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Sylhet Division

Greater Sylhet
Tea Gardens of Srimongol
Tea Gardens of Srimongol
Map of Sylhet Division in red
Map of Sylhet Division in red
Country  Bangladesh
Area
 • Total 12,595.95 km2 (4,863.32 sq mi)
Population
 • Total 9,807,000
 • Density 778.58/km2 (2,016.52/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+6 (BST)

Sylhet Division is a large area in the northeastern part of Bangladesh. It is one of the main divisions of the country. The division gets its name from its biggest city, Sylhet.

Sylhet Division shares its borders with different states of India. To the north, it is next to Meghalaya State. To the south, you'll find Tripura State. On the east, it borders Assam State. To the west, it is next to the Dhaka and Chittagong divisions of Bangladesh.

People and Population in Sylhet

About 10 million people live in Sylhet Division. Most people follow the Muslim religion, making up about 81.16% of the population.

Other religions are also present. About 17.80% of the people are Hindu. A small number of people are Christian (0.06%) or Buddhist (0.02%). There are also other smaller religious groups.

A Look at Sylhet's Past

How Sylhet Became Part of British India

In the late 1700s, the British East India Company became interested in Sylhet. They saw it as an important area. This was especially true during their wars against Burma.

Over time, Sylhet came under British control. It was managed as part of Bengal. Later, when the British changed how they organized India, Sylhet became part of Assam. It stayed part of Assam for the rest of British rule.

Sylhet Joins Bangladesh

In 1947, a special vote called a referendum was held. Almost all of Sylhet district voted to become part of East Bengal. This area later became the country of Bangladesh.

However, a small part, the Karimganj subdivision, became part of the new Indian state of Assam. The referendum happened on July 3, 1947. Many people voted, and most chose to join East Bengal. Even with some disagreements about the votes, the result was accepted. Sylhet officially became part of Bangladesh when the country was formed in 1971.


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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: División de Sylhet para niños

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