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Khulna

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the city. For the division, seeKhulna Division.For the district, seeKhulna District.For the subdistrict, seeKhulna Kotwali Thana.

Khulna
খুলনা
Metropolis
Gollamari Martyrs' Memorial
Nickname(s):
City of Tigers, Industrial City, Gateway to theSundarbans
Khulna is located in Khulna division
Khulna
Khulna
Khulna is located in Bangladesh
Khulna
Khulna
Coordinates:22°49′N89°33′E/ 22.82°N 89.55°E/22.82; 89.55
CountryBangladesh
DivisionKhulna Division
DistrictKhulna District
Municipal Council:8 September 1884(139 years ago)(1884-09-08)
Municipal Corporation:12 December 1984(39 years ago)(1984-12-12)
City Corporation:6 August 1990(34 years ago)(1990-08-06)
Government
• TypeMayor-council
• BodyKhulna City Corporation
•AdministratorMd. Helal Mahmud Sharif
•Police CommissionerMD Masudur Rahman Bhuiyan
Area
[1]
• Urban
45.65 km2(17.63 sq mi)
• Metro
150.57 km2(58.14 sq mi)
• Rank3rd
Elevation
9.0 m (29.5 ft)
Population
• Rank3rd
•Urban
884,445
• Urban density19,000/km2(50,000/sq mi)
•Metro
[2]
1,556,300
• Metro density10,000/km2(27,000/sq mi)
• City rank
3rd in Bangladesh
• Metro rank
3rd in Bangladesh
DemonymKhulnaiya
Languages
• OfficialBengali• English
Time zoneUTC+6(BST)
Postal codes
9000, 9100, 92xx
IDD : Calling Code +880 (0)41
UN/LOCODEBD KHI
PoliceKhulna Metropolitan Police
AirportJessore Airport&Khan Jahan Ali Airport(Planned)
Metropolitan Planning AuthorityKhulna Development Authority
Water Supply and Sewerage AuthorityKhulna WASA
Literacy rate71.5%[3]

Khulna(Bengali:খুলনা,[ˈkʰulna]) is the third-largest city inBangladesh,afterDhakaandChittagong.[4]It is the administrative center of theKhulna Districtand theKhulna Division.Khulna's economy is the third-largest in Bangladesh, contributing $53 billion ingross regional domestic productand $95 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2020. In the 2024 census, the city corporation area had a population of 884,445.[5]

Khulna is on theRupshaandBhairab River,a strategic point in southwestern Bangladesh. It is also a center of Bangladeshi industry, hosting many of the nation's largest companies. It is served by thePort of Mongla,Bangladesh's second-largest seaport.

A colonialsteamboatservice, which includes theTern,OsrichandLepcha,operates on the river route to the city. Khulna is considered the gateway to theSundarbans,the world's largestmangrove forestand home of theBengal tiger.It is north of theMosque City of Bagerhat,aUNESCO World Heritage Site.[6][7]

History

[edit]

Khulna was part of the ancient kingdoms ofVanga,GangaridaiandSamatata.After the end of thePala Empire,it was ruled by theSena dynastyduring the 12th-century reign ofBallala Sena,and formed part of the Bagri division of Bengal. During the 14th century,Shamsuddin Firoz Shahwas the first Muslim ruler to arrive in the city. Muslim settlements increased during the time ofShamsuddin Ilyas Shah,and many mosques and shrines were established. A Muslim saint,Khan Jahan Ali,acquired ajagir(fiefdom) encompassing a large part of Khulna Division from the king ofGauḍaduring the 15th century and renamed the region as Jahanabad. Ali ruled until he died in 1459.[8]

After Ali's death, the city became part of theBengal Sultanate.During the reign ofDaud Khan Karraniin the 16th century, Vikramaditya (one of Karrani's chief ministers) obtained a grant in southern Bengal—including Khulna—when Karrani was fighting theMughals.Vikramaditya established a sovereign kingdom with its capital at Iswaripur (in present-daySatkhira District). He was succeeded by his son,Pratapaditya,who gained preeminence over theBaro-Bhuyansand controlled southern Bengal. Vikramaditya was defeated by RajaMan Singh I,a Hindu Rajput general of the Mughal emperorAkbar,in 1611.[9]

Khulna was ruled by autonomous Bengalinawabsuntil 1793 when the BritishEast India Companyabolishednizamat(local rule) and took control of the city. Becoming part of Jessore District in 1842, it became the headquarters of Khulna District (the Khulna and Bagerhat subdivisions of Jessore District, the Satkhira subdivision of24 Parganasdistrict, and the Sundarbans) in 1882.[9]Khulna had apouroshava(municipal council) in 1884, which became amunicipal corporationin 1984.

