Karimganj namely Patharkandi and Ramkrishna Nagar, while Muslims are majority in Nilambazar, Badarpur and Karimganj circle according to 2011 census. Most Bengali organisations of Barak Region have demanded a separate state for the people of Barak within the Bengali majority areas of Assam, particularly Bengali majority Barak valley, comprising
9990-597: The total population of Cachar Valley, followed by 10,723 Manipuris, 6,320 Kukis, 5,645 Naga and 2,213 Cacharis. Karimganj district, which have become a part of Cachar Valley plains after 1947, was a part of Sylhet before the Partition of Bengal (1947) . The region of Karimganj was under the rule of Pratapgarh Kingdom from 1489-1700s. In 1947, when a plebiscite was held in Sylhet of then Assam Province with majority voting for incorporation with Pakistan . The Sylhet district
10101-601: The twelfth and thirteenth centuries, founding the Śrīhaṭṭa janapada and establishing Śrīhaṭṭanātha idols across the region. 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. In 1303, the Sultan of Lakhnauti Shamsuddin Firoz Shah conquered Sylhet by defeating Gour Govinda . Sylhet
10212-516: The valley and hills. The festival is usually organised in the month of January. Baidima is a tradition festival of Indigenous Dimasa Cachari tribe of North Cachar Hills and Cachar . It is being celebrated in the month of January just after Busu Dima festival. The traditional dance continued for a week. On that day, along with dance they also sing songs. In haflong , locals organised cultural events, public meetings, rally and various programs related to this festival. Charak puja ( Pohela Boishakh )
10323-424: The valley are from Bangladesh. NRC draft results have shown that nearly 90% of Barak residents are Indian citizens . The Barak Valley had a population of about 37 lakh, as per last 2011 Census. NRC draft have dropped four lakh of the 37 lakh residents, majority of whom are Bengali people . As per NRC results, about 8% of the residents of Cachar, 11.82% of Karimganj and 14.2% of Hailakandi didn't feature their names on
10434-460: The valley organising the Congress and addressing meetings educating the masses about the outcome of partition on the basis of religion. On 20 February 1947 Moulvi Mazumdar inaugurated a convention – Assam Nationalist Muslim's Convention at Silchar . Thereafter another big meeting was held at Silchar on 8 June 1947. Both the meetings, which were attended by a large section of Muslims paid dividend. He
10545-625: The valley specially in Muslim-majority Karimganj and Hailakandi district. Over 80 per cent of Assam's Barak Valley are Bengali people and speak Bengali language . On 24 October, a bill was passed by Assam's late Chief Minister Mr. Bimala Prasad Chaliha in the Assam Legislative Assembly making Assamese as the only sole official language of the state. On 5 February 1961, the Cachar Gana Sangram Parishad
10656-471: The west of Karimganj, also on the Surma. No state control existed in the Sylhet region till the establishment of Sarkar Sylhet when the Mughals established a Faujdar at Sylhet in 1612. In 1303, Shah Jalal had established rule around Sylhet; and during Ibn Battuta 's visit in 1346, the region was inhabited by Khasi, Garo, Hindus, Muslims, and others. The Mughals began the practice of settling cultivators in
10767-507: Was a part of the Bengal Presidency under the British Empire . The British Annexation of Cachar transformed the demographic patterns of the valley overnight. There was a sudden phenomenal growth in population, while the plains of Cachar had about 50 thousands inhabitants in all in 1837 A.D. that is five years after its annexation, which eventually indicates that there was a large-scale immigration. The population rose to more than five lakhs
10878-634: Was a realm of the Bengal Sultanate . In the 16th century, Sylhet was controlled by the Baro-Bhuyan zamindars and later became a sarkar (district) of the Mughal Empire . 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. British rule began in the 18th century under the administration of
10989-552: Was also among the few who were instrumental in retaining the Barak Valley region of Assam, especially Karimganj with India. Mazumdar was the leader of the delegation that pleaded before the Radcliffe Commission that ensured that a part of Sylhet (now in Bangladesh) join with India despite being Muslim-majority (present Karimganj district ). In return of that, Moulvibazar the only Hindu-majority district of Sylhet Division
