Maulvibazar District
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| Maulvibazar District | |
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  Maulvibazar
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| Division_name | Sylhet Division |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 2,799.39 km² |
| Time zone | BST (UTC+6) |
| Population (1991) - Density - Literacy rate |
1604028 - 573/km² - 30.8% |
| Website: Banglapedia Article | |
| Maplink: Official Map of Maulvibazar District | |
Maulvi Bazar is a district in North-Eastern Bangladesh. It is a district of the Sylhet Division.
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[edit] Geography
Moulvibazar is in Sylhet, a district to the North-East of Bangladesh. It is 2,707 km² in area, and has a population of 1.38 million. It is situated between 24.10 degree 24.35 degree north latitude and between 90.35 degree and 91.20-degree east longitude. It is surrounded by Sylhet District in the north, Habiganj District in the west and Indian States of Assam and Tripura in the east and south respectively.
The main rivers of the district are the Manu, the Dholoi and the Juri. These rivers flow from India. Every year during the rainy season, when there is excessive rainfall in India, the surplus water flows through these rivers causing huge floods in the low-lying parts of Moulvibazar (e.g. the villages of Balikhandi and Shampashi on the northern side of the river Manu). Unless the rivers are properly dredged the floods can be devastating.
In the last few years Moulvibazar has had a muti-million dollar flood defence system built the only one like it in the whole country.
[edit] Upazila (Subdivisions)
Moulvibazar is made up of 7 subdivisions or upazilas. They are:
- Moulvibazar Sadar
- Raznagar
- Sreemangal
- Kamalganj
- Kulaura
- Barlekha
- Juri
There are 67 Unions, 2,064 Villages and 5 Pourashavas namely Kamalganj, Kulaura, Sreemongal, Barlekha and Moulvibazar. Almost 50,000 of the clan population belong to Manipuri, Khasia and Tripura clans. They tend to live in the areas of Kamalganj, Sreemongal and Kulaura Upazila of this district. There are 92 tea gardens in this district that has made it one of the most beautiful places in Bangladesh.
[edit] History
Islam was brought to the area hundreds of years ago by the famous Muslim Saint, Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA). The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Mustafa (RA) a companion of the greatest saint Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA) is located in Moulvibazar town. Originally, with the advent of a saint Hazrat, Syed Shah Mustafa Sher-E-Sowar Chabukmar Baghdadi (RA) for preaching Islam, Moulvibazar became famous. Moulvibazar got its name from the large number (360) of Muslim saint, or Moulvis, that inhabited the area following the advent of Islam.
In the year 1882, it was declared a sub-division under the name of "South Sylhet". Later the Sub-division was renamed, during the Pakistan occupation of the region, as Moulvibazar. Moulvibazar was liberated on December 6th 1971 and the then Pakistani administration surendered to the joint forces of the Indian Army and Freedom Fighters. The Sub Divisional Commander of the FF Mr.Rana Choudhury was present at the official surrender ceremony along with the Indian counterpart.
In 1984, the then President H.M.Ershad upgraded Moulvibazar to the status of 'district'.
[edit] Economy
The main exports of Moulvi Bazar are bamboo, tea, pineapple, cane, jackfruit, oranges, agar, rubber, mangoes and lemons. Ninety-one of Bangladesh's 153 tea gardens are located in Moulvi Bazar. The area is also home to the three largest tea gardens (size and production wise) in the world. Pineapples from the Sreemangal area are famous for their flavour and natural sweetness. Sreemongal is known as the 'tea capital of Bangladesh' due to the high frequency of tea plantations found there.
[edit] Places of interest
The area is home to the shrine of Shah Mustafa, a companion of Shah Jalal, the man who brought Islam into what was then India. It is also home to many tea plantations. Moulvi Bazar town now has a shopping mall and several Indian, Chinese and American eateries.
[edit] See also
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