Khulna (, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong.
Khulna is on the Rupsha River and Bhairab River, a strategic industrial point in southwestern Bangladesh. It is also an important industrial hub in Bangladeshi industry, hosting many of the nation's largest companies. Khulna's economy is affected by the Port of Mongla, Bangladesh's second-largest seaport.
A colonial steamboat service, which includes the Tern, Osrich and Lepcha, operates on the river route to the city. Khulna is considered the gateway to the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest and home of the Bengal tiger. It is north of the Mosque City of Bagerhat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History
Khulna was part of the ancient kingdoms of
Vanga Kingdom,
Gangaridai and
Samatata. After the end of the
Pala Empire, it was ruled by the
Sena dynasty during the 12th-century reign of
Ballala Sena, and formed part of the Bagri division of Bengal.
During the 14th century, Shamsuddin Firoz Shah was the first Muslim ruler to arrive in the city. Muslim settlements increased during the time of Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, and many mosques and shrines were established. A Muslim saint, Khan Jahan Ali, acquired a
jagir (fiefdom) encompassing a large part of Khulna Division from the king of Gauḍa during the 15th century and renamed the region as Jahanabad. Ali ruled until he died in 1459.
After Ali's death, the city became part of the Bengal Sultanate. During the reign of Daud Khan Karrani in the 16th century, Vikramaditya (one of Karrani's chief ministers) obtained a grant in southern Bengal—including Khulna—when Karrani was fighting the Mughal Empire. Vikramaditya established a sovereign kingdom with its capital at Iswaripur (in present-day Satkhira District). He was succeeded by his son, Pratapaditya, who gained preeminence over the and controlled southern Bengal. Vikramaditya was defeated by Raja Man Singh I, a Hindu Rajput general of the Mughal emperor Akbar, in 1611.
Khulna was ruled by autonomous Bengali until 1793 when the British East India Company abolished nizamat (local rule) and took control of the city. Becoming part of Jessore District in 1842, it became the headquarters of Khulna District (the Khulna and Bagerhat subdivisions of Jashore District, the Satkhira subdivision of 24 Parganas district, and the Sundarbans) in 1882.
Before 19 August 1947, Khulna District was part of undivided Bengal. Khulna first declared itself as part of India in 1947, and the Indian flag was flown on 15 August. Syed Mohammad Abdul Halim (an official of the Bengali civil service) requested Khulna's inclusion in Pakistan, and the boundary commission declared that the city was part of East Bengal. Sher e Bangla A.K.Fazlul Haq, Muslim League leaders Khan A Sabur, Advocate Hamidul Haq Chowdhury, A. F. M. Abdul Jalil, and Abdul Mojid Khan were also involved in the process.
During the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Pakistan Army created the 314th ad hoc Brigade to hold Khulna.[Salik, Siddiq, Witness to Surrender, pp126] The city's Mukti Bahini fighters were part of sector 8 under the command of Major Abu Osman Chowdhury and, later, under Major Mohammad Abdul Monjur.
Geography
Khulna is Bangladesh's third-largest city, after
Dhaka and
Chittagong. It is in the southwestern part of the country, on the
Rupsa River and
. Even though the city corporation area is 45.65 square Kilometres, The total city area covers ,
[ Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Area, Population and Literacy Rate by Paurashava – 2001 ( pdf-file) Retrieved on 29 September 2008.] and
Khulna District covers . Khulna is south of
Jessore District and
Narail District, east of Satkhira District, west of
Bagerhat and north of the Bay of Bengal. It is part of the
Ganges Delta, the world's largest
river delta.
Sundarbans, the world's largest
mangrove forest, is in the southern part of the delta.
Mudflat ecosystems are adjacent to the city.
Khulna is in the northern part of the district, and the
Mayur River is the western boundary of its metropolitan area.
Climate
In the Köppen climate classification, Khulna has a tropical wet and dry climate. The city is hot and humid during summer, and pleasantly warm during winter. Khulna is significantly affected by the Monsoon of South Asia. Khulna gets less rainfall than other parts of Bangladesh due to its location and the effects of the
Sundarbans south of the city. Its annual average rainfall is h about 87 percent falling between May and October. Khulna also receives heavy rain from
which form in the Bay of Bengal. The city has an annual average temperature of , with monthly averages ranging from on January mornings to during April afternoons.
Administration
Khulna Municipal Council was founded on 12 December 1884. It became a municipal corporation in 1984 and a city corporation in 1990. Khulna City Corporation (KCC) is a self-governing corporation run by an elected mayor, who governs the city's 31 wards.
The Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) maintains law and order and regulates traffic in the metropolitan area. It has eight police stations: Khulna Kotwali Thana, Sonadanga Thana, Khalishpur Thana, Daulatpur Thana, Khan Jahan Ali Thana, Aranghata Thana, Harintana Thana and Labanchara Thana. The Metropolitan Magistrate Court (CMM) adjudicates the city's legal issues. The Khulna Development Authority (KDA) plans and coordinates the city's development. Khulna Water Supply & Sewerage Authority (KWASA) parallels the KCC.
