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Comilla

Comilla, city (1991 pop. 135,313), E Bangladesh, on the Gumti River. An administrative center on the main railroad and highway linking Chittagong with Dhaka, it is a collection point for hides and skins. It has a cottage industry in cane and bamboo basketry. Other industries include jute milling and a thermal power station. Comilla has eight colleges affiliated with the Univ. of Dhaka.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

Comilla

Comilla (কুমিল্লা) is a city in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is located in the Comilla District of Chittagong Division.

History

Comilla is a city near the Indian border. The city is famous for different types of sweets and Batik printed cloth. The people of Comilla are multiethnic. To some extent, there is more Afghan and British heritage in Comilla. Green or hazel eyes are more common in Comilla than in other parts of Bangladesh.

The Comilla region was once under ancient Samatat and was joined with Tripura State. This district came under the reign of the kings of the Harikela in the ninth century AD. Lalmai Mainamati was ruled by Deva dynasty (eighth century AD), and Chandra dynasty (during tenth and mid eleventh century AD). It came under the rule of East India Company in 1765. This district was established as Tripura district in 1790. It was renamed Comilla in 1960. Chandpur and Brahmanbaria subdivisions of this district were transformed into districts in 1984.

Historical events

Peasants Movement against the king of Tripura in 1764 under the leadership of Samsher Gazi is a notable historical event. Communal tension spread over Comilla when a Muslim was shot in Comilla town during the partition of bengal in 1905. During the preparation of a countrywide hartal on 21 November 1921, Kazi Nazrul Islam composed patriotic songs and tried to awaken the town people by protesting the Prince of Wales's visit to India. During this time, Avay Ashram, as a revolutionary institution, played a significant role. Poet Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi visited Comilla at that time. In 1931, approximately four-thousand peasants in Mohini village in Chauddagram upazilla revolted against a land revenue tax. The British Gurkha soldiers fired indiscriminately on the croud, killing four people. In a huge peasant gathering, the police fired at Hasnabad of Laksham Upazila in 1932. Two people were killed and many were wounded.

Marks of the War of Liberation mass killing site: 5, Laksham, Comilla Cantonment, Homna, Beltali and Rasulpur; mass graves at Betiara, Muzaffarganj, Nagaripara, Cantonment, Krishnapur, Dhananjay, Dilabad and Laksham Bidi Factory; memorials at Comilla Victoria College, Betiara, Police Line, Cantonment, Laksham, Polytechnic Institution and Haratali.

Geography and climate

Comilla is located at 23°27′0″N, 91°12′0″E, and has a total area of 280 square kilometers. It is bounded by Burchiganj and Tripura on the north, Laksham and Chauddagram on the south, and Barura on the west. The major rivers that pass through Comilla include Gumti and Little Feni.

The Tropic of Cancer (23°5') crosses Comilla town on the south side just over the Thomson Bridge.

Climate

Height about 6m / 19 feet above sea level. 24-hr Average Temperature Respectively :

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec °C 19.0 21.4 25.6 27.8 28.5 28.2 28.0 28.1 28.3 27.3 23.9 20.1

Administration & Development

Comilla, as a district, is generally administrated by a Deputy Commissioner (DC), who is a government official of the district. However, civil society is quite strong in voice and activity here. The DC office is situated at Fauzdari area of the town on the east side of Dharmasagar. The District of Comilla has been divided into sixteen Tanas, namely Comilla Adarsa Sadar, Comilla Sadar South, Hoamna, Laksham, Muradnagar, Devidwar, Daudkandi, Burichang, Barura, Chandina, Titas, Meghna, Chowddogram, Langolkot, Brahmanpara and Monohorgonj.

The main town of Comilla is under the Sadar Tana. Comilla Cantonment is one of most important military bases and is the oldest in East Bengal. It was widely used by the British Indian Army during World War II. There is a war cemetery in Comilla that was established after the World War II to remember the Allied soldiers who died during World War I and II, mostly from Commonwealth states and the United States. There are a number of Japanese soldiers were buried there as well.

