Khulna

 city, seaport, second-level administrative division

Khulna Division with an area of 22273.21 sq km, is bounded by Rajshahi division on the north, bay of Bengal on the south, Dhaka and Barisal divisions on the east, West Bengal on the west. Main rivers: ganges, gorai-madhumati, ichamati, kobadak, shibsa, kumar, rupsa-pasur, bhairab, chitra, Raymangal and Mathabhanga The sundarbans is located in this division covering parts of Satkhira, Bagerhat and Khulna districts.

Khulna division consists of one city corporation, 10 districts, 28 municipalities, 5 thanas, 59 upazilas, 569 union parishads, 6093 mouzas, 256 wards, 709 mahallas and 9277 villages. The districts are khulna, satkhira, bagerhat, jessore, jhenaidaha, magura, narail, kushtia, chuadanga, meherpur. The population is Population 14,468,819; male 51.05%, female 48.95%; Muslim 82.87%, Hindu 16.45% and others 0.68%.

Khulna is port city and divisional headquater. The town centre is located at 22.8154975N 89.5686686E. Khulna (Town) consists of 38 wards and 183 mahallas. The area of the town is 20.60 sq km. It has a population of 1227239; male 52.79%, female 47.21%; density of population is 59574 sq km. The literacy rate among the town people is 59.1%.

Khulna District (Khulna division) with an area of 4394.46 sq km, is bounded by Jessore and Narail districts on the north, the bay of Bengal on the south, Bagerhat district on the east, Satkhira district on the west. Annual average temperature is 35.5°C and lowest 12.5°C; annual rainfall is 1710 mm. The main rivers are Rupsa-Pasur, Bhairab, Shibsha, Dharla, Bhadra, Ball, and Kobadak. Forest: sundarbans (166814 hectares).

Khulna district was established on 1882. It consists of 9 upazilas and 5 thanas, 71 union parishads, 2 municipalities, 47 wards, 188 mahallas, 747 mouzas and 1106 villages. The upazilas are batiaghata, dacope, dumuria, dighalia, koyra, paikgachha, phultala, rupsa, terokhada; tahans are khalishpur, khan jahan ali, kotwali, daulatpur, sonadanga.

Historical events: Pir Khan Jahan Ali came to preach Islam in this district about 400 years ago and settled in Bagerhat.

Religious institutions Mosque: 1500, Tomb 4, Temple 646, Church 22, Place of pilgrimage 3, Monastery 1.

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Population 2334285; male 51.87%, female 48.13%; Muslim 73.49%, Hindu 25.74%, Christian 0.67%, Buddhist 0.04%, and Others 0.06%.

Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 43.9%; male 52.2%, female 34.6%. Educational institutions: university 1, university college 1, medical college 1, Bangladesh Institute of Technology 1, teacher's training college 1, regional public administration training institute 1, polytechnic institute 1, vocational institute 1, homeopathic college 1, social welfare training centre 1, madrasa 205, government college 5, non-government college 42, government. secondary school 9, non-government secondary school 248, lower secondary school 107, government primary school 625, non-government primary school 79, community primary school 34, satellite primary school 63, NGO operated school 199, primary teacher's institution 1.

Cultural organisations: Club 345, public library 5, museum 1 (Khulna Divisional Archaeological Museum), drama stage 5, cinema hall 21, theatre group 100, magic organisation 3, literary society 15, cultural organisation 20.

Main occupations: Agriculture 25.11%, fishing 1.66%, agricultural labourer 11.3%, wage labourer 7.15%, industry 16.38%, transport 4.09%, constructions 1.53%, service 18.93%, others 12.22%.

Main crops: Paddy, jute, sesame, betel nut, and vegetable.

Fisheries, dairies, and poultries Chingri Gher 3,409, dairy 498, poultry 447, hatchery 348.

Communication facilities: Railway 36 km, pucca road 400 km, semi pucca 350 km, mud roads 3575 km; waterways 470 nautical mile.

Manufactories: Paper mill, hard board mill, textile mill, match factory, shipyard, steel mill, cable mill, rice mill, flour mill, ice factory, press mill, saw mill etc.

Cottage industries: Handloom, bamboo work, goldsmith, potteries, carpenter, tailoring.

NGO activities brac, Care, Prodipan, nijera kari, asa, caritas, Progoti.

Health centres: Medical college hospital 1, district sadar hospital 1, upazila health complex 9, TB hospital 1, infectious disease hospital 1, christian missionary hospital 1, salvation army (NGO) hospital 1, chest disease niramoy centre 1, railway hospital at kopilmuni 1, jail hospital 1, police hospital 1.

Khulna is a port city. It is the most developed city in the south. Mongla is the major sea port of the country. In Daulatpur, there are several jute mills. It is connected with other parts of the country by road, railway and riverway. This infrastructure plays a vital role in the city's economy, which also depends upon fishing and salt industries. Khulna has a newsprint mill and textile mill. Khulna shipyard is active and receives support from the Bangladesh Navy in making small to medium ocean-going ships.

Khulna division is in the southwest part of Bangladesh. Khulna Division is famous for the Great Sundarban - world largest Mangrove forest & the home of Royal Bengal tigers. Besides, many other rare animals ncluding monkeys, chitra deer, crocodiles, wild cocks, wild pigs and thousands of kinds of birds live there.

The historically-famous Shatgombuj Mosque (Sixty Dome Mosque) is in the Bagerhat District. The tomb of Khan jahan Ali is located there with a large pond where few crocodiles live.