Sylhet Explained

Sylhet
Native Name:সিলেট
Settlement Type:Metropolis
Pushpin Map:Bangladesh Sylhet division#Bangladesh
Pushpin Label Position:centre
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Sylhet in Bangladesh
Coordinates:24.9°N 143°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Division
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name1:Sylhet Division
Subdivision Name2:Sylhet
Established Title:Municipal Board
Established Date:1867
Established Title1:Sylhet City Corporation
Established Date1:9 April 2001
Established Title2:Metropolitan city
Established Date2:31 March 2009[1]
Government Type:Mayor–Council
Governing Body:Sylhet City Corporation
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury
Leader Party:AL
Leader Title1:Police Commissioner
Leader Name1:Md. Nisharul Arif
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Urban Km2:58
Area Metro Km2:518.43
Elevation M:35
Population Total:1,316,467
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:19,865
Population Demonym:Sylheti
Timezone1:BST
Utc Offset1:+6
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:3100
Blank Name:Police
Blank Info:Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP)[2]
Blank1 Name:International airport
Blank1 Info:Osmani International Airport
Blank2 Name:Regional Calling code
Blank2 Info:+880821
Blank3 Name:Police
Blank3 Info:Sylhet Metropolitan Police
Blank Name Sec1:HDI (2019)
Blank Info Sec1:0.631[3]

Sylhet (Bengali: সিলেট; in Bengali pronounced as /sileʈ/), is a metropolitan city located in the northeastern region of Bangladesh. It is the administrative center of Sylhet Division and is situated on the banks of the Surma River. Sylhet is the fifth-largest city in Bangladesh, with a population of around 700,000 people.

Sylhet is known for its tea plantations and natural beauty.[4] The city has a history dating back to the 14th century and has been ruled by various dynasties and empires, including the Mughals, British, and the Nawabs of Bengal. The city is also home to several important landmarks, such as the Shah Jalal Dargah, which is one of the holiest sites in Bangladesh and attracts thousands of pilgrims every year.[5]

Sylhet is one of the most economically important cities in Bangladesh after Dhaka and Chittagong.[6] Sylhet is a major commercial and financial center, and it is home to several multinational companies and industries, including the tea industry, which generates a significant amount of revenue for the city. The city has a diverse population, with Bengalis, Tripuris, and other ethnic groups living together. The official language of Sylhet is Standard Bengali, while Sylheti is the most spoken. English is widely spoken and understood because people from Sylhet form a significant portion of the Bangladeshi diaspora, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. According to The Daily Star, about 95% of Bangladeshi population in the UK comes from the Sylhet district.[7] Sylhet has diverse transport infrastructure, with a modern airport, railway station, and bus terminals that connect it to other parts of the country.[8] The city also has several educational institutions, including Sylhet Agricultural University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, and Sylhet Cadet College.

Etymology and names

Sylhet is the anglicisation of Bengali: শিলহট (Śilhôṭ), one of the archaic native names for the city. The local name is generally thought to be directly derived from Sanskrit: শ্রীহট্ট (Śrīhaṭṭa), the Sanskrit name of the city.[9] The city of Śrīhaṭṭa takes its name from Śrīhaṭṭanātha, the tutelary deity of the Nātha dynasty who promoted the early settlement of Nāthas in the Surma and Barak valleys between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, founding the Śrīhaṭṭa janapada and establishing Śrīhaṭṭanātha idols across the region.[10] The later Hindu rajas of Sylhet, such as Gour Govinda, continued to pay tribute to the deity as Hāṭkeśvara or Haṭṭanātha as evident from the Devipurana and copper-plate inscriptions.[11]

History

See main article: History of Sylhet. In 1303, the Sultan of Lakhnauti Shamsuddin Firoz Shah conquered Sylhet by defeating Gour Govinda.[12] Sylhet was a realm of the Bengal Sultanate. In the 16th-century, Sylhet was controlled by the Baro-Bhuyan zamindars and later became a sarkar (district) of the Mughal Empire.[13] Sylhet emerged after 1612 as the Mughals' most significant imperial outpost in Bengal east of Dhaka, and its importance remained as such throughout the seventeenth century.[14] British rule began in the 18th century under the administration of the East India Company. Sylhet became a key source of lascars in the British Empire due in part to its ancient seafaring tradition. The Sylhet municipal board was established in 1867.[15] Originally part of the Bengal Presidency and later Eastern Bengal and Assam, the town became part of Colonial Assam in 1874. A devastating earthquake demolished almost the entire town on 12 June 1897 following which a modern and European model new town was built on the wreckage. From the beginning of the 20th century, the importance of Sylhet increased with the establishment of the tea industry.

