Sylhet

This article is about the city. For the upazila or district or the administrative division, see Sylhet Sadar Upazila or Sylhet District or Sylhet Division
Sylhet
The Kean Bridge and Ali Amjad's Clock Tower
The Kean Bridge and Ali Amjad's Clock Tower
Nickname(s): Jalalabad
Coordinates:
Country Bangladesh
Administrative District Sylhet District
Government
 - Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran
Area
 - City 153.84 km² (59.4 sq mi)
Population (2007)[1]
 - City 445,798
 - Density 5,488/km² (14,213.9/sq mi)
 - Metro 2,675,346
Time zone BST (UTC+6)

Sylhet (Sylheti: সিলট Silôţ Bengali: সিলেট Sileţ), previously known as Shilhat, Sreehatta, and Jalalabad, is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the capital of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District. Located on the northern bank of the Surma River and surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills, Sylhet is nestled among picturesque tea plantations and lush green tropical forests.

Sylhet is well known for its tea gardens spread across as many acres of land, also home to large rice fields and is the resting place of Hazrat Shah Jalal, who brought Islam to the region of Bengal during the 14th century.[2] It is one of the richest cities in Bangladesh, with new investments of hotels, shopping malls and luxury housing estates, brought mainly by expatriates living in the United Kingdom or 'Londonis', where many originate from this city.[3][4]

Contents

History

Historians believe that Sylhet (or Shilhat, as it was known in ancient times), was an expanded commercial center from the ancient period, which explains its original namesake. During this time, Sylhet was probably inhabited by Indo-Aryan Brahmins, though ethnically the population would also have traces of Assamese. It has also been suggested that Ancient Kingdom of Harikela was situated in modern Sylhet.

In the ancient and early medieval period, Sylhet was ruled primarily by local chieftains as viceroy of the kings of Pragjyotishpur.[5] There is evidence to suggest that the Maharaja Sri Chandra, of northern Bengal, conquered Bengal in the 10th century, although this is a much disputed topic amongst Bangladeshi historians and archaeologists. This was a period of relative prosperity and there is little evidence to suggest this was marred by wars or feuds. Sylhet was certainly known by the rest of India, and is even referred to in the ancient Hindu sacred Tantric text, the Shakti Sangama Tantra, as 'Silhatta'. The last chieftain to reign in Sylhet was Govinda of Gaur, also known as Gaur Govinda.[6]

The tomb of Shah Jalal, the Dargah-e-Shah Jalal

The 14th century marked the beginning of Islamic influence in Sylhet.[7] A messianic Muslim saint, Hazrat Shah Jalal, arrived in Sylhet in 1303 from Mecca via Delhi and Dhaka with the instructions for aiding Sikhander Khan Ghazi in defeating Govinda of Gaur.[8] Sikhander Khan Ghazi was the direct nephew of sultan Firoz Shah of Delhi. Under the spiritual leadership of Hazrat Shah Jalal and his 360 companions the local pagans were brought under control and they began to spread Islam. He died in Sylhet in or around the year 1350. His shrine is located inside the parameter of the mosque complex known as Dargah-e-Shah Jalal. Even today Shah Jalal remains revered; visitors arrive from all over Bangladesh and beyond to pay homage.[8] Saints such as Shah Jalal or even, Shah Paran were responsible for the conversion of most of the populace from native religion of Hinduism or Buddhism to Islam. Shortly thereafter, Sylhet became a centre of Islam in Bengal. In the official documents and historical papers, Sylhet was often referred to as Jalalbad during the era of the Muslim rule.[9][10]

In the late 18th century, the British East India Company became interested in Sylhet and saw it as an area of strategic importance in the war against Burma. Sylhet gradually was absorbed into British control and administration and was governed as a part of Bengal. After the British administrative reorganization of India, Sylhet was eventually incorporated into Assam. It remained a part of Assam for the rest of the era of British rule. In 1947, following a referendum, almost all of erstwhile Sylhet became a part of East Pakistan, barring the Karimganj subdivision which was incorporated into the new Indian state of Assam.[11] In 1971, Sylhet became part of the newly formed independent country of Bangladesh.[9]