11100-559: 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. 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. The N2 connects
11211-425: Was divided into two; the easternmost subdivision of Sylhet which is known as Karimganj joined with India , and now is a district of Assam , whereas the rest of Sylhet joined East Bengal . Geographically the region is surrounded by hills from all three sides except its western plain boundary with Bangladesh . Nihar Ranjan Roy, author of Bangalir Itihash, claims that "South Assam / Northeastern Bengal or Barak Valley
11322-569: Was enacted to safeguards the use of Bengali language in the Cachar district. It says, "Without prejudice to the provisions contained in Section 3, the Bengali language shall be used for administrative and other official purposes up to and including district level." On 18 October 2021, a state government hoarding which was written in Assamese language has been found smeared with black ink in Barak valley's administrative capital Silchar's Petrol Pump area. It
11433-490: 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. As of 2022 census results, Sylhet City Corporation had 116,711 households and
11544-544: Was formed to protest against the imposition of Assamese in the Bengali-speaking Barak Valley. Rathindranath Sen was chief person of the organisation. People soon started protesting in Silchar , Karimganj and Hailakandi . On 24 April, the Parishad flagged off a fortnight-long Padayatra in the Barak Valley to raise awareness among the masses, which ended after 200 miles reaching to Silchar on 2 May. On 18 May,
11655-429: Was found that two Bengali organisations namely: Barak Democratic Yuba Front and All Bengali Students Youth Organisation have been involved in that activity and have accused that the government of Assam has been trying to impose their Assamese language on us (referring to Bengali-majority Barak Valley) through Assamese hoarding as a starting and have said that "We strictly stands against it (i.e imposition)". The smearing of
11766-421: Was given to East Pakistan during partition. According to the 2011 Indian census , Barak valley had a population of 3,624,599. Male population is 1,850,038 and female population is 1,774,561. The Literacy rate is 76.27%. The population of Barak Valley is estimated to be over 4,386,089 people for upcoming 2021 census. Languages spoken in Barak Valley (2011) As per (2011) language census report, Bengali
11877-579: Was in control of the Cachar plains, when in 1562 the Koch general Chilarai annexed the Cachar region to the Koch kingdom and it came to be administered from Khaspur (or Kochpur) by his half-brother Kamalnarayan. After the death of the Koch ruler Nara Narayan , the region became independent and was ruled by the descendants of Kamalnarayan and his group, and they became known as the Dehans (after Dewan ). Between 1745 and 1755,
11988-550: Was in the interest of the two contending parties, the Tripura and the Kachari kingdoms, to define a boundary east to west across the Dalasuri flowing south to north and settle whether Hailakandi was control of the Tripuri or the Kachari polity; whereas the EIC was more interested in defining a north–south border along the Dalasuri so it could be defended. The Cachar district (Cachar plains) and Dima Hasao (Cachar hills) were both parts of
12099-503: Was once part of the Kachari kingdom . Some have suggested the word "Kachar" in Bengali language means a stretch of land at the foot of a mountain and Cachar might have been the name given by Bengalis of Sylhet to the land surrounded by mountains from all the sides. Others have pointed out that the name "Kachari" is widely prevalent in the Brahmaputra valley and that the Dimasa people were known as "Kachari" even before they came to rule
12210-668: 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. 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 , Enamul Haque Jr , Tapash Baisya , and Alok Kapali . Chess player Rani Hamid
12321-492: Was upgraded into Hailakandi district . The name "Barak" has derived from the Dimasa words 'Bra' and 'Kro'. Bra means bifurcation and Kro upper means portion/stream. The river Barak is bifurcated near Haritikar in the Karimganj district in to Surma River and Kushiyara River , respectively. The upstream of this bifurcated river was called "Brakro" by the Barman Kacharis of Cachar plains. Barak valley excluding Karimganj
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