In 1947, following a referendum and the partition of British India, Sylhet became part of East Pakistan.[12] In 1995, the Government of Bangladesh declared Sylhet as the sixth divisional headquarters of the country.[16] Sylhet has played a vital role in the Economy of Bangladesh. Several of Bangladesh's finance ministers have been members of parliament from the city of Sylhet. Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran was a longtime mayor of Sylhet. Humayun Rashid Choudhury, a diplomat from Sylhet, served as President of the UN General Assembly and Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament.

In 2001, the municipality was upgraded to the Sylhet City Corporation. It was made a metropolitan city in 2009.[17]

Geography and climate

Sylhet is located in the northeastern region of Bangladesh within the Sylhet Division, the Sylhet District, and Sylhet Sadar Upazila. Sylhet has a typical Bangladeshi tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Cwa) at higher elevations. The rainy season runs from April to October, and is generally hot and humid with heavy showers and thunderstorms almost every day. The shorter dry season runs from November to February, with very warm and fairly clear weather. Nearly 80% of the annual average rainfall of 4200mm occurs between May and September.[18]

The city is located within a topographically distinctive region of Bangladesh characterized by dramatic hills and basins. The physiography of Sylhet consists mainly of hill soils and encompasses a few large depressions known locally as "beels," which are frequently oxbow lakes caused by tectonic subsidence during the earthquake of 1762.

Geologically, the region is complex and diverse; higher-elevation regions date partly to the Plio-Miocene age. Available limestone deposits in different parts of the region suggest that the whole area was under the ocean in the Oligo-Miocene. In the last 150 years, three major earthquakes have hit the city with magnitude of at least 7.5 on the Richter Scale, most recently in 1918.[19]

Administration

On 10 April 2001, Sylhet was changed to a city corporation from a municipal board, and currently the city is administered by the Sylhet City Corporation. At present, Sylhet is the district-headquarters as well as the divisional headquarters of the districts of Sunamganj, Habiganj, Moulvibazar and Sylhet District. The Sylhet City Corporation is responsible for the services that are provided within the city which includes traffic, roads, garbage collection, water supply, registrations and many others. The corporation consists of the Mayor and 22 other commissioners, and focuses on the development of the city.[20] Sylhet is divided into 6 metropolitan thanas (police stations), 42 wards, and 1224 mahallas.

Military

Sylhet is strategically important for the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Bangladesh Army's 17th Infantry Division is based at Jalalabad Cantonment in Sylhet.[21] The cantonment is also home of the School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T) and the 1st Para-commando Battalion, an elite commando unit of the Bangladesh Army.

Healthcare

Sylhet is also home to many hospitals such as the Shahid Shamsuddin Hospital District Hospital, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College, North East Medical College, and Sylhet Women's Medical College.

In 2018, Sylhet Medical University was established in the city, following the Prime Minister's order to found a medical university in each division with the goal of maintaining medical standards in colleges. According to the order, Chittagong and Rajshahi Medical University have already been established, and Sylhet Medical University is the fourth Medical University of the directive.[22] [23]

Demographics

See also: Demographics of Bangladesh. As of the 2011 Bangladesh census, Sylhet has a population of 485,138. The population growth rate of the city is 1.73%, a decrease from 1.93% in 1991.[24] Sylhet has a sex ratio of 861 females to 1000 males and a literacy rate of 67.8%.[25]

The majority of the population are Bengali Muslims, while significant minority population groups include the Bengali Hindus, Bishnupriya Manipuri and others.[26] Sylheti is spoken by the vast majority of the people, while Standard Bengali is the official language used by the state government and officials.[27] [28] [29]

The majority of people in Sylhet are Muslims (87.3%), while other religious groups include Hindus (12.5%) and less than 0.2% of other religions, mainly Buddhists and Christians. The majority of Muslims in Sylhet are Sunnis who follow the Hanafi school of jurisprudence.[30] Significant numbers of people also follow Sufi ideals, particularly the teachings of Abdul Latif Fultali.[31]