Khulna city area has two parliamentary seats. They are
Military
Khulna is one of two principal naval command centers for the
Bangladesh Navy. The
BNS Titumir naval base is in the city. Jahanabad Cantonment, containing the Army Service Corps Center and School (ASCC&S) is situated in Gilatola area of the Khulna metropolitan.
Also Khulna Shipyard is a renowned military naval Institute in Khulna region
Demographics
As of the 2022 census, Khulna City Corporation had 188,579 households and a population of 719,557. 14.97% of the population was under 10 years of age. Khulna had a literacy rate of 88.07% for those 7 years and older and a sex ratio of 102.91 males per 100 females.
In the 2011 census, Khulna City Corporation had a population of 751,237 in 177,852 households. Khulna had a sex ratio of 923 females to 1000 males and a literacy rate of 72.7%.
Like the rest of Bangladesh, most of the city's population is Bengalis. Khulna's native residents are known as Khulnaiya. Its population also consists of people from neighboring districts.
Most residents speak Bengali language (the national language), its dialects, and regional languages. English is understood by a large segment of the population, especially in business. An Urdu-speaking population, descendants of Muslims displaced from Bihar in 1947 who sought refuge in East Bengal, lives in the city's Khalishpur area.
Islam is Khulna's major religion, practiced by 89.06% of the population. Other religions are Hinduism (practiced by 9.86%), and Christianity (1.04%).
Economy
Khulna is Bangladesh's third-largest economic center. North of the Port of Mongla, it has a variety of industries. Major sectors are
jute, chemicals, fish and seafood packaging,
food processing, sugar milling, power generation and
shipbuilding. The Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) regulates commerce through its Licensed Measurers' Department (LMD) and certification, attestation, and publicity departments. The region has an
Free-trade zone, attracting foreign investment. The city is home to branch offices of several national companies, including M. M. Ispahani Limited,
BEXIMCO, James Finlay Bangladesh,
Summit Group and the Abul Khair Group. Khulna's largest companies include
Khulna Shipyard, Bangladesh Cable Shilpa Limited, Bangladesh Oxygen, Platinum Jubilee Mills, Star Jute Mills, and the Khulna Oxygen Company.
Transport
Road
are the most popular means of public transport in Khulna for short trips, and
are also common. Nagar Paribahan buses have frequent service between
Rupsa Upazila and
Phultala Upazila, with stops throughout Khulna. Motorcycles are popular among the middle class, but wealthier people prefer a private car.
The N7 highway connects Khulna with the rest of Bangladesh, and the Khulna City Bypass is a major road. The N760 connects Satkhira and western Khulna Districts. There are several nationwide bus services available in Khulna (most privately owned), and the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation operates inter-district buses from the city. Sonadanga Bus Terminal is Khulna's main bus terminal. Major bus routes include Khulna-Jessore-Dhaka; Khulna-Goplaganj-Dhaka; Khulna-Jessore-Kushtia; Khulna-Satkhira; Khulna-Bagerhat; Khulna-Mongla; Khulna-Narail; Khulna-Barisal; Khulna-Rajshahi; Khulna-Faridpur; Khulna-Kuakata, and Khulna-Dhaka-Chittagong.
Rail
Khulna Railway Station is the city's main station. Bangladesh Railway operates six intercity trains: the Sundarban and
(to
Dhaka), the Kapotaksha and Sagardari Expresses (to
Rajshahi), and the
Rupsha Express and
Simanta Express to Chilahati. Two commuter express trains serve
Benapole, in addition to mail trains to Parbatipur,
Chapainawabganj and
Goalundo Ghat. The international
Bandhan Express runs to
Kolkata. The city has four other railway stations, and two more (in addition to the Rupsha Rail Bridge) are newly inaugurated as part of the Khulna–Mongla Port Railway project.
Air
Jashore Airport, north of Khulna, has flights to
Dhaka on Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines and
Novoair, with air-conditioned bus service from the airport to the city. Khan Jahan Ali Airport, is an airport under construction near Khulna city to serve Khulna region.
Water
Several passenger launches and cargo services operate from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority launch terminal in the city.
Public transport
There is public transportation in Khulna city through the mid 19's. Buses of that urban transportation of Khulna city were called 'Murir Tin'. Today besides the urban transportation buses,
Cycle rickshaw, auto rickshaws are playing a vital role in transport within Khulna city and the adjoining metro area. Famous ride sharing services like
Uber,
Pathao,
Obhai also available in the city.
There are also bus and mini-bus services on some routes, connecting suburban areas of the city. Plenty of rental car agencies operate within the city and metro area, where sedans, SUVs, and micro-buses are available to hire hourly or daily.
Education
Educational institutions in the city include Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET). The university, earlier known as Bangladesh Institute of Technology, Khulna, is the only engineering university in Khulna and was listed in the 2019 edition of
QS Asian University Rankings.
, founded in 1902, is the city's oldest higher-education institution.
Khulna University is the only public university in Bangladesh where student politics is prohibited.
There is also an agriculture university, named Khulna Agricultural University (KAU) was founded in 2019.
