Introducing...Sylhet

Located on the banks of the Surma nodi, Sylhet city has a growing population of 500,000 people while also having a high population density. It is surrounded by Indian states of Meghalaya in the north, Assam in the east, Tripura in the south and the Bangladesh districts of Netrokona, Kishoregonj and Brahmanbaria in the west.

The area covered by Sylhet Division - also known as 'Greater Sylhet' - is 12,569 km², which is about 8% of the total land area of Bangladesh.

Beyond the Muslim (81%), Hindu (17%) and Buddhist and Christian (less than 1%) population which constitute the vast majority of Sylhetis, there are also more than 100,000 indigenous people - making up 1.5% of Sylhet Division’s population. The main ethnic groups in Sylhet are Khasi, Manipuri, Garo, Patro, Bishnupriya, Tripura and Santal. They are spread out throughout Sylhet and generally live below the poverty line.

Sylhet Division ('Sylhet Bibhag' in Bengali) is commonly referred to as just 'Sylhet'. This can arouse confusion, specially amongst non-Sylhetis since the city is called Sylhet, a district (zilla) is also called Sylhet and now the division is also called Sylhet!

Greater Sylhet is made up of four zillas (districts) - Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvi Bazaar, and Habiganj - and 38 thanas/upazillas (sub-districts), 334 union parishad, and 10,185 villages. It has approximately over 8 million people, which is less than 7% of the total population of Bangladesh.

13 thanas/upazillas (sub-district) of Sylhet Zilla (District)

1. Balaganj
2. Beanibazar
3. Bishwanath
4. Companiganj
5. Fenchuganj
6. Golapganj
7. Gowainghat
8. Jaintiapur
9. Kanaighat
10. Osmani Nagar
11. Sylhet Sadar
12. South (Dakhin) Surma
13. Zakiganj

Sylhet Sadar is the largest of these thirteen upazillas.