Comilla District
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Template:Infobox Bangladesh district Comilla (Bengali: কুমিল্লা জেলা, Comilla Jela also Comilla Zila) is a district of Bangladesh located about 100 kilometers south east of Dhaka. Comilla is bordered by Brahmanbaria and Narayanganj districts to the north, Noakhali and Feni districts to the south, Tripura of India to the east, and Munshiganj and Chandpur districts to the west.
History
The district was renamed Comilla in 1960.[1] Established as the Tippera or Tipperah district of Bengal by the British in 1790,[2] it included the Sub-divisions of Brahmanbaria and Chandpur which eventually became separate districts in 1984.
Geography and climate
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Court_Road%2C_Comilla.jpg/220px-Court_Road%2C_Comilla.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Maynamati_war_cemetery_Comilla%2C_sign_at_entrance.jpg/220px-Maynamati_war_cemetery_Comilla%2C_sign_at_entrance.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/WW2_Cemetery_Moinamoti_003.jpg/150px-WW2_Cemetery_Moinamoti_003.jpg)
Comilla has a total area of 3085.17 square kilometers. It is bounded by Burchiganj and Tripura on the north, Laksham and Chauddagram on the south, and Barura on the west. Major rivers passing through Comilla include Gumti and Little Feni.
Administrative headquarters
The headquarters of Comilla are located in the city of Comilla which has a total area of 11.47 square kilometers. It consists of 18 mouzas and 3 wards. Comilla thana was officially converted into an upazilla in 1983 which contains one municipality 18 wards, 19 union parishads, 452 mouzas and 458 villages.
Administration
Administrator of Zila Porishod: M Omar Faruque [1]
Deputy Commissioner (DC): Md. Rezaul Ahsan [2]
Subdistricts
Comilla district consists of the following Upazilas:[3]
- Barura Upazila
- Brahmanpara Upazila
- Burichong Upazila
- Chandina Upazila
- Chauddagram Upazila
- Daudkandi Upazila
- Debidwar Upazila
- Homna Upazila
- Comilla Sadar Upazila
- Laksam Upazila
- Monohorgonj Upazila
- Meghna Upazila
- Muradnagar Upazila
- Nangalkot Upazila
- Comilla Sadar South Upazila
- Titas Upazila
Economy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Manoharpur_Sweetmeat_Hub.jpg/263px-Manoharpur_Sweetmeat_Hub.jpg)
Mainly based on agriculture, the economy of Comilla has been flourished through trade and cottage industries, especially the 'Khadi' textile. For the economic development of the region the "Bangladesh Export Promotion Zone Authority" has established the "Comilla Export Processing Zone" spread over an area of 104.44 hectares (258.1 acres) in the Comilla old Airport Area.
Education
Comilla is known as the hub of education in Bangladesh.[citation needed] With a moderate literacy rate comilla is always in domination in the education sector and the top rated educational institution like [Iswar Pathsala] Comilla Modern High School, Comilla Cadet College, Comilla Polytechnic Institute, Comilla Zilla School, Railway Public High School, Foyzunnesa School, Missionary School, Comilla Victoria College and Comilla University also located in Comilla. The Comilla Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has headquarters in Comilla. This board is the central administration that conducts primary, secondary, and higher secondary education for several districts.
Religion
The district of Comilla has 4543 mosques, 379 temples, 98 churches, 34 Buddhist temples and six tombs.[citation needed]
Places of interest
Important landmarks include Kotbari, a cantonment, or military installation and Kandirpar, considered the heart of the Comilla district. Ancient Buddhist Monastery ruins are the major attraction of Mainamati, near Kotbari. There is an ancient Hindu Temple named Comilla Jagannath Temple located on East Bibirbazar Road.
There is also a Second World War cemetery located about 3.1 km away from Comilla Cantonment, which was a frontier military base in the fight against the Japanese who had occupied Burma. British Army soldiers killed during the fight with the Japanese Army at the Burma (Myanmar) frontier were buried here. Pashchimgaon Nawab Bari, the place of only lady Jaminder Nawab Faizunnesa, a poet, educationist and a great donor.