The Sylhet region has a "friendship link" (rather than full town twinning) with the United Kingdom city of St Albans. The link was established in 1988 when the 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 area of origin for the largest ethnic minority group in St Albans.[12]

Geography and Climate

Sylhet is located in north-eastern Bangladesh at 24°32′0″N, 91°52′0″E, on the northern bank of the Surma River.

The physiography of Sylhet comprises mainly of hill soils,[13] encompassing a few large depressions known locally as "beels" which can be mainly classified as oxbow lakes, caused by tectonic subsidence primarily during the earthquake of 1762.[13] Sylhet experiences a hot, wet and humid tropical climate. The city is within the monsoon climate zone, with annual average highest temperatures of 23°C (Aug-Oct) and average lowest temperature of 7°C (Jan).[14] Nearly 80% of the annual average rainfall of 3,334 mm occurs between May and September.

Civic administration

Sylhet (City) consists of 27 wards and 210 mahallas. The area of the town is 57.64 km²[15]. The rapid growth and expansion of Sylhet occurred during the colonial period. Sylhet Municipality was established in 1878. A devastating earthquake demolished almost the entire town on 12 June 1897. A modern and European model new town was built on the wreckage later. Many new roads were constructed in late 1890s. Sylhet became really connected to the other parts of the country with the establishment of an extension line of Assam-Bengal Railway in 1912-15. From the very beginning of the 20th century, the importance of Sylhet city increased with the establishment of the tea industry. In 1950s and 1960s, rapid urbanisation took place in the town, fostered, by the expatriate Syletis and the process is still going on. At present, Sylhet is the district-headquarters as well as the divisional headquarters of the districts of Sunamganj, Habibganj, Maulvi Bazar and Sylhet District.[16]

Land and Economy

Hotel Supreme in Sylhet

The construction industry in Sylhet is currently booming, with many shopping centres and apartments being built to luxurious standards, funded by foreign investment from Sylhetis living abroad, in particular by British Bangladeshis, over 95% of whom come from Sylhet and have established the restaurant business in Britain (see Expatriate communities) and are now looking to invest back in Sylhet. As a result property prices are rising. Many new hotels and restaurants, often themed on those found in London, have also been established to cater to the visiting Sylheti expatriate population and the growing Sylheti middle classes.[17] These include, the London Mansion, Sylhet Millennium, Blue Water, London Fried Chicken and Tessco (misspelt from the original Tesco). And the first Apart-Hotel and resort in Bangladesh is a five-star hotel, called Grand Sylhet, attracting investment for British Bangladeshis, and is a Global Asset.[18]

During the fiscal year of 2005-06, the flow of foreign remittances rose by 25 percent to $4.8 billion, which have been sent mostly by expatriates of Sylheti origin in the UK. That amount is expect to increase to $5.5 billion in 2007, with the government's attention toward supervising and monitoring banks.[19] The amount of idle money lying with the commercial banks in Sylhet as deposits is about 4,000 crore taka, which is not common in the rest of Bangladesh.[20]

The Bangladesh government has taken steps to set up a special Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Sylhet, in order to attract foreign investors, notably non-resident Bangladeshis living abroad. Such include people from Sylheti origin that reside in the UK. The plan comes as an initiative toward stimulating the ongoing investment that has already taken place in Sylhet as well as providing a basis towards long-term investment to turn Sylhet into a major economic hub.[21] Investments by British Bangladeshis led the way for two additional privately owned airlines, Royal Bengal Airlines and United Airways (Bangladesh), to launch services in 2007. The investment is regarded to serve the Sylheti population living in the UK.[22] Air Sylhet is another British-Bangladeshi owned UK airline that hopes to launch services in 2007. The Sylhet area contains several important natural gas fieldes, which make an important contribution to the energy balance of Bangladesh.