Comilla also has an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) at the east end of the town, established on the former site of an airport. Presently only the runway still exists, whereas other establishments have been converted to instruments of the EPZ. It is one of the first growing EPZ(s) in Bangladesh.

Comilla also has an Large Vegetable market at Nimshar.

Comilla is well known as a city for education; educational institutions include Comilla University, Comilla Medical College, Comilla Victoria College, Comilla Cadet College (formerly Comilla Residential Model College). BARD at Kotbari is well known for research on rural development, which is a brain child of the eminent educationist Dr. Akhter Hamid Khan (formerly Principal of Comilla Victoria College, formerly Sub-Divisional Officer). His formula for Rural Development has four subdivisions, namely Cooperatives, Irrigation, Rural Works, and Plan Books. Based on this theme, a reputed government organisation, LGED, was formed, which is headed by an Executive Engineer in districts and holds three of the themes of Dr. Akhter Hamid Khan.

Natural gas is the main natural resource of this district. Bakhrabad Gas Company has its headquarters in Comilla.

Land and economy

Main occupations Agriculture 43.28%, commerce 11.6%, service 10.78%, transport 3.36%, agricultural labourer 15.89%, wage labourer 2.46%, construction 1.03%, and others 11.6%.

Land use Total cultivable land 243596.93 hectares; single crop 18.05%, double crop 63.99% and treble crop land 17.96%.

Land control Among the peasants 30% are landless, 46% small, 20% intermediate and 4% rich.

Value of land The market value of the land of the first grade is 135000 Taka per 0.01 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard seed, brinjal.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Linseed, sesame, sweet potato, china and kaun.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, coconut, palm, guava and blackberry.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Dairy 28, poultry 109, fishery 27, hatchery 69, nursery 200.

Manufactories In the second half of the eighteenth century east India company established a large cotton mill at Charpata on the south of the district. Cotton cloths were exported to other districts in those days. At present Comilla Khaddar is famous in the country. Manufactories include textile mills: Halima Textile Mills; iron and steel factory: Mozaher Cooperative Mills, Radharani Manufacturing Works, Qayum Steel Mills Ltd.; pharmaceuticals- Skylab, Comilla Ayurvedic Pharmacy, Sharma Chemical (extinct), Arco Industry.

Cottage industries Comilla is noted for potteries of Bijoypur. Other cottage industries include bamboo and cane works, Shital Pati, hooka, and madur (mat) made of murta tree.

Main hats, bazars and fairs Most noted hats, bazars and fairs (Mela) are Dulalpur, Companyganj, Rajganj, Bibir Bazar, Daulatganj,Nangalkot, Chandina, Gunabati Bazar, Homna, Ramchandrapur, Bangshanagar, Chauddagram, Govindapur, Monipur, Chandimura, Madhavpur, Mohanpur, Rasulpur, Syedpur, Madhaya, Eliotganj, Baroikandi, Changini Bazar, Chawkbazar, Mainamati Mela, Punra Mela, Chandala Mela, Baira Mela, Betakhali Mela,Thanda Kalibari Mela.

Main exports khaddar cloth, coconut, dry chilly, dry fish, egg, poultries and potteries.

Mineral resources natural gas (Bakharabad in Sreekail. Bakhrabad gas field lies in the Muradnagar upazila under Comilla district some 40 km away to the east from capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. Like Titas & Habiganj fields Bakhrabad gas field was discovered by Pakistan Shell Oil Co. Ltd. in 1969. The Bakhrabad anticline, as defined by seismic, is a narrow, elongate almost symmetrical fold about 69 km long up to 10 km wide. Total recoverable gas reserves of this field re-estimated by Hydrocarbon Unit is . Commercial gas production from this field was started in 1984 and till August 31, 2006 total or 62.74 percent of reserves has been recovered.

