km n a population of 7.899 million.There r 4 districts and 14 municipalities under Sylhet Division.It is a natural hilly, forest area with ox bow lakes and famous shrines. Mission
A major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the capital of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District. Located on the northern bank of the Surma River and surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills. Historians belie
ve that Sylhet (or Shilhat, as it was known in ancient times), was an expanded commercial center from the ancient period, which explains its original namesake. During this time, Sylhet was probably inhabited by Indo-Aryan Brahmins, though ethnically the population would also have traces of Assamese. It has also been suggested that Ancient Kingdom of Harikela was situated in modern Sylhet. In the ancient and early medieval period, Sylhet was ruled primarily by local chieftains as viceroy of the kings of Pragjyotishpur. There is evidence to suggest that the Maharaja Sri Chandra, of northern Bengal, conquered Bengal in the 10th century, although this is a much disputed topic amongst Bangladeshi historians and archaeologists. This was a period of relative prosperity and there is little evidence to suggest this was marred by wars or feuds. Sylhet was certainly known by the rest of India, and is even referred to in the ancient Hindu sacred Ta***ic text, the Shakti Sangama Ta**ra, as 'Silhatta'. The last chieftain to reign in Sylhet was Govinda of Gaur, also known as Gaur Govinda. The tomb of Shah Jalal, the Dargah-e-Shah JalalThe 14th century marked the beginning of Islamic influence in Sylhet.A messianic Muslim saint, Hazrat Shah Jalal, arrived in Sylhet in 1303 from Mecca via Delhi and Dhaka with the instructions for aiding Sikhander Khan Ghazi in defeating Govinda of Gaur. Sikhander Khan Ghazi was the direct nephew of sultan Firoz Shah of Delhi. Under the spiritual leadership of Hazrat Shah Jalal and his 360 companions the local pagans were brought under control and they began to spread Islam. He died in Sylhet in or around the year 1350. His shrine is located inside the parameter of the mosque complex known as Dargah-e-Shah Jalal. Even today Shah Jalal remains revered; visitors arrive from all over Bangladesh and beyond to pay homage.Saints such as Shah Jalal or even, Shah Paran were responsible for the conversion of most of the populace from native religion of Hinduism or Buddhism to Islam. Shortly thereafter, Sylhet became a centre of Islam in Bengal. In the official documents and historical papers, Sylhet was often referred to as Jalalbad during the era of the Muslim rule. In the late 18th century, the British East India Company became interested in Sylhet and saw it as an area of strategic importance in the war against Burma. Sylhet gradually was absorbed into British control and administration and was governed as a part of Bengal. After the British administrative reorganization of India, Sylhet was eventually incorporated into Assam. It remained a part of Assam for the rest of the era of British rule. In 1947, following a referendum, almost all of erstwhile Sylhet became a part of East Pakistan, barring the Karimganj subdivision which was incorporated into the new Indian state of Assam. In 1971, Sylhet became part of the newly formed independent country of Bangladesh. The Sylhet region has a "friendship link" (rather than full town twinning) with the United Kingdom city of St Albans. The link was established in 1988 when the 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 area of origin for the largest ethnic minority group in St Albans.