The city is noted for its picturesque rolling hills, such as the Jaintia hills. Sylhet is also famed for its tea gardens (plantations), pineapple gardens and orange gardens, most notably those in the Maulvi Bazar area. The area has over 150 tea gardens including three of the largest tea gardens in the world both in area and production. Up to 300,000 workers are employed in the tea estates, a majority of 75% of whom are women. Mainly women are employed in the tea gardens, since they have better skills and are paid less than the men. Recent droughts, however, have killed nearly a tenth of the tea shrubs. In 2000 it started with only 300 acres, the cash crop is now being cultivated on over 3,500 acres in some of the upazilas of Panchagarh. It can be expanded to ultimately cover about 60,000 acres. The tea imports are received in particular by Pakistan and Russia but will expand in the near future.[23]

Demographics

The population of Sylhet is approximately 445,798 as of 2007 (Sylhet city corporation).[1] The city inclduing the wider metropolitan area has a population of 2,675,346 as of 2001, constituting 2.06% of the national population.[24] It has an average literacy rate of 64% (males 68% and females 59%); the figures are lower in rural areas. The population growth rate of the city is 1.73%, which has reduced from 1.93% in 1991.[1] The density of population is 11,936 per km². The overall population is lower, due to the fact many have moved abroad, mainly to the United Kingdom, the Middle East or United States.

The Sylheti language (Silôţi or Sileţi) is spoken throughout Sylhet Division, with some minor dialectal variations. Sylheti is an Eastern Indic language closely related to Bengali (Bangla), Chittagonian and Assamese (Ôxômiya) languages. Most Sylhetis are at least bilingual to some degree, as they are taught Bengali at all levels of education in Bangladesh. Sylheti is also the dominant dialect of Bengali among the inhabitants of the Barak Valley in India, centered around Cachar district in Assam. The largest Sylheti-dominated city in India is Silchar, with significant Sylheti-speaking populations in Agartala, Delhi, Guwahati, Shillong and Kolkata.

Islam is the largest religion followed in Sylhet, where the religion first spread across the region of Sylhet to Bengal. There are also other religions which are followed by a minority of Sylhetis. In 2001 it was found that 92.57% are Muslim, 7.30% are Hindu and 0.13% Christian, Buddhist and other religions.[24] The majority of the people are mainly Sunni Muslims who follow the Hanafi teachings as present in mainstream Bangladesh;[7] however, there are also other followers of different teachings, for example the Barelvi movement of Fultoli, led by Abdul Latif Choudhury (who was born in the village of Fultoli in Sylhet). It is said that the leader is a descendant of Shah Kamal, one of the disciples of Shah Jalal.[25] Most people are also influenced by Sufi masters or ideas.

Expatriate communities

Brick Lane in London, has many Bangladeshi restaurants, owned mainly by Sylhetis

Sylhet is the home of most Bangladeshi migrants to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. Certain parts of the United Kingdom are heavily populated with people from Sylhet, most notably the East End of London, especially the boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham, which includes Brick Lane, a famous street dubbed "Banglatown" for its large Bangladeshi, almost entirely Sylheti, population.[26][25][27] Majority of the people, have origins in the upazilla of Jagannathpur in the Sylhet District.[28] And the majority of the people are mainly Muslims and have higher religious identities.[29] More than eight out of 10 "Indian" restaurants in the UK are owned by Bangladeshis, the vast majority of whom - 95% - come from Sylhet. In 1946, there were 20 restaurants or small cafes owned by Sylheti Bangladeshis; in 1960 there were 300; and by 1980, more than 3,000. Now, according to the Curry Club of Great Britain, there are 8,500 Indian restaurants, of which roughly 7,200 are Sylheti. Bangladeshis constitute the 7th largest foreign group in the UK and the 3rd largest in London. An awful lot of chicken tikka masala, apparently now Britain's national dish, has its origins with chefs from this region.[30][31]

Another area where Sylhetis have become a large group abroad is New York City in the United States. Although there are many of them living in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Sylhetis are mostly found in the borough of Queens. Most of them live in areas like Astoria, Long Island City, and Jackson Heights. Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens has seen a tremendous amount of newly opened Bangladeshi restaurants mainly by Sylhetis and a great influx of such residents attracted by the real estate boom there.