Before 19 August 1947, Khulna District was part of undivided Bengal. Khulna first declared itself as part of India in 1947, and the Indian flag was flown on 15 August. Syed Mohammad Abdul Halim (an official of the Bengali civil service) requested Khulna's inclusion in Pakistan, and the boundary commission declared that the city was part ofEast Bengal.Sher e Bangla A.K.Fazlul Haq,Muslim League leadersKhan A Sabur,AdvocateHamidul Haq Chowdhury,A. F. M. Abdul Jalil, and Abdul Mojid Khan were also involved in the process.

Military map
Pakistani Eastern Command plan for the defense of East Pakistan from 1967 to 1971 (generic representation—some unit locations not shown)

During theBangladesh Liberation War,thePakistan Armycreated the 314thad hocBrigade to hold Khulna.[10]The city'sMukti Bahinifighters were part ofsector 8under the command of MajorAbu Osman Chowdhuryand, later, under MajorMohammad Abdul Monjur.[11]

Geography

[edit]

Khulna is Bangladesh's third-largest city, afterDhakaandChittagong.It is in the southwestern part of the country, on theRupshaandBhairab Rivers.Even though the city corporation area is 45.65 square Kilometres, The total city area covers 150.57 square kilometres (58.14 sq mi),[12]andKhulna Districtcovers 4,394.46 square kilometres (1,696.71 sq mi). Khulna is south ofJessoreandNarail District,east ofSatkhira District,west ofBagerhatand north of theBay of Bengal.It is part of theGanges Delta,the world's largestriver delta.Sundarbans,the world's largestmangroveforest, is in the southern part of the delta.Tidal-flatecosystems are adjacent to the city.[13]Khulna is in the northern part of the district, and theMayur Riveris the western boundary of its metropolitan area.

Climate

[edit]

In theKöppen climate classification,Khulna has atropical wet and dry climate.The city is hot and humid during summer, and pleasantly warm during winter. Khulna is significantly affected by theMonsoon of South Asia.Khulna gets less rainfall than other parts of Bangladesh due to its location and the effects of theSundarbanssouth of the city. Its annual average rainfall is 1,878.4 mm (73.95 in)h about 87 percent falling between May and October. Khulna also receives heavy rain fromcycloneswhich form in theBay of Bengal.The city has an annual average temperature of 26.3 °C (79.3 °F), with monthly averages ranging from 11.4 °C (52.5 °F) on January mornings to 34.6 °C (94.3 °F) during April afternoons.

Climate data for Khulna (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 31.2
(88.2) 		36.2
(97.2) 		38.7
(101.7) 		40.7
(105.3) 		40.7
(105.3) 		39.0
(102.2) 		37.4
(99.3) 		36.5
(97.7) 		37.0
(98.6) 		36.5
(97.7) 		38.4
(101.1) 		30.7
(87.3) 		40.7
(105.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 25.1
(77.2) 		28.9
(84.0) 		32.9
(91.2) 		34.9
(94.8) 		35.0
(95.0) 		33.5
(92.3) 		32.3
(90.1) 		32.4
(90.3) 		32.7
(90.9) 		32.3
(90.1) 		30.1
(86.2) 		26.4
(79.5) 		31.4
(88.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 18.1
(64.6) 		22.0
(71.6) 		26.5
(79.7) 		29.2
(84.6) 		29.8
(85.6) 		29.5
(85.1) 		28.9
(84.0) 		29.0
(84.2) 		28.8
(83.8) 		27.7
(81.9) 		24.1
(75.4) 		19.6
(67.3) 		26.1
(79.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 12.4
(54.3) 		16.0
(60.8) 		20.9
(69.6) 		24.3
(75.7) 		25.5
(77.9) 		26.4
(79.5) 		26.4
(79.5) 		26.4
(79.5) 		26.1
(79.0) 		24.3
(75.7) 		19.5
(67.1) 		14.4
(57.9) 		21.9
(71.4)
Record low °C (°F) 6.4
(43.5) 		9.0
(48.2) 		12.5
(54.5) 		16.0
(60.8) 		19.4
(66.9) 		19.2
(66.6) 		22.2
(72.0) 		22.2
(72.0) 		21.5
(70.7) 		18.3
(64.9) 		13.0
(55.4) 		8.0
(46.4) 		6.4
(43.5)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 14
(0.6) 		37
(1.5) 		39
(1.5) 		62
(2.4) 		179
(7.0) 		311
(12.2) 		369
(14.5) 		320
(12.6) 		285
(11.2) 		151
(5.9) 		35
(1.4) 		6
(0.2) 		1,808
(71.2)
Average precipitation days(≥ 1 mm) 1 3 3 6 11 17 23 21 17 9 2 1 114
Averagerelative humidity(%) 78 74 73 76 79 85 87 86 87 84 80 79 81
Mean monthlysunshine hours 220.1 229.7 254.2 249.6 237.2 157.5 137.7 146.9 160.0 216.6 234.5 217.8 2,461.8
Source 1:NOAA[14]
Source 2: Bangladesh Meteorological Department (humidity 1981–2010)[15]


