Narayanganj facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Narayanganj নারায়ণগঞ্জ
Metropolis
From top: City Skyline, Port of Narayanganj, Tomb of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah , Baro-Bhuyan Palace of Lord Isa Khan, Historical Panam City, Hajiganj Fort in City East
Narayanganj Location in Dhaka division Show map of Dhaka division Narayanganj Location in Bangladesh Show map of Bangladesh
Country	Bangladesh
Division	Dhaka
District	Narayanganj
Municipal Board	8 September 1876
Metropolitan city	5 May 2011
Government
• Type	Mayor–council government
• Body	Narayanganj City Corporation
Area
• Metropolis	33.57 km2 (12.96 sq mi)
• Water	48.56 km2 (18.75 sq mi)
• Metro	72.43 km2 (27.97 sq mi)
Elevation	3 m (10 ft)
Population  (2022)
• Metropolis	967,951
• Density	28,834/km2 (74,679/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+6 (Bangladesh Time)
Postal code	1420
Area code(s)	0671
Calling Code	02

Narayanganj (pronounced Naraeongônj) is a busy city in central Bangladesh. It's part of the larger Dhaka area. You can find it about 16 kilometers (10 miles) southeast of Dhaka, which is the capital city. Narayanganj is home to almost 1 million people, making it the 6th largest city in Bangladesh. It's a very important place for business and factories, especially for processing jute and making textiles. Because of its many jute factories, people sometimes call it the Dundee of Bangladesh. Dundee was a city in Scotland known for its jute industry.

History of Narayanganj

How Narayanganj Got Its Name

The city of Narayanganj got its name from a religious leader named Bicon Lal Pandey. He was also known as Benur Thakur or 'Lakshmi Narayan Thakur'. In 1766, after the Battle of Plassey, he rented this area from the British East India Company. He gave the markets and land by the river as Devottor property. This means it was 'Given to God' to help pay for the worship of the god Narayan.

Early Developments in the City

Over time, Narayanganj grew. A post office was set up in 1866. A telegraph service, which sent messages over long distances, started in 1877. The first telephone service in the city began in 1882.

Tomb of Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah, Narayanganj, Bangladesh. This tomb dates back to around 1410.

Becoming a Municipality

Narayanganj officially became a municipality on September 8, 1876. The first hospital in the area, Narayanganj Victoria Hospital, was built in 1885. The municipality helped pay for it, along with money from Harakanta Banerjee.

Modern City Corporation

On May 5, 2011, the Narayanganj City Corporation was formed. This new corporation brought together three smaller municipalities: Narayanganj, Siddhirganj, and Kadam Rasul. The mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation is Selina Hayat Ivy. Before this, she was the mayor of the Narayanganj Municipality.

People and Population

Population Growth in Narayanganj

According to a count done in 2011, Narayanganj City Corporation had 709,381 people living in 165,637 homes. About 19.47% of the people were under 10 years old. The city's population grew to 967,951 by 2022.

Education and Literacy

In 2011, the literacy rate (meaning people aged 7 and older who could read and write) in Narayanganj was 66.37%. This was higher than the national average for Bangladesh, which was 51.8%.

Religions in the City

The main religions in Narayanganj are Islam and Hinduism. In 2011, about 91.22% of the people were Muslim, and 8.71% were Hindu. A very small number of people followed other religions.

Getting Around Narayanganj

Railway Connections

Narayanganj has two train stations: Chashara railway station and Narayanganj railway station. These stations help people travel to and from the city by train.

Roadways and Buses

If you are coming from Dhaka, there are three main roads to enter Narayanganj. These are the Dhaka–Narayanganj old road, the Dhaka–Narayanganj link road, and the Narayanganj–Demra road. The BRTC AC Bus service also provides comfortable bus transport between Narayanganj and Dhaka.