Culture

Further information: Culture of Bangladesh, Bengali wedding, and British Bangladeshi
The gate of Shah Jalal Dargah

Sylheti attachment to their regional identity also continues in the efforts of many Sylhetis to keep marital relationships within the same regional cultural background.[32] Sylheti people are considered as a distinct ethnic group in Bangladesh;[3] this is mainly because of language differences between the standard Bangla language, and the Sylheti dialect, and they are fiercely protective of their language. There are also many cultural and custom differences between Bengalis and Sylhetis. Sylhetis refer to non-Sylhetis as 'Dhakaya' (as of the city Dhaka, where they speak Bangla).[33] Many Sylhetis only marry within the Sylheti-speaking community, and not people from other regions of Bangladesh. They are also more domesticated, have a family-orientated community type of culture, and are more conservative Muslims.[34] Research in Bangladesh found that 59 percent of Sylhetis pray daily as compared to 35 percent in the whole country.[35] These stereotypes have led to some rivalry between non-Sylhetis and Sylhetis, du eto differences of cultural customs.[36]

Marriages are practiced in a traditional Bengali Muslim style, with the gae holud ritual, and the prayers. Most marriages however in Sylhet, are mainly of Londoni men with Sylheti women. It is believed that the brides have brought a new Sylheti type of culture, which are then passed on to British-born children. Some are held between cousins, which have then bonded extended families further on, while those un-related will increase links between relatives in London and Sylhet. Those who marry in Bangladesh, will return back to Britain with their wives (due to immigration laws), vise versa is not practiced frequently.[37]

Given its unique cultural and economic development, and linguistic differences (Greater Sylhet region was a part of Assam and Surma Valley State for much of the British Raj in comparison to the rest of Bangladesh), and given that Sylhet has, for most of its recent history, been a region of a larger entity.[38][39] As so many Sylhetis are resident abroad, Sylhet has a major flow of foreign currency from non-resident Bangladeshis; many Sylheti families' sole source of income comes from relatives abroad and this attracts influx migrant workers and families from other parts of Bangladesh, earning livings by peddling rickshows, working as servants and peasants, particularly people from Comilla, Noakhali or Mymensingh are found lower denomination jobs.

Transport

Osmani International Airport

Cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws, buses, mini-buses and cars are the main modes of transport for the city, with close to 80,000 rickshaws running each day. Sylhet is well connected by highways and railway links to Chittagong and Dhaka, as well as other parts of Sylhet.

Highway links to the India have been established though Asian highway. The Sylhet Railway Station is the main railway station providing trains on national routes operated by the state-run Bangladesh Railway.

The city of Sylhet is served by Osmani International Airport. It is Bangladesh's third busiest airport and became an international airport due to the demand of British Bangladeshis, whom the vast majority of passengers using the airport are expatriate Bangladeshis and their descendants from the the United Kingdom. The main frequent airlines of the airport are, Biman Bangladesh Airlines and domestic flights with GMG Airlines. The airport received its first international arrival on 3 November 2002, with Biman arriving from Kuwait via Abu Dhabi en-route to Dhaka.[40] Work started 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.[41] It was confirmed that in May 2007, Biman will be operating Hajj flights directly from the airport later in 2007.[42] British Bangladeshi owned airlines, Air Sylhet and Royal Bengal Airline are also seeking landing rights to the airport in order to provide a better service to the expatriate community in the UK.