Economy

The Sylhet Metropolitan Area is one of Bangladesh's main business centres. Sylhet's economy is closely linked with the Bangladeshi diaspora, especially the British Bangladeshi community. The city receives a significant portion of the country's annual remittances, which have driven growth in real estate and construction.[32] A number of shopping centres, restaurants and hotels have opened as a result. Sylhet also relies on religious tourism, with thousands of devotees visiting its Sufi shrines annually, as well as ecotourism in its broader natural hinterland. Nature resorts have been built in the city's outskirts. Several important Bangladeshi companies are based in Sylhet, including Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution, Sylhet Gas Fields and Alim Industries. Biman Bangladesh Airlines operates several flights from Sylhet to the United Kingdom and the Middle East. Roads connect Sylhet with the Indian states of Meghalaya and Assam.

Sylhet's hinterland plays a vital role in the economy of Bangladesh. It is home to the country's largest natural gas fields, sole crude oil field,[33] largest tea plantations, rubber, palm oil, cane, agarwood[34] and citrus farms. Rice production in the region is one of the country's highest. Heavy industries include power plants, fertilizer plants, cement plants and liquefied petroleum gas plants. Other major industries in the region include ceramics, machinery and equipment, ready-made garments and pharmaceuticals. Most of the tea production in Bangladesh is based around Sylhet, much of which is eventually exported internationally.

Two Bangladeshi finance ministers from the city have been elected to the Jatiyo Sangshad for Sylhet: Saifur Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party; and Abul Maal Abdul Muhith of the Awami League. The present foreign affairs minister DR. A K Abdul Momen, who is the younger brother of Abdul Muhith, currently represents the Sylhet-1 seat in parliament.

Utilities

Sylhet has high rates of electricity and water shortages. According to the Power Development Board, as of 2009, Sylhet was only receiving 50 MW, half of the required demand of 100 MW. The city corporation was also supplying only 22,500 gallons of water, far less than the demand of about 65,000.[35] The major sources of water to the city are the tube wells and the Surma River. Tests of tube wells in Sylhet District by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in 1997 found that about 27.6% contained more arsenic than the acceptable limit set by Bangladesh of 50 micrograms per liter, and 49.2% contained more arsenic than the World Health Organization standard of 10 micrograms per liter.[36] There are about 331 registered restaurants in the city, but only 15% maintain sanitary facilities and 85% have unhygienic conditions that are unsafe for the public.[37]

Culture

The cultural identity of Sylhet has been shaped by a blend of indigenous practices, Sufi influences, and the assimilation of diverse communities. Sylhet is also known for its music scene, and it is home to several renowned musicians and artists. The city has a rich literary tradition, producing several notable writers and poets including Syed Mujtaba Ali and Humayun Ahmed.

Cuisine

Sylheti cuisine is known for its distinct flavors and aromatic dishes. Popular delicacies in the city include pitha (rice cakes), shorshe ilish (hilsa fish in mustard sauce), shatkora beef, and doi chira (flattened rice with yogurt). The region's love for tea is evident in its numerous tea gardens and the consumption of "seven-layer tea," a unique layered beverage.

Sports

Cricket is the most popular sport in Sylhet. The Bangladesh Premier League franchise Sylhet Strikers are based in Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (M.A.G. Osmani Stadium), which was built in 2007 and has a capacity of 18,500 spectators. The Sylhet International Cricket Stadium was renovated in 2013 specifically to host matches for the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. It is situated near lush green tea gardens on the city fringe.[38] In the National Cricket League, Sylhet Division has not won any titles but did win in the One-Day Cricket League during the 2001–02 season. Notable players from Sylhet who have played for the Bangladesh national cricket team include Rajin Saleh,[39] Enamul Haque Jr,[40] Tapash Baisya,[41] and Alok Kapali.[42] Chess player Rani Hamid was awarded the FIDE Women's International Master (WIM) title in 1985, while her son Kaiser Hamid was the captain of the Bangladesh national football team in the early 90s.[43]

Transport

Road

The main transport systems used in Sylhet are cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws (mainly known as baby-taxis or CNGs), buses, mini-buses and cars. About 80,000 rickshaws run each day within the city. Bus service prices have increased up to 30% higher, and as of 2008 prices range from Tk 4 to 15.95.[44]

The N2 connects the city with Bangladesh's capital and largest city, Dhaka, as well as with many other parts of the country. The N2 highway is also part of the Asian Highway Network's two longest routes, AH1 and AH2.