Sub-divisions

Comilla district consists of the following upazilas:

Demographics and culture

It is a highly Muslim dominated area and one can find many economically backward people. But it is home district of many educated Bangladeshis who have achieved great success in their career as Bangladeshi expatriates or in other parts of the Nation. The majority of the denizens lead an agrarian lifestyle, depending on their fields for their livelihood. A much smaller number of Hindus are present in this area. Every Muslim festival is celebrated in big way. Especially Eid and Ramzan. Most of the Muslims are Sunni and few are Shia. There is electricity in most of the area at present in Comilla.

In the suburb there exists the Commonwealth War Cemetery Memorials, Muktajuddha Museum at Mainamati Cantonment and Bangladesh academy for rural development, Mainamati Museum, Comilla Cadet College at Courtbari. Comilla Town is blessed with the memories of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. Nazrul Islam married twice in life, one at Daulatpur of Muradnagar upazila of the district and the other at Comilla Town. Those places have been marked with memorial plates. Poet Rabindranath Tagore visited Comilla twice. Ustad Muhammad Hussain, Fazle Nizami and Kulendu Das have enriched the cultural heritage of the town. Ustad Ayet Ali Khan established a musical institute here.

Marks of rich ancient civilization have been found in Lalmai Mainamati hills. In these hills there are plenty of archaeological sites including Shalvan Vihara, Kutila Mura, Charandra Mura, Rupban Mura, Itakhola Mura, Satera Ratna Mura, Ranir Banglar Pahar, Ananda Bazar Palaces, palaces of Bhoj King, Chandi Mura, etc. Various archaeological relics including images and metalled utensils discovered from these viharas, muras and palaces are now preserved in the Mainamati Museum. Other archaeological heritage and relics include Saptaratna Mandir (Jagannath Mandir), Shah Suja Mosque, Dharmasagar, Chandimata Mandir (on the top of Lalmai Hill of Barura), Chandala Shiva Mandir (Brahmanpara, eighteenth century), Saitshala Jami Mosque (Brahmanpara, 1719), Mazars of Panch Pir (five saints) at Shashidal (Brahmanpara, 1815), Harimangal Math (Brahmanpara, 1822), Ramnagar elongated Math (Brahmanpara, 1705), Saitshala Rammahan Mandir (Brahmanpara, 1805), Hasnabad Math.

Transport

Comilla has good communication network. It is known as the hub of road communication of eastern part of Bangladesh . One of the oldest highways of the Indian Sub-continent, 'The Grand Trunk Road' has approached through the city. At present, the most important Dhaka-Chittagong highway bypass the city from the cantonment to Poduar Bazar. Comilla is located at 97 kilometers from the capital city, Dhaka. This can be travelled by road or railway. The trains has to travel 197 kilometers and takes over 3 hours to Comilla, however buses take about 2 hours only. Hundreds of trucks & lorries travel to or from Comilla with goods. Prominent bus services to Comilla are Tisha, Asia Line, Prime, Prince etc. Road networks are administered by RHD, LGED and Municipalitis. RHD and LGED have regional headquarters in Comilla. RHD is responsible for National Highways, Regional Highways and District Roads; LGED is responsible for Upazila Roads and Union Roads; where as Municipalities are responsible for municipal roads.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 1219 km, mud road 587 km; railways 108 km; airport 1.

Traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage, bullock cart, dhuri and bhari. These means of transport are either extinct or nearly extinct.

Education

The Comilla Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education is located in Comilla. This is the central administration that conducts primary, secondary, and higher secondary education for several districts. Historically, Comilla Board administered the education system of the whole Chittagong Division, but recently, Chittagong and Sylhet Education boards were spun off.

Comilla is also the location for-

Comilla University
Comilla Medical College
Comilla Teachers Training College
Comilla Polytechnic Institute (CPI)
Nimshar Junab Ali College
Comilla Victoria College
Comilla Cadet College
Comilla Zilla School
Nawab Faizunnesa Girls High School
Our Lady of Fatima Girls High School
Rose Garden International School
Comilla High School
Shailarani Devi Girls High School
Ispahani Public School and College Comilla
School of Military Intelligence at Comilla Cantonment
Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD)

etc.

