Comilla

This article is about the city. For the district, see Comilla District. For the municipality, see Comilla City Corporation.

Comilla City Corporation
Narrow streets of Kandirpar, heart of Comilla city
Nickname(s): Comilla
Comilla City Corporation
Coordinates: 23°27′N 91°12′E / 23.45°N 91.2°E / 23.45; 91.2Coordinates: 23°27′N 91°12′E / 23.45°N 91.2°E / 23.45; 91.2
Country	Bangladesh
Region	Chittagong Division
District	Comilla District
Area
- Total	11.47 km2 (4.4 sq mi)
Population (2011)
- Total	5,304,000
- Density	36,584/km2 (94,752.1/sq mi)
Time zone	BST (UTC+6)

Comilla (Bengali: কুমিল্লা) is a city in south-eastern Bangladesh, located along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. It is the administrative center of the Comilla District, part of the Chittagong Division. The Eastern Wing of Bangladesh Highway Police is located in Comilla.

History

Presently a part of Comilla's Court Road, the photographed street has been once an extension of historic Grand Trunk Road, to communicate with the port facilities of Chittagong.

World War II cemetery in Mainamati.

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 (during tenth and mid eleventh century AD). In 1732 it became the center of the Bengal-backed domain of Jagat Manikya.^[1] The Peasants Movement against the king of Tripura in 1764, which originally formed under the leadership of Shamsher Gazi is a notable historical event in Comilla. 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.

Communal tension spread over Comilla when a Muslim was shot in the town during the partition of Bengal in 1905. 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 4000 peasants in Mohini village in Chauddagram Upazilla revolted against a land revenue tax. The British Gurkha soldiers fired indiscriminately on the crowd, killing four people.^{[citation needed]} In a major peasant gathering, the police fired at Hasnabad of Laksham Upazila in 1932. Two people were killed and many were wounded.

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.

The Comilla municipality, having it's introduction dating back to 1890s, was named Comilla City Corporation on 10 July, 2011.^[2]

Geography and climate

Comilla covers a total area of 11.47 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 crosses Comilla town on the south side over the Thomson Bridge just besides MSN Computers.

Pourashabha Road. A main road of Comilla that enters the town from district's major bus terminal.

Electric trikes in recent years began to overwhelm Comilla streets, mostly because of its convenience in short distance commutation throughout the main town.

Transport

Comilla's highway at Elliotganj. Comilla is the transit point between Dhaka-Chittagong trade route.

Comilla is a hub of road communication for the eastern part of Bangladesh. One of the oldest highways of the Indian Sub-continent, 'The Grand Trunk Road' passes through the city. At present, the most important Dhaka-Chittagong highway bypasses the city from the cantonment to Poduar Bazar. Comilla is located 97 kilometers from the capital city, Dhaka which can be traveled by road or railway.

Education

Main article: List of universities and schools in Comilla

Comilla Medical College

Comilla contains Comilla University, Comilla Medical College, Comilla Victoria Government College, Comilla Government College and numerous colleges and schools such as Comilla Cadet College, Comilla Zilla School, Ibne Taimia School & School, Comilla High School and Comilla Polytechnic Institute. The Comilla Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education is in Comilla. This is the central administration that conducts primary, secondary, and higher secondary education for several districts.

Tourism

Comilla has a number of tourist attractions. Various archaeological relics discovered in the district are now preserved in the Mainamati Museum, Mainamati being a famous Buddhist archaeological site. There is a World War II war cemetery in Comilla, which is protected and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Notable personalities

Main article: List of people from Comilla

Media

There are a number of locally published newspapers in Comilla. Those are mainly daily and weekly newspapers. The newspapers include Comilla Batra, Bangladesh Sangbad Natun Alo and Kathak.

References

1. ^ Bidhas Kanti Kilikhar. Tripura of the 18th Century with Samsher Gazi Against Feudalism: A Historical Study. (Chhapa Kathi, Agartula: Tripura State Tribal Cultural Research Institute and Museum, 1995) p. 55
2. ^ Comilla Now A City Corporation, BangladeshFirst.com, 11 July 2011, http://www.bangladeshfirst.com/newsdetails.php?cid=2&scid=0&nid=1679, retrieved 2011-07-11 

External links

• Comilla, Comilla.com - Comilla News and Directory
• Comilla District, Banglapedia article on Comilla
• Welcome to Comilla
• History of Comilla Club
• Weekly Amod, Comilla's local weekly