Administration

[edit]

Khulna Municipal Council was founded on 12 December 1884. It became amunicipal corporationin 1984 and acity corporationin 1990.Khulna City Corporation(KCC) is a self-governing corporation run by an elected mayor, who governs the city's 31 wards. Currently, Talukder Abdul Khaled is the mayor ofKhulna City Corporation(KCC).

TheKhulna Metropolitan Police(KMP) maintains law and order and regulates traffic in the metropolitan area. It has eight police stations:Khulna Kotwali Thana,Sonadanga Thana,Khalishpur Thana,Daulatpur Thana,Khan Jahan Ali Thana,Aarongghata Thana, Horintana Thana and Labonchora Thana. The Metropolitan Magistrate Court (CMM) adjudicates the city's legal issues. TheKhulna Development Authority(KDA) plans and coordinates the city's development.Khulna Water Supply & Sewerage Authority(KWASA) parallels the KCC.

Military

[edit]

Khulna is one of two principal naval command centers for theBangladesh Navy.TheBNS Titumirnaval base is in the city.Jahanabad Cantonment,containing the Army Service Corps Center and School (ASCC&S), is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Khulna.

Demographics

[edit]

In the2011 census,Khulna City Corporation had a population of 751,237 in 177,852 households. Khulna had a sex ratio of 923 females to 1000 males and a literacy rate of 72.7%.[16]

Like the rest of Bangladesh, most of the city's population isBengali.Khulna's native residents are known as Khulnaiya. Its population also consists of people from neighboring districts (includingNoakhali District),BarisalFaridpur Division,andBihar.

Most residents speakBengali(the national language), its dialects, and regional languages. English is understood by a large segment of the population, especially in business. An Urdu-speaking population, descendants of Muslims displaced from Bihar in 1947 who sought refuge inEast Bengal,lives in the city's Khalishpur area.

Religions in Khulna city (2011)[16]
Religion Percent
Islam
 
 90.04%
Hinduism
 
 8.71%
Christianity
 
 1.23%
Other or not stated
 
 0.02%

Islamis Khulna's major religion, practiced by 90.04% of the population. Other religions areHinduism(practiced by 8.71%), andChristianity(1.23%).[16]

Economy

[edit]

Khulna is Bangladesh's third-largest economic center. North of thePort of Mongla,it has a variety of industries. Major sectors arejute,chemicals,fish and seafood packaging,food processing,sugar milling, power generation andshipbuilding.The Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) regulates commerce through its Licensed Measurers' Department (LMD) and certification, attestation, and publicity departments. The region has anExport Processing Zone,attracting foreign investment. The city is home to branch offices of several national companies, includingM. M. Ispahani Limited,BEXIMCO,James Finlay Bangladesh,Summit Powerand the Abul Khair Group. Khulna's largest companies includeKhulna Shipyard,Bangladesh Cable Shilpa Limited,Bangladesh Oxygen, Platinum Jubilee Mills, Star Jute Mills, and the Khulna Oxygen Company.

Transport

[edit]

Road

[edit]
Long, high bridge seen from below
Khan Jahan Ali Bridge,which carries the Khulna City Bypass over the Rupsha River

Rickshawsare the most popular means of public transport in Khulna for short trips, andauto rickshawsare also common. Nagar Paribahan buses have frequent service betweenRupshaandPhultala,with stops throughout Khulna. Motorcycles are popular among the middle class, but wealthier people prefer a private car.