Air

Sylhet is served by Osmani International Airport, located at the north of the city. It is Bangladesh's third busiest airport, and it became an international airport due to demand driven by expatriate Bangladeshis and their families living in the United Kingdom and the United States. The most prevalent airlines at the airport are Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines and Novoair.

Osmani International Airport received its first international arrival on 3 November 2002, with a Biman plane arriving from Kuwait via Abu Dhabi en route to Dhaka.[45] Sylhet's first direct international flight arrived on 15 March 2017 when a Flydubai direct flight from Dubai landed at the airport.[46] Work began 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.[47] In May 2007, Biman announced direct Hajj flights originating from the airport later that year.[48] As of 2020, Biman Bangladesh operates direct flight to London from Sylhet.[49] All Bangladeshi airlines operate regular domestic flights to Dhaka and Biman operates regular domestic flights to Cox's Bazar.[50]

In response to the increase in passenger and cargo demand at the airport, work began in 2020 on a new international passenger terminal building, as well as a cargo building, a control tower, parking areas, and a taxiway.[51] [52]

Rail

The Sylhet railway station is the main railway station providing trains on national routes operated by the state-run Bangladesh Railway.Some train routes originating or terminating in Sylhet include the following.

Towards Dhaka

Train No. Train Name Train Type Departures
710 Intercity Daily (except Tue)
718 Jayantika Express Intercity Daily
740 Upaban Express Intercity Daily
774 Intercity Daily (except Fri)
10 Surma Mail Mail Daily

Towards Chittagong

Train No. Train Name Train Type Departures
724 Udayan Express Intercity Daily (except Fri)
720 Paharika Express Intercity Daily (except Fri)
14 Jalalabad Express Mail Daily

Towards Akahura

Education

See main article: List of educational institutes of Sylhet. There are two public universities in Sylhet: Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Sylhet Agricultural University.[53] There are some prominent colleges and schools in Sylhet such as Jalalabad Cantonment Public School and College, Parkview Medical College, MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet, Sylhet Women's Medical College, North East Medical College, Sylhet Engineering College,[54] Sylhet Cadet College, Murari Chand College,[55] Institute of Health Technology, Sylhet,Border Guard Public School And College, Scholarshome, Blue Bird High School and College, Sylhet Science And Technology College, Sylhet Polytechnic Institute, and Sylhet Government Women's College.

Notable people

See main article: List of people from Sylhet.

Twin towns – sister cities

Sylhet is twinned with:

As of 2009, Sylhet has friendly relations with:

The friendship link with St Albans was established in 1988, when the St Albans' 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 home region for a large ethnic minority population in St Albans.[56]