Notable Personalities

Politicians

Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta (1886-1971), ex-Minister of Law, Language movement activist and Shaheed of 1971
Nowab Musharaf Hussein (1871-1966), ex-Minister of Education
Kamini Kumar Dutta (1878-1958), ex-Minister
Shib Narayan Das, one of designers of the first national flag of Bangladesh and veteran freedom fighter
Col. Akbar Hussain (1942-2006), veteran freedom fighter, ex-Minister of Mineral Sources (1978), ex-Minister of Forest Preservation (1991), ex-Minister of Inland Water Transports (2001)
Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad(1918-1996), ex-President of Bangladesh, ex-Minister and member of Exile Cabinet of Meherpur Government
Capt. Sujat Ali (1926-2007), ex-Minister, founder of Sujat Ali College
Prof. Shamsul Haque, ex-Minister of Education

etc.

Social Activists and Philanthropists

Nawab Faizunnesa, poet (rup jalal), pioneer in Woman's Education, founder of Faizunnesa Girls’ School
Maheshchandra Bhattacharya (1858-1944), munificent
Capt. Naren Dutta, physician and founder of Srikail College
Dr. Zobaida Hannan : Eminent physician(Gynaecologist), philanthropist and Ekushey medal owner.

etc.

Educationists and Scholars

Mahasthabir Shilabhadra (529-654), principal of Nalanda Bihar
Saidur Rahman (1909-1987), eminent teacher
Mohammad Ali Azam (1908-1978), novelist and author, one of the contributors of Encyclopædia Britannica
Ajit Kumar Guho (1914-1969)
Ataur Rahman Khadim (1933-1971), researcher, killed after Operation Searchlight (25th March genocide) was launched inside Dhaka University in 25 March, 1971
ABM Ahsanullah FF ; Squadron Leader (Retd) ex-education officer and instructor of BAF , consulting editor, translator, essayist, columnist and also a cotributor to wikipedia.
Safura Khatun, teacher
Dr. Mobin Khan

etc.

Litterateur

Buddhadeb Bosu (1908-1974), legendary Bangla poet, novelist, translator, editor and essayist
Anis Chowdhury (1929-1990), novelist and dramatist
Mohammad Kasem (1905-1957), editor and publisher
Abdul Kadir (1906-1984), researcher, poet and editor
A.K.M Ali Akbar Khan, teacher and poet

etc.

Music

Sachin Dev Burman (1906-1975), recognized as S.D. Burman, singer, composer and music director
Jan-e-Alam Chowdhury (1884-1967), tabla player
Ustaad Mohamed Husain Khasru (1903-1959), classical musician and composer
Himangsu Kumar Dutta (1908-1944), musician and composer
Shukhendu Chakrabarty (1928-1989), lyricist, musician and composer
Shoila Devi (1916-1944), singer
Rahul Dev Burman, recognized as R.D. Burman, son of S.D. Burman, composer and pioneer in Bollywood music direction
Fazle Nizami (1933-1984), music teacher & Rabindra sangeet singer
Badal Roy, USA based tabla player

etc.

Others

Maj. Abdul Ghani, founder of East Bengal Regiment (formerly belonged to Pakistan Army, now is the largest unit of Bangladesh Army)
Mujibur Rahman, eminent criminal lawyer and unbeaten President of Comilla Bar Association
Kailashchandra Sinha (1851-1914), historian, archaeologist, author of Rajmala and many other history related publications
Air Marshall (Retd) Jamaluddin Ahmed, ex-Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force
Kazi M. Selim, teacher & lawyer

References

The list of notable presonalities is collected from the following:
1. Bangla Academy Caritabhidhan (Dictionary of Biography), 2nd ed, by Selina Hussain & Nurul Islam, Dhaka , 1997.
2. Mahasthavir Shilabhadra by Shahidullah Mridha, 1st ed, Bangla Academy, Dhaka, 1994.
3. Research by The Modifier.