Education

Main article: List of educational institutes of Sylhet
Further information: Education in Bangladesh
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology

Sylhet city is served by Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sylhet and educational institutes like Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, M C College, Osmani Medical College, Govt. Pilot High School Sylhet, etc. Other notable educational institutions are Jalalabad Cantonment Public School and College, Sylhet Cadet College, Sylhet Law College, Sylhet Polytechnic, Sylhet Aaliyah Madrasa, Sylhet Government College, Madan Mohon College, Sylhet Government Women College, Blue Bird School and college, The Aided High School, Charipara High School, Agragami Government Girls High School and some famous private English schools. Among them Scholarshome is one of the best English medium school & college in Sylhet city.

There are also four private medical colleges in Sylhet, namely Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College & Hospital, North East Medical College & Hospital, Sylhet Women's Medical College and Durre Samad Red Crescent Medical College. Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College is the largest; established in 1995, founded by philanthropist Ragib Ali and his wife Rabeya Khatun.[43]

Places of interest

Madhabkunda waterfall

Sylhet has a number of interesting places to attract tourists. Sylhet is a major destination for tourists. Some important places are listed here.

Historical

  1. Kean Bridge & Watch Of Ali Amjad
  2. Shahi Eidgah
  3. Gour Gobinda Fort
  4. Raynogor Rajbari
  5. Manipuri Rajbari (Medical Road)
  6. Palace Of Jamindar Prosanna Takur

Shrines & Masjid

  1. The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal
  2. The Shrine of Hajrat Shah Paran
  3. The Shrine of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu(medival Hindu spiritual leader.)
  4. The Shrine of Gazi Burhanuddin
  5. The Shrine of Shah Shundor
  6. The Shrine of Chasni Pir
  7. Manik Pir Tilla (The Shrine of Manik pir)
  8. The Shrine of Shah Taiab Coylani

Museum

  1. Osmani Museum
  2. Museum of Raja's

Natural

  1. MadhavKunda Waterfall
  2. Jaflong
  3. Tilagorh Eco Park (Alutol)
  4. Lakkatura,Malnichara & Tarapur Tea Estates.
  5. Parjatan Corporation,Sylhet.(Resort)
  6. Kanishile River Bank

Urban

  1. Shahjalal University of Science and Technology
  2. M C College.
  3. Dream Land (Theme Park)
  4. Adventure World (Amusement Park)
  5. ZAK Estate (Park and Resort)
  6. Osmani Shishu Udyan (Park)
  7. Shindabad (Al Hamra Market)