TheN7highway connects Khulna with the rest of Bangladesh, and theKhulna City Bypassis a major road. The R760 connectsSatkhiraand western Khulna Districts. There are several nationwide bus services available in Khulna (most privately owned), and theBangladesh Road Transport Corporationoperates inter-district buses from the city. Sonadanga Bus Terminal is Khulna's main bus terminal. Major bus routes include Khulna-Jessore-Dhaka; Khulna-Goplaganj-Dhaka; Khulna-Jessore-Kushtia; Khulna-Satkhira; Khulna-Bagerhat; Khulna-Mongla; Khulna-Narail; Khulna-Barisal; Khulna-Rajshahi; Khulna-Faridpur; Khulna-Kuakata, and Khulna-Dhaka-Chittagong.

Rail

[edit]
Bandhan Express at Khulna Railway Station

Khulna Railway Stationis the city's main station.Bangladesh Railwayoperates six intercity trains: theSundarbanandChitra Expresses(toDhaka), theKapotakshaand Sagardari Expresses (toRajshahi), and theRupsaandSeemanta ExpressestoChilahati.Two commuter express trains serveBenapole,in addition to mail trains toParbatipur,ChapainawabganjandGoalanda.The internationalBandhan Expressruns toKolkata.The city has four other railway stations, and two more (in addition to theRupsha Rail Bridge) are under construction as part of theKhulna–Mongla Port Railwayproject.

Air

[edit]
S2-AFE United Airways ATR-72 atJashore Airport

Jessore Airport,50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Khulna, has flights toDhakaonBiman Bangladesh Airlines,US-Bangla AirlinesandNovoair,with air-conditioned bus service from the airport to the city.Khan Jahan Ali Airport,inBagerhat Sadar Upazila,was planned but it is no longer a priority project for the government.[17]

Water

[edit]

Several passenger launches and cargo services operate from theBangladesh Inland Water Transport Authoritylaunch terminal in the city.

Public transport

[edit]

There is public transportation in Khulna city through the mid 19's. Buses of that urban transportation of Khulna city were called 'Murir Tin'. Today besides the urban transportation buses,Cycle rickshaw,auto rickshawsare playing a vital role in transport within Khulna city and the adjoining metro area. Famous ride sharing services likeUber,Pathao,Obhaialso available in the city. There are also bus and mini-bus services on some routes, connecting suburban areas of the city. Plenty of rental car agencies operate within the city and metro area, where sedans, SUVs, and micro-buses are available to hire hourly or daily.

Education

[edit]
Main article:List of educational institutions in Khulna
University buildings, with statue and scattered rocks
Bangladesh Liberation Warstatue at the Khulna University of Engineering & Technology
Plain concrete building, with a green bus outside
Khulna University building
Large pond and college buildings
Brajalal College pond

Educational institutions in the city includeKhulna University of Engineering & Technology(KUET). The university, earlier known as Bangladesh Institute of Technology, Khulna, is the only engineering university in Khulna and was listed in the 2019 edition ofQS Asian University Rankings.[18]Brajalal College,founded in 1902, is the city's oldest higher-education institution.Khulna Universityis the only public university in Bangladesh where student politics is prohibited.[19]There is also an agriculture university, namedKhulna Agricultural University(KAU) was founded in 2019.[20]Sheikh Hasina Medical UniversityandKhulna Medical College(KMC) are public medical institutions, whileNorth Western University, Bangladesh(NWU) and the Northern University of Business and Technology (NUBT) are private.

Sports

[edit]
Further information:Sport in Bangladesh

Cricketandfootballare the two most popular sports in Khulna, and theKhulna Division cricket team's home ground is in the city. Khulna's cricketBangladesh Premier LeagueKhulna Titanswas formerly the Khulna Royal Bengals. The Khulna Abahani Club played in theBangladesh Football Premier Leaguefor several seasons before its relegation in the2008–09 season.

Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium,the city's international sports venue (hostingtest cricket,One Day InternationalandTwenty20 Internationalmatches), became Bangladesh's seventh test-cricket venue on 21 November 2012; it also hosts several Bangladesh Premier League matches.[21]Khulna District Stadiumhosts other domestic sports and cultural events.

Media

[edit]

Print media include theDaily Purbanchal,Daily Janmabhumi,Daily Shomoyer KhoborandDakhinanchal Protidin.TheDaily Tribuneis the only English-language newspaper. Electronic media include theKhulna Gazette,[22]Protidin Shebok,[23]Shomoyer Khobor.[24]Radio stations areBangladesh BetarKhulna,Radio Today(89.6 MHz),Radio Foorti(88.0), and Radio Khulna FM (88.8).