In March 2009 the Mayor of Sylhet, Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form another friendship link between Sylhet and Rochdale, home to around 10,000 people with Sylheti heritage. The Mayor of Sylhet signed it alongside the Mayor of Rochdale, Cllr Keith Swift, at the Sylhet City Corporation.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Bangladesh clamps down on beggars . BBC News . 2 April 2009 . 2 April 2009.
  2. Web site: Sylhet Metropolitan Police . sylhetmetropolitanpolice.com.
  3. Web site: Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab. hdi.globaldatalab.org. en. 2021-07-11.
  4. Web site: The Most Beautiful Tea Gardens in Bangladesh to visit . 2023-03-05 . unb.com.bd.
  5. Web site: Chowdhury . Aisha Hayder . 2021-02-25 . Sylhet in Spirit . 2023-03-05 . The Daily Star . en.
  6. Web site: Martin . Megan . 2022-10-17 . Discover the 9 Largest Cities In Bangladesh . 2023-03-05 . AZ Animals . en-US.
  7. Web site: Ali . Ismail . 2019-12-27 . The 'Londoni' Connection . 2023-03-05 . The Daily Star . en.
  8. Web site: Correspondent . Our . Sylhet . 2020-01-09 . No more cobweb of cables! . 2023-03-05 . The Daily Star . en.
  9. Book: Monsur Musa . Sharif Uddin Ahmed . History of the Study of the Dialect of Sylhet: Some Problems . Sylhet: History and Heritage . 1999 . Bangladesh Itihas Samiti . 978-984-31-0478-6 . 588 . en.
  10. News: Mujibur Rahman. Chowdhury. গৌড়-বঙ্গে মুসলিম বিজয় এবং সুফি-সাধকদের কথা. Muslim conquest in Gauḍa-Vaṅga and discussion about Sufi ascetics. bn. Sylheter Dak. 31 July 2019. 30 January 2023. 5 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191005052346/http://sylheterdak.com.bd/details.php?id=30429. dead.
  11. Book: . Srihatter Itibritta: Uttorangsho . 2000 . 1916 . Kotha . Kolkata . Bangla . 21. উত্তর শ্রীহট্টের নামতত্ত্ব.
  12. Book: Fazal, Tanweer . 2013 . Minority Nationalisms in South Asia . Routledge . 53 . 978-1-317-96647-0.
  13. Book: Sangma, Milton S. . Essays on North-east India: Presented in Memory of Professor V. Venkata Rao. 1994. Indus Publishing. 978-81-7387-015-6. 75.
  14. Book: Nath, Pratyay . 2019 . Climate of Conquest: War, Environment, and Empire in Mughal North India . . 978-0-19-949555-9 . 184–185.
  15. Web site: Welcome sylhetcitycorporationbd.org - Justhost.com. www.sylhetcitycorporationbd.org. 26 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20181013014249/http://www.sylhetcitycorporationbd.org/. 13 October 2018. dead.
  16. Web site: Basics of Islam. Londoni. 10 September 2016. 5 September 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230905170347/http://www.londoni.co/index.php/travel-guide/29-location-guide/3-sylhet-bangladesh. dead.
  17. Web site: Welcome sylhetcitycorporationbd.org - Justhost.com. www.sylhetcitycorporationbd.org. 10 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20180704033705/http://www.sylhetcitycorporationbd.org/index.php/cms/home. 4 July 2018. dead.
  18. http://weather.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?wealocations=wc:BGXX0010&q=Sylhet%2c+BGD+forecast:averagesm Monthly Averages for Sylhet, BGD
  19. News: Siddiquee . Iqbal . 10 February 2006 . Sylhet growing as a modern urban centre . Our Cities: 15th Anniversary Special . The Daily Star . 25 May 2009 . 21 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180721161221/http://archive.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2006/15thanniv/ourcities/ourcities24.htm . dead .
  20. http://www.swadhinata.org.uk/sylhetpartnership/sylhet.htm The Sylhet City Corporation
  21. News: PM launches 17 Infantry Division . . 17 September 2013 . 24 November 2016.
  22. News: https://www.ekushey-tv.com/%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B7%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC-%E0%A6%8F%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AD%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A1%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%87/49455 . bn:আগামীতে ক্ষমতায় এলে প্রতিটি বিভাগে মেডিকেল বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় হবে . Ekushey TV . bn.