Khulna Medical University and Khulna Medical College (KMC) are public medical institutions, while North Western University, Bangladesh (NWU) and the Northern University of Business & Technology (NUBT) and Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah University,these universities are private.Bangladesh Army University of Science and Technology is also a renowned private university in Khulna. High schools in Khulna include:
-
Khulna Zilla School.
-
Govt. Model High School, Khulna.
-
St. Joseph's High School, Khulna.
-
Govt. Model School and College, Boyra, Khulna.
-
Khulna Collectorate Public School & College
-
Khulna Public School and College.
Sports
Cricket and football are the two most popular sports in Khulna, and the Khulna Division cricket team's home ground is in the city. Khulna's cricket Bangladesh Premier League
Khulna Titans was formerly the Khulna Royal Bengals. The Khulna Abahani Club played in the Bangladesh Football Premier League for several seasons before its relegation in the 2008–09 season.
Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium, the city's international sports venue (hosting test cricket, One Day International and Twenty20 International matches), became Bangladesh's seventh test-cricket venue on 21 November 2012; it also hosts several Bangladesh Premier League matches.
Media
Print media include the
Daily Purbanchal,
Daily Janmabhumi,
Daily Shomoyer Khobor and
Dakhinanchal Protidin. The
Daily Tribune is the only English-language newspaper. Electronic media include the
Khulna Gazette,
,
.
Radio stations are Bangladesh Betar Khulna,
Radio Today (89.6 MHz),
Radio Foorti (88.0), and Radio Khulna FM (88.8).
Television
State-owned Bangladesh Television has a
BTV Khulna in the
Khalishpur Thana of Khulna, established in 1977. There were several attempts at converting it to a full-fledged television station, but this has not been successful as of today.
Privately owned Ekushey Television, which formerly broadcast on terrestrial, had a station in Khulna which broadcast on VHF channel 8 as of August 2002.
Tourism
The
Sundarbans, in Khulna District, is home to the
Bengal tiger and the world's largest virgin mangrove forest. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Mosque City of Bagerhat, in Bagerhat District about south-east of Khulna, is also a World Heritage Site.
Rabindra Complex is in the village of Dakkhindihi, from Khulna. Tagore visited the home of Rabindranath Tagore's father-in-law, Beni Madhab Roy Chowdhury, several times. The museum has been renovated and is administered by Bangladesh's Department of Archaeology.
Notable residents
-
Khan Jahan Ali – Sufism saint
-
Khan A Sabur – Politician
-
Prafulla Chandra Ray – Chemist
-
Sheikh Razzak Ali – Lawyer, politician, deputy speaker, and speaker of the Jatiyo Sangsad
-
Tanvir Mokammel – Filmmaker and writer
-
Firoz Mahmud- Visual artist and painter
-
Nilima Ibrahim- Educationist, littérateur and social worker
-
Prafulla Chandra Sen – Former West Bengal chief minister
-
Sheikh Abu Naser – Politician
-
Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah - Poet
-
Qazi Imdadul Haq – Writer
-
Humayun Kabir Balu – Renowned journalist, Freedom fighter and Ekushey Padak winner in journalism
-
SM Shafiuddin Ahmed – 17th Chief of Army Staff (CAS) of Bangladesh Army
-
Sheikh Salahuddin – Former cricketer
-
Bishnu Chattopadhyay – Freedom fighter and peasant leader
-
Abdur Razzak – Cricketer
-
Manjural Islam Rana – Cricketer
-
Popy (Sadia Parvin Popy) – Actress, model
-
Moushumi (Arifa Pervin Moushumi) – Actress, model
-
Salma Khatun – Cricketer
-
Rumana Ahmed – Cricketer
-
Mehedi Hasan – Cricketer
-
Bibhuti Roy – Engineer
-
Puja Cherry Roy – Actress
-
Afif Hossain – Cricketer
-
Nurul Hasan Sohan – Cricketer
-
Ayasha Rahman – Cricketer
-
Tahin Tahera – Cricketer
-
Shakil Ahmed – Sports shooter
-
Md. Rafiqul Islam - Editor/ Secretary General: Parliament Watch
-
Ziaur Rahman – Cricketer
-
Amit Majumder, Cricketer
-
Sheikh Mohammad Aslam, Footballer
-
Abdus Salam Murshedy, Footballer, Politician
-
Mamun Joarder, Footballer
-
Kazi Jasimuddin Ahmed Joshi – Footballer
আত্মচরিত (প্রফুল্লচন্দ্র রায়) 005.tif|alt=A young Prafulla Chandra Ray|Prafulla Chandra Ray
Razzak_Ali_ambassador_in_UK.jpg|alt=See caption|Sheikh Razzak Ali meeting with Queen Elizabeth II
এস এম শফিউদ্দিন আহমেদ.jpg|alt=17th Chief of Army Staff (CAS) of Bangladesh Army|General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed
Firoz_Mahmud.jpg|alt=A serious-looking Firoz Mahmud in profile|Firoz Mahmud
Tanvir_Mokammel.jpg|alt=Tanvir Mokammel, in a light-blue shirt|Tanvir Mokammel
See also
-
Upazilas of Bangladesh
-
Districts of Bangladesh
-
Divisions of Bangladesh
-
Upazila
-
Thana
External links
