Sylhet (, ) is a Metropolis in the north eastern region of Bangladesh. It serves as the administrative centre for both the Sylhet District and the Sylhet Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Surma River and, as of 2025, the metro area population of Sylhet is estimated to be 1,033,000, reflecting a 3.4% increase from 2024.
/ref> The region has been inhabited since ancient times, and since the city's establishment in the 14th century has been ruled by various dynasties including the Mughals, the British Empire, and the Nawabs of Bengal. The city is also home to several important landmarks, such as one of the Islamic sites in Bangladesh, the Shah Jalal Dargah, which attracts thousands of pilgrims annually.
Sylhet is one of the most economically important cities in Bangladesh after Dhaka and Chittagong.
Etymology and names
Sylhet 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
Nath in the Surma and
Barak Valley valleys between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, founding the Śrīhaṭṭa
janapada and establishing
Hattanath idols across the region.
The later
Hindu raja of Sylhet, such as
Gour Govinda, continued to pay tribute to the deity as
Hāṭkeśvara or
Haṭṭanātha as evident from the
Puranas and copper-plate inscriptions.
History
In 1303, the Sultan of Lakhnauti Shamsuddin Firoz Shah conquered Sylhet by defeating
Gour Govinda.
Sylhet became a part of the
Bengal Sultanate. In the 16th century, Sylhet was controlled by the
Baro-Bhuiyan 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.
began in the 18th century under the administration of the East India Company. Sylhet became a key source of
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 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 2001, the municipality was upgraded to the Sylhet City Corporation. It was made a metropolitan city in 2009.
Geography and climate
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 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 occurs between May and September.
[ Monthly Averages for Sylhet, BGD MSN Weather. Retrieved 25 May 2009.]
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 a few large depressions known locally as "," which are frequently 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 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.
Administration
Robert Lindsay, who served as the District Collector of Sylhet from 1778 to 1790, mentioned Sylhet in his autobiography,
Oriental Miscellanies: Anecdotes of Indian Life, as 'a small bazaar (market)'. He wrote, "The town was then merely a small market. The inhabitants’ houses were situated on 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 kilometres.
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 covered an area of 26.50 square kilometres and was divided into 27 wards. Currently, 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
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 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 kilometres.
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 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.
[ The Sylhet City Corporation Swadhinata Trust. Retrieved 26 May 2009.] Sylhet is divided into 6 metropolitan
thanas (police stations), 42 wards, and 1224 mahallas.
Military
The
Bangladesh Army's 17th Infantry Division 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.
Healthcare
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 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.
Demographics
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.
[ Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Pocket Book, 2007 ( pdf-file) 2007 Population Estimate. Retrieved 29 September 2008.] Sylhet has a sex ratio of 861 females to 1000 males and 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.[ Exploring the Marginalized Samir Ranjan Nath. BRAC. February 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2017.] Sylheti language is spoken by the vast majority of the people, while Bengali language is the official language used by the state government and officials.[Christina Julios (2008). Contemporary British Identity: English Language, Migrants, and Public Discourse. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp.40–41. ] 2,424 (0.45%) of the population are of an ethnic minority, of which 2,040 are Meitei people.
The majority of people in Sylhet are Muslims (90.52%), while other religious groups include Hindus (9.30%) and less than 0.18% of other religions, mainly Buddhists and Christians. The majority of Muslims in Sylhet are who follow the Hanafi school of jurisprudence.
Economy
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 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
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 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,
Utilities
Sylhet has high rates of electricity shortages 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 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 microgrammes per litre, and 49.2% contained more arsenic than the World Health Organization standard of 10 microgrammes per litre.
There are about 331 registered restaurants in the city, but only 15% maintain sanitary facilities and 85% have unhygienic conditions that are unsafe for the public.
[ Study of Water Quality in Sylhet City and its Restaurants: Health Associated Risk Assessment Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Retrieved 29 May 2009.]
Media and communications
State-owned Bangladesh Television operates a
BTV Sylhet headquartered in the Kazitula neighbourhood.
From 2000 to 2002, privately owned Ekushey Television broadcast terrestrially on VHF channel 11 in Sylhet.
Sports
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 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,
[ Players and Officials – Rajin Saleh Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 May 2009.] Enamul Haque Jr,
[ Players and Officials – Enamul Haque jnr Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 May 2009.] Tapash Baisya,
[ Players and Officials Hasibul Hussain who was the opening bowler in the 1999 World Cup – Tapash Baisya Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 May 2009.] and
Alok Kapali.
[ Players and Officials – Alok Kapali Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 May 2009.] Chess player
Rani Hamid 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.
Transport
Road
The main transport systems used in Sylhet are
,
(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
Taka 4 to 15.95.
[ Sylhet city bus services hike fares on whim New Age Metro. 4 November 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2009.]
The N2 connects 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.
Air
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 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.
In response to the increase in passenger and cargo demand at the airport, work began in 2020 on a new international passenger terminal building, as well as a cargo building, a control tower, parking areas, and a taxiway.
Rail
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 the following.
Towards Dhaka
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| Daily (except Tue) |
| Daily |
| Daily |
| Daily (except Fri) |
| Daily |
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Towards Chittagong
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| Daily (except Fri) |
| Daily (except Fri) |
| Daily |
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Towards Akahura
Education
There are two public universities in Sylhet: Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Sylhet Agricultural University. There are also private universities such as Leading University and Metropolitan University.
Other prominent colleges and schools in Sylhet include 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,Sylhet cantonment 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.
Notable people
Twin towns – sister cities
As of 2009, Sylhet has friendly relations with:
-
St Albans, United Kingdom
-
Rochdale, United Kingdom
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 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 the Sylhet City Corporation.
See also
Footnotes
External links
