Barishal

Introduction

Barisal, known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the bank of the Kirtonkhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both the Barisal district and Barisal Division. It is one of the oldest municipalities and river ports of the country. Barisal municipality was established in the year 1876 during the British Raj and upgraded to City Corporation on 25 July 2002. The city consists of 30 wards and 50 mahallas with a population of 328,278 according to the 2011 national census. The area of the city is 58 km².

History

Barisal was conquered by Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji and was later a significant territory of the Delhi Sultanate and Bengal Sultanate. After the decline of the Suri Empire, the territory became a semi-independent area in the Mughal period because of heavy fighting between the Muslims and Hindu chiefs, although most parts of the city were totally under the control of the governors of the proto-industrialized Bengal Subah. In the course of time, it fell under the Bengal Nawabs. Raja Ramranjan Chakravarty was put as a de jure king during the Bengal Presidency of the British, later passed to East Pakistan at independence and finally Bangladesh.

In ancient times, it was called Chandrodip (চন্দ্রদ্বীপ), while during the Medieval Islamic times it was also known as Ismailpur & Bacola (বাকলা) in Europe. Ralph Fitch, the first-ever Englishman, a leather merchant, known to have visited Bengal in the mid-1580s, described Barisal in his journal as, “From Chatigan in Bengal, I came to Bacola; the king whereof is a Gentile, a man very well disposed and delighted much to shoot in a gun. His country is a very great and fruitful and hath store of rice, much cotton cloth, and cloth of silk. The houses are very fair and high built, the streets large, and people naked, except a little cloth about their waist. The women wear a great store of silver hoops about their necks and arms, and their legs are ringed with silver and copper, and rings made from elephants’ teeth.”

The central city of this region is the city of Barisal. It is one of the biggest river ports in Bangladesh. It is a city with nearly 0.38 million people and a divisional headquarters, medical college, cadet college, some pharmaceutical industries, textile industries, and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority's head office. Barisal is a fast-growing city of the country that stands on the Kirtankhola River. Country's first short landing and take off the airport has been completed in Barisal and a private Airlines named Air Bengal has begun its regular air flight between Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal Airport and Barisal.

The city is called the "Venice of the East" or the "Venice of Bengal" and the "Paradise of Bengal". "Barisal guns" is a natural phenomenon named after Barisal; it is kind of a booming sound heard near lakes and rivers which is due to the seismic activity underwater, first heard in this region by the British in the 19th century.

Demographics

According to provisional results of 2011 the national census, the population of Barisal (areas under the jurisdiction of the Barisal city corporation) stands at 328,278. By gender, the population was 51.63 male and 48.37 percent female.

The literacy rate among the urban people of Barisal is 75.3% which is significantly higher than the national average of 56.5%.

Most of the people in Barisal are the Bengalis, as is the case in most of Bangladesh. The long-standing inhabitants of the city are known as Barisaliya and they have a distinctive dialect. Apart from them. The city population is composed of people from neighboring Upazilas and districts (Patuakhali, Bhola, Pirojpur, Jhalakati, Barguna).

Religion

The majority of Barisal's people are Muslims (89.30%), mainly Sunni Islam Hanafi. Other religious groups include Hindus (9.7%), and very few numbers of other religions, mainly Christians (.98%) and Buddhists (0.01%).

Since 2015, the Catholic minority has its own Roman Catholic Diocese of Barisal.

Geography

Barisal the city occupies an area of 58 km².

Barisal District, with an area of 2790.51 km², is bounded by Madaripur, Shariatpur, Chandpur and Lakshmipur districts on the north, Patuakhali, Barguna and Jhalokati District on the south, Bhola and Lakshmipur districts on the east, Jhalokati, Pirojpur and Gopalganj districts on the west. Several rivers flow across Barisal including the Kirtankhola, Arial Khan, Khoyrabad, Kalijira, and Sandha.

Historical place

Durgasagar: with an area of about 2,500 the hectare, is the largest pond or dighi of southern Bangladesh. It is located at Madhabpasa village of Babuganj Upazila, about 11 km away from Barisal town. Locally it is known as Madhabpasha Dighi. According to a desire of Rani Durgavati, mother of Raja Joynarayan, the dighi was dug in 1780 (1187 BS). There are coconut trees around the dighi which together with the dighi are bounded by brick-walls. In the middle of the dighi, there is an island with bushes. Migratory birds usually come here during winter. The surrounding areas of the dighi have now been turned into a picnic spot. Madhabpasha was the capital of the kingdom of Chandradvipa.

·         Durga Sagar

·         Baitul Aman Jame Masjid Complex

·         Oxford Mission Church

·         Bell's Park aka Bangubandhu Udyan

·         30 Godown

·         Planet World

·         Muktijoddha Park

·         Narikel Bagan & Horticulture (Agriculture Training Institute)

·         Lakhutia Zamindar Bari

·         Korapur Miah Bari Masjid

·         Shankar Math

·         Town Hall

·         Sher-e-Bangla Museum

·         Bir Sreshtho Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir Library and Museum

·         Jibanananda Das Museum

·         Dapdapia Bridge

·         Bibir Pukur

·         Shahid Shukkur-Gafur Memorial Park, Amanatganj

·         Taltali Bridge, Amanatganj

·         Padma Pukur (Pond of Lotus)

·         Kali Mandir founded by the Poet Mukunda Das

·         BadhyaBhumi Monument (বধ্যভূমি স্মৃতিসৌধ)

·         Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Regional Centre (Coconut Garden)

Architecture

Barisal's buildings are too diverse to be characterised by any particular architectural style, and have been built over a long period of time.

Some well known heritage buildings are:

·         Guthia Baitul Aman Jame Mashjid Complex

·         Kamalapur Mosque

·         Rammohan Samadhi Mandir

·         Sujabad Kella

·         Sangram Kella

·         Sharkal Fort

·         Girja Mahalla

·         Bangabandhu Uddyan

·         Ebadullah Mosque

·         Kasai Mosque

·         Oxford Mission Church

·         Shankar Math

·         Kali Bari of Mukunda Das

·         Joint Mosque at Bhatikhana

·         Aswini Kumar town hall

·         Charkella

·         Durgasagar Dighi

·         One domed Qasba Mosque

·         Fakir Bari Jame Mosjid

·         Housing Estate Jame Masjid

·         Barisal Zilla School Building

Education

Barisal is home to many educational institutions. Govt. Brojomohan College is the oldest institution of higher education in the city, founded in 1889. There is a public university University of Barisal and two private universities, a government medical college Sher-e-Bangla Medical College (SBMC), a textile engineering college Shaheed Abdur Rab Serniabat Textile Engineering College and an engineering college Barisal Engineering College. There are also educational institutions like Barisal Zilla School, Barisal Cadet College, Govt. Syed Hatem Ali College, Government Women's College, Govt. Barisal College, Amrita Lal Dey College, Barisal Govt. Girls High School, Barisal Model School and College and Barisal Asmat Ali Khan The institution (A.K. School). Besides these, there are three teacher training colleges, a Government Polytechnic institute, two technical institutes, a homeopathic college, and a social welfare training center. Barisal is under the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Barisal. This board varies the SSC and HSC standards.

Major institutions include:

·         Amrita Lal Dey College

·         Barisal Cadet College

·         Barisal Engineering College

·         Barisal Government Women's College

·         Barisal Govt. Polytechnic Institute

·         Barisal Zilla School

·         Brojomohun College

·         Government Syed Hatem Ali College

·         Shaheed Abdur Rab Serniabat Textile Engineering College

·         Sher-e-Bangla Medical College

·         University of Barisal

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