Tourism

[edit]

TheSundarbans,in Khulna District, is home to theBengal tigerand the world's largest virgin mangrove forest. It is aUNESCO World Heritage Site.[25]TheMosque City of Bagerhat,inBagerhat Districtabout 15 miles (24 km) south-east of Khulna, is also a World Heritage Site.[26]

Rabindra Complexis in the village ofDakkhindihi,19 kilometres (12 mi) from Khulna. Tagore visited the home ofRabindranath Tagore's father-in-law, Beni Madhab Roy Chowdhury, several times. The museum has been renovated and is administered by Bangladesh'sDepartment of Archaeology.[27]TheKhulna Divisional Museum,founded in 1998, was established by the country's Department of Archaeology.

2008 Corporation election

[edit]

The 2008 Khulna City Corporation election was an election in Khulna held on 8 May 2008 to elect theMayor of Khulna.Talukder Abdul Khalequewas elected as next mayor of theKhulna City Corporationin May 2008.[28][29]

Notable residents

[edit]
  • A young Prafulla Chandra Ray
    Prafulla Chandra Ray
  • See caption
    Sheikh Razzak Ali meeting with QueenElizabeth II
  • 17th Chief of Army Staff (CAS) of Bangladesh Army
    General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed
  • A serious-looking Firoz Mahmud in profile
    Firoz Mahmud
  • Tanvir Mokammel, in a light-blue shirt
    Tanvir Mokammel

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Area, Population and Literacy Rate by Paurashava −2001"(PDF).Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2001. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 25 June 2008.Retrieved19 August2009.
  2. ^"Basic Statistics".Khulna City Corporation.
  3. ^Tapan Palit (2012). "Khulna City Corporation". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.).Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh(Second ed.).Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  4. ^"Bangladesh–10 Largest Cities".Archivedfrom the original on 13 February 2019.Retrieved10 September2019.
  5. ^"Khulna City Corporation".Banglapedia.Retrieved7 March2024.
  6. ^Marshall Cavendish Corporation (2007).World and Its Peoples: Eastern and Southern Asia.Marshall Cavendish. p. 491.ISBN9780761476313.
  7. ^Girard, Luigi Fusco (2003).The Human Sustainable City: Challenges and Perspectives from the Habitat Agenda.Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 298.ISBN9780754609452.
  8. ^"জেলার ঐতিহ্য".Khulna District Portal. Archived fromthe originalon 13 December 2013.Retrieved21 December2013.
  9. ^abHunter, William Wilson(1908).Imperial Gazetteer of India.Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p. 287.
  10. ^Salik, Siddiq, Witness to Surrender, pp126
  11. ^"War of Liberation, The".Banglapedia.Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.Retrieved13 July2020.
  12. ^Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Area, Population and Literacy Rate by Paurashava – 2001 (pdf-file)Retrieved on 29 September 2008.
  13. ^Murray, N.J.; Clemens, R.S.; Phinn, S.R.; Possingham, H.P.; Fuller, R.A. (2014)."Tracking the rapid loss of tidal wetlands in the Yellow Sea"(PDF).Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.12(5): 267–272.doi:10.1890/130260.
  14. ^"World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Khulna".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Retrieved14 June2024.
  15. ^"Normal Monthly Humidity".Bangladesh Meteorological Department.Retrieved31 January2016.
  16. ^abc"Community Series - Khulna District"(PDF).bbs.gov.bd.Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  17. ^"Khan Jahan Ali Airport no longer a priority project".Dhaka Tribune.29 June 2021.
  18. ^"Khulna University of Engineering and Technology".
  19. ^"Khulna University".Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2019.
  20. ^"Academic activities of Khulna Agricultural University commence".United News of Bangladesh.30 January 2019.Retrieved20 August2022.
  21. ^"BPL 2013 to kick off on January 17".ESPN Cricinfo.11 October 2012.Retrieved31 October2012.
  22. ^"Khulna Gazette"(in Bengali).Retrieved20 August2022.
  23. ^"Protidin Shebok Newsportal"(in Bengali).Retrieved20 August2022.
  24. ^"Shomoyer Khobor"(in Bengali).Retrieved20 August2022.
  25. ^"The Sundarbans".World Heritage List.UNESCO.Retrieved13 September2019.
  26. ^"Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat".World Heritage List.UNESCO.Retrieved13 September2019.
  27. ^"Rabindra museum draws huge crowd".The Independent (Bangladesh).Retrieved13 September2019.
  28. ^"Awami Leagues sweeps to victory in local elections".8 May 2008.Retrieved2 May2023.
  29. ^"AL candidates rule city polls".The Daily Star.5 August 2008.Retrieved21 April2021.
[edit]
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