  23. News: bn:সিলেট মেডিকেল বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় বিল পাস . http://www.ntvbd.com/bangladesh/215213/%25E0%25A6%25B8%25E0%25A6%25BF%25E0%25A6%25B2%25E0%25A7%2587%25E0%25A6%259F-%25E0%25A6%25AE%25E0%25A7%2587%25E0%25A6%25A1%25E0%25A6%25BF%25E0%25A6%2595%25E0%25A7%2587%25E0%25A6%25B2-%25E0%25A6%25AC%25E0%25A6%25BF%25E0%25A6%25B6%25E0%25A7%258D%25E0%25A6%25AC%25E0%25A6%25AC%25E0%25A6%25BF%25E0%25A6%25A6%25E0%25A7%258D%25E0%25A6%25AF%25E0%25A6%25BE%25E0%25A6%25B2%25E0%25A6%25AF%25E0%25A6%25BC-%25E0%25A6%25AC%25E0%25A6%25BF%25E0%25A6%25B2-%25E0%25A6%25AA%25E0%25A6%25BE%25E0%25A6%25B8/amp . NTV . bn . https://web.archive.org/web/20190926100600/http://www.ntvbd.com/bangladesh/215213/%25E0%25A6%25B8%25E0%25A6%25BF%25E0%25A6%25B2%25E0%25A7%2587%25E0%25A6%259F-%25E0%25A6%25AE%25E0%25A7%2587%25E0%25A6%25A1%25E0%25A6%25BF%25E0%25A6%2595%25E0%25A7%2587%25E0%25A6%25B2-%25E0%25A6%25AC%25E0%25A6%25BF%25E0%25A6%25B6%25E0%25A7%258D%25E0%25A6%25AC%25E0%25A6%25AC%25E0%25A6%25BF%25E0%25A6%25A6%25E0%25A7%258D%25E0%25A6%25AF%25E0%25A6%25BE%25E0%25A6%25B2%25E0%25A6%25AF%25E0%25A6%25BC-%25E0%25A6%25AC%25E0%25A6%25BF%25E0%25A6%25B2-%25E0%25A6%25AA%25E0%25A6%25BE%25E0%25A6%25B8/amp . 26 September 2019.
  24. http://www.bbs.gov.bd/dataindex/pb_wb_page.pdf Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Pocket Book, 2007 (pdf-file)
  25. Web site: Community Series - Sylhet District . bbs.gov.bd . Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  26. http://research.brac.net/publications/Exploring_the_Marginalized.pdf Exploring the Marginalized
  27. Web site: Syloti-Nagri alphabet . omniglot.com.
  28. Web site: Sylheti unicode chart.
  29. Christina Julios (2008). Contemporary British Identity: English Language, Migrants, and Public Discourse. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp.40–41.
  30. Web site: Islam in Bangladesh . OurBangla . https://web.archive.org/web/20070219125652/http://www.ourbangla.com/islam/bd/bd1.asp . 19 February 2007 . 3 August 2016.
  31. Web site: Bangladeshi Diaspora in the UK : Some observations on socio-culturaldynamics, religious trends and transnational politics . David Garbin . 17 June 2005 . University of Surrey . 3 June 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100923014220/http://www.surrey.ac.uk/Arts/CRONEM/SOASBangladeshi%20diaspora%20PaperDRAFT-7June2005.pdf . 23 September 2010.
  32. News: Returning home to build mansion. 22 December 2011. BBC News.
  33. Web site: Haripur Oilfield . Banglapedia.
  34. News: Siddiquee . Iqbal . 19 October 2011 . Agar farming sees export markets . The Daily Star .
  35. News: Iqbal Siddiquee . 5 May 2009 . Power, water crises grip Sylhet city . The Daily Star . 29 May 2009.
  36. News: Arsenic poisons Sylhet water . The Independent . Dhaka . 11 September 1997 . 29 May 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20041027040014/http://www.eng-consult.com/arsenic/as16.txt . 27 October 2004 . Engconsult Ltd..
  37. http://journals.tums.ac.ir/upload_files/pdf/3104.pdf Study of Water Quality in Sylhet City and its Restaurants: Health Associated Risk Assessment
  38. Web site: 'Sylhet is the most beautiful Test venue in Asia'. Jannatul. Pieal. www.bdcrictime.com.
  39. http://content-www.cricinfo.com/bangladesh/content/player/56074.html Players and Officials – Rajin Saleh
  40. http://content-www.cricinfo.com/bangladesh/content/player/55882.html Players and Officials – Enamul Haque jnr
  41. http://content-www.cricinfo.com/bangladesh/content/player/56176.html Players and Officials Hasibul Hussain who was the opening bowler in the 1999 World Cup – Tapash Baisya
  42. http://content-www.cricinfo.com/bangladesh/content/player/56251.html Players and Officials – Alok Kapali
  43. Web site: ইতিহাসের সাক্ষী কায়সার হামিদ. Daily Janakantha. 14 October 2015. 11 May 2024. bn.
  44. http://www.newagebd.com/2008/nov/04/met.html Sylhet city bus services hike fares on whim
  45. News: Biman launches Kuwait-Sylhet flight . Weekly Holiday . Aviatour . 22 November 2002.
  46. News: First direct international flight lands at Sylhet airport . . 16 March 2017 . 26 March 2017.
  47. News: Osmani Airport expansion work begins in July . The Daily Star . 13 May 2004.
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