Maulvi Bazar; a City in Bangladesh

Maulvi Bazaar Bangladesh

Maulvi Bazar (Bengali: মৌলভীবাজার জেলা Moulvibazar Zila) (Urdu and Punjabi: مولوی بازار) is a district of Sylhet Division in North-Eastern Bangladesh. 

Geography:

Moulvi Bazar is in Sylhet, a district to the North-East of Bangladesh. It is 2,707 km² in area, and has a population of 1.38 million. It is situated between 24.10 degree 24.35 degree north latitude and between 90.35 degree and 91.20-degree east longitude. It is surrounded by Sylhet District in the north, Habiganj District in the west and Indian States of Assam and Tripura in the east and south respectively. 

The main rivers of the district are the Manu, the Dholoi and the Juri which flow from India. Every year during the rainy season, when there is excessive rainfall in India, the surplus water flows through these rivers and causes floods in low-lying parts of Moulvibazar (for example, the villages of Balikhandi and Shampashi on the northern side of the river Manu). Unless the rivers are properly dredged the floods can be devastating.

A View of Maulvi Bazar, Bangladesh

In the last few years Moulvibazar has had a muti-million dollar flood defence system built, which is the only one like it in the whole country. 

Upazila (Subdivisions):

Maulvi Bazar is made up of 7 subdivisions or upazilas. They are: 

• Moulvibazar Sadar 
• Barlekha 
• Juri 
• Kamalganj 
• Kulaura 
• Rajnagar 
• Sreemangal

There are 67 Unions, 2,064 Villages and 5 Pourashavas namely Kamalganj, Kulaura, Sreemongal, Barlekha and Moulvibazar. Almost 50,000 of the clan population belong to Manipuri, Khasia and Tripura clans. They tend to live in the areas of Kamalganj, Sreemongal and Kulaura Upazila of this district. There are 92 tea gardens in this district that has made it one of the most beautiful places in Bangladesh. 

 

Hazrat Shah Mustafa's Shrine in Maulvi Bazar

History: 

Islam was brought to the area hundreds of years ago by the famous Muslim Saint, Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA). The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Mustafa (RA) a companion of the greatest saint Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA) is located in Moulvibazar town. Originally, with the advent of a saint Hazrat, Syed Shah Mustafa Sher-E-Sowar Chabukmar Baghdadi (RA) for preaching Islam, Moulvibazar became famous. Moulvibazar got its name from one of the descendents of Hazrat Shah Mustafa,who was preaching there as a maulavi there. 

In the year 1882, it was declared a sub-division under the name of "South Sylhet". Later the Sub-division was renamed, during the Pakistan occupation of the region, as Moulvibazar. Moulvibazar was liberated on December 6, 1971 and the then Pakistani administration surrendered to the joint forces of the Indian Army.

A Masjid in Maulvi Bazar

Economy: 

The main exports of Maulvi Bazar are bamboo, tea, pineapple, cane, jackfruit, oranges, agar, rubber, mangoes and lemons. Ninety-one of Bangladesh's 153 tea gardens are located in Moulvi Bazar. The area is also home to the three largest tea gardens (size and production wise) in the world. Pineapples from the Sreemangal area are famous for their flavour and natural sweetness. Sreemongal is known as the 'tea capital of Bangladesh' due to the high frequency of tea plantations found there. 

Religion: 

The district of Maulvi Bazar consists 2967 mosques, 613 temples, 56 churches and 22 Buddhist temples.

Madhabkunda waterfall, Maulvi Bazar

Muslims are in majority followed by Hindus while Christians are the third largest religious community. They are 85%, 12% and 2.2% respectively. The very few remainig people belong to Buddhism. 

Places of interest: 

The shrine of Shah Mustafa, a companion of Shah Jalal, the man who brought Islam into what was then India. It is also home to many tea plantations.

Maulvi Bazar town now has a shopping mall and several Indian, Chinese and American eateries. Madhabkunda waterfall is one of the enchanting place in Barlekha. 

'Hakaluki Haor', 'Madhobpur Lake', 'Bilashchhara Lake', 'Lawachara National Park' in Kamalganj upazilla are other places of interest in the district.