Cityscape

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Pocket Book, 2007 (pdf-file) 2007 Population Estimate. Accessed on 2008-09-29.
  2. ↑ Sylhet - Land of Tea Leaves and Bud iExplore (Community)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "BBC London: Faith - Bangladeshi London". BBC. Retrieved on 2005-05-29.
  4. ↑ "Immigration and Emigration - London - Banglatown". BBC: Legacies - UK History Local To You. Retrieved on 2008-11-29.
  5. ↑ Hastings, James (2003). Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics Part 3. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 476. ISBN 9780766136717. 
  6. ↑ Imon Chowdhooree. "Present Morphological Trends of Hindu Temples of Bangladesh: Study of Some Selected Cases of Sylhet". Retrieved on 2008-11-28.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Islam in Bangladesh". OurBangla. Retrieved on 2007.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Shah Jalal (R)".. Banglapedia. Retrieved on 2007-06-05. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Did you know? - Sylhet".. (January 2008). SylhetTimes. Retrieved on 2008-11-28. 
  10. ↑ "Sylhet City".. Bangla2000. Retrieved on 2008-11-28. 
  11. ↑ Karimganj - District in Assam, India
  12. ↑ "St Albans District Council - Sylhet, Bangladesh" (html).
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) :: Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
  14. ↑ "Sylhet weather forecasts" (html). yahoo.com.
  15. ↑ "Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics" (PDF).
  16. ↑ "About Sylhet". CyberSylhet.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
  17. ↑ Peter Foster (02 Dec 2006). "Britain's Bengalis stage great curry takeaway". Telegraph. Retrieved on 2008-11-28.
  18. ↑ Grand Sylhet 5* Apart-Hotel Bangladesh
  19. ↑ "Flow of remittances, RMG earnings to hit $26 b". nation.ittefaq.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
  20. ↑ The Daily Star - Our cities
  21. ↑ "Govt plans to set up special EPZ in Sylhet". financialexpress-bd.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
  22. ↑ "[http://www.newagebd.com/2006/aug/02/busi.html First Bangladeshi-owned airline to fly from London]". New Age - The Daily Newspaper (BDNews . London) (2 August, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
  23. ↑ Tea Gardens in Bangladesh The Bangladesh Channel
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Sylhet Zila At A Gance". Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2007). Retrieved on 2008-11-28.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Dr David Garbin (17 June, 2005). "Bangladeshi Diaspora in the UK : Some observations on socio-culturaldynamics, religious trends and transnational politics (4. Islamist politics among Bangladeshis in the UK)" (PDF). University of Surry. Retrieved on 2008-11-29.
  26. ↑ "Genetics, Religion and Identity: A Study of British Bangladeshis - 2004-2007". School of Social Sciences - Cardiff University - funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Retrieved on 2008-09-15.
  27. ↑ Spitalfields and Banglatown (London Borough of Tower Hamlets) accessed 1 Nov 2007
  28. ↑ "Web Edition Vol.5 Num. 404". The Daily Star. Retrieved on 2008-11-27.
  29. ↑ "Ethnic groups by religion". 2001 Census. Retrieved on 2008-11-27.
  30. ↑ "From Bangladesh to Brick Lane". The Guardian (21 June 2002). Retrieved on 2008-11-28.
  31. ↑ Notes & Theories: First take a chicken tikka masala and a Mitsubishi Independent on Sunday, The (by Stephen Bayley) 03 October, 2004
  32. ↑ Bangladesh Web.com
  33. ↑ "Feedback : Controversy over Monica Ali’s Brick Lane". New Age. Retrieved on 2008-07-26.
  34. ↑ "World News - ...The majority of British Bangladeshis...". The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-07-26.
  35. ↑ J. Kershen, Anne (2005). Strangers, Aliens and Asians: Huguenots, Jews and Bangladeshis in Spitalfields, 1660-2000. Routledge. pp. 247. ISBN 9780714655253. 
  36. ↑ Pavla Navrátilová (7 August, 2007). "Postcolonial issues in Monica Ali’s Brick Lane - Bachelor Thesis". MASARYK UNIVERSITY BRNO. Retrieved on 2008-11-29.
  37. ↑ Ballard, Roger (1994). Desh Pardesh: The South Asian Presence in Britain. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. pp. 296. ISBN 9781850650911. 
  38. ↑ Not all Bangladeshis oppose the filming of Brick Lane The Guardian (by Iqbal Ahmed) 20 July, 2006
  39. ↑ 'You sanctimonious philistine' - Rushdie v Greer, the sequel The Guardian (by Paul Lewis) 29 July 2006
  40. ↑ "Biman launches Kuwait-Sylhet flight", Aviatour (2002-11-22). 
  41. ↑ "Osmani Airport expansion work begins in July", The Daily Star (2004-05-13). 
  42. ↑ "Runway expansion at Osmani Airport nearing completion", New Age (2007-05-12). Retrieved on 2007-05-14. 
  43. ↑ Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College and Hospital

External links

Cities of Bangladesh
Barisal • Bogra • Chittagong • Comilla • Dhaka • Faridpur • Jessore • Khulna • Mymensingh • Narayanganj • Rangpur • Rajshahi • Sylhet