Kazi Nazrul Islam, the national poet of Bangladesh, passed significant time of his life in this town. Both his wives, Promila Devi and Nargis, hailed from this district.
Comilla Victoria College and Comilla Zilla School are two ancient and famous college and school in the country. Comilla Zilla School was established in the year of 1837. Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) is situated in Kotbari and it is one of the most beautiful place in Comilla and every year lot of tourist come to see this place.
Situated by the bank of the river Ghumti, Comilla is also famous for some tanks such as 'Dharmasagar (Pond)', 'Ranir Dighi', 'Nanuar Dighi', 'Ujir Dighi' etc.
Notable personalities
The following distinguished personalities were either born or stayed in this district for a significant span of their life time:
- Dr. Zobaida Hannan: British educated doctor, philanthropist, founded two regional hospitals, women's advocate and recipient of high national honor─The Ekushey Padak award.
- Mahasthabir Shilvadra (529-654): a great Buddhist monk & pundit, professor & chancellor of Nalanda University. Born in Koilain, Chandina Upazila of Comilla.
- Nawab Faizunnesa Choudhurani (1834–1903): poet & philanthropist.
- Dhirendranath Datta (1886–1971): Political leader, provincial minister of the than East Pakistan, Language Movement activist & lawyer.
- Buddhadeb Basu (1908–1974): Bengali poet, novelist, essayist, translator & editor.
- Kailashchandra singha (1851–1914): Historian & archaeologist (author of 'Rajmala' and many historic books on tippera, SylhetSylhet, Comilla).
- Nowab Musharaf Hussen (1871–1966): politician, education minister, member of Bengal legislative assembly.
- Maheshchandra Bhattacharyya (1858–1944): philanthropist and writer (founder of Iswar Patsala, ram mala hostel, library & 35 educational institutions and many other charitable organizations in Comilla & other parts of the then Bengal & India).
- Kaminikumar Dutta (1878–1958): Provincial minister of East Pakistan.
- Sachin Dev Burman (1906–1975): Singer, composer & music director.
- Himanshu Dutta (1908-15 November 1944): Composer & singer. He was entitled as "Sur-Sagar" (in English: The Ocean of Music)
- Mohamed Ali Azam (1908–1974): Educationist, translator & author (a contributor to Encyclopædia Britannica).
- Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (1919–1996): Ex-president of Bangladesh.
- Dr Akhtar Hameed Khan (1914–1999): Social reformer and Development activist.He is from U.P -undivided India, but spent an important part of his life as Asst Magistrate (ICS) and thereafter as Principal Victoria College and creater of Co-operative programme and BARD at Comilla.
- Professor Shamsul Haque: Educationist & ex-foreign minister of Bangladesh.
- Shib Narayan Das: The designer of first national flag of Bangladesh in 1971, a freedom fighter & political activist.
- Sabitri Chatterjee: Actress in Indian Bengali film, TV serial and theatre.
- Lt. Col.(Ret) Akbar Hossain BP: Ex-Minister of Bangladesh Government.
- Dr. Redwan Ahmed (born 1952): Ex-state Minister, Philanthropist, Freedom Fighter, Educationist, Lawyer.
- Dr. Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain: Ex-minister of Bangladesh.
- Kazi Shamsul Hoquen eminent journalist, founder editor of weekly Akhon Samoy, New York.
- Harolal Roy: An author and educationist.
- Munshi Faruque Ahmed: Born 12 Dec, 1955 in Rajapara, Sadar Dakkhin (Former Kotowali) Thana, Founder of Biman Bandar Munshi Faruque Ahmed Collage, Munshi M. Ali Girls High School,Munshi M. Ali Primary School, Munshi Foundation.
- Professor Mojaffar Ahmed, Founder of National Awami Party.
- Shahid Nizam Uddin Azad
References
- ^ Comilla District
- ^ Bengal District Gazetteer, Tipperah District - 1933
- ^ Upazilas of Comilla. Bangladesh Government.