Khulna


Khulna is the third largest city in Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of Khulna District and Khulna Division. In the 2011 census, the city had a population of 663,342. The Khulna metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1.022 million in 2014.
Khulna is a port on the Rupsha and Bhairab Rivers. A hub of Bangladeshi industry, it hosts many national companies. Khulna is served by Port of Mongla, and is one of the two principal naval-command centres of the Bangladesh Navy. The navy base BNS Titumir is in the city.
A colonial steamboat service, including the Tern, Osrich and Lepcha, continues to operate on the river route to the city. Khulna is considered the gateway to the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest and home of the Bengal tiger. It is north of the Mosque City of Bagerhat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

Khulna was part of the ancient kingdoms of Vanga or Samatata. It became part of the Sena dynasty during the 12th-century reign of Ballala Sena, and formed part of the Bagri division of Bengal. The region's previous name was Jalalabad.
During the 14th century, Shamsuddin Firoz Shah was the first Muslim ruler to arrive in the city; Muslim settlements increased during the time of Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, and many mosques and shrines were established. A Muslim saint, Khan Jahan Ali, acquired a jagir with a large portion of the Khulna Division from the king of Gauḍa during the 15th century. Ali exercised the full rights of sovereignty until his death in 1459.
After Ali's death, the city again became part of the Sultanate of Bengal. During the reign of Daud Khan Karrani in the 16th century, Vikramaditya obtained a grant in southern Bengal—including Khulna—when Karrani was fighting the Mughals. Vikramaditya established a sovereign kingdom with its capital at Iswaripur. He was succeeded by his son, Pratapaditya, who gained preeminence over the Baro-Bhuyans and controlled southern Bengal. Vikramaditya was defeated by Man Singh I, a Hindu general of the Mughal emperor Akbar, in 1611.
Khulna remained under the rule of autonomous nawabs of Bengal until 1793, when the British East India Company abolished nizamat and took control of the city. The city became part of Jessore District in 1842, and became the headquarters of Khulna District in 1882. Khulna had a pouroshava in 1884, which became a municipal corporation in 1984.
During the Bangladesh Liberation War, Pakistan Army created 314th ad hoc brigade to hold on to Khulna. The Mukti Bahini fighters in Khulna were part of sector 8 under the command of Major Abu Osman Chowdhury and later, under Major Mohammad Abdul Monjur.

Geography

Khulna is Bangladesh's third-largest city, after Dhaka and Chittagong. In the south-western part of the country, on the Rupsha and Bhairab Rivers, it covers an area of ; the district covers. Khulna is south of Jessore and Narail, east of Satkhira, west of Bagerhat and north of the Bay of Bengal. It is part of the Ganges Delta, the world's largest river delta. The Sundarban, the world's largest mangrove forest, is in the southern part of the delta. Khulna is in the northern part of the district, and the Mayur River is the western boundary of the metropolitan area.

Climate

The city is humid during summer and pleasant in winter. Khulna has an annual average temperature of, with monthly average temperatures from in January to in May. Its annual average rainfall is, and about 87 percent falls between May and October.

Administration

Khulna Municipal Council was founded on 12 December 1884, and became a municipal corporation in 1984 and a city corporation in 1990. Khulna City Corporation is a self-governing corporation run by an elected mayor, who governs the city's 31 wards.
Khulna Metropolitan Police maintains law and order and regulates traffic flow 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 adjudicates the city's legal issues. The Khulna Development Authority plans and coordinates the city's development. Khulna Water Supply & Sewerage Authority parallels the KCC.
Khulna has two parliamentary constituencies: Khulna-02 and Khulna-03. Khulna District and Khulna Division are headquartered in the city.

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Khulna had a population of 663,342. The city and its metropolitan area had an estimated 2014 population of 1.022 million. Its population density is about. The city's literacy rate is 59.1 percent, higher than the national average of 56.5 percent.
Most of Khulna's population is Bengali, like the rest of Bangladesh. Residents of the city are known as Khulnaiya. Its population is also composed of people from neighbouring districts and from Barisal and Faridpur Divisions. Many people from Noakhali District live in the city, which also has a Bihari population.
Most residents of Khulna speak Bengali, Christianity and Buddhism.

Economy

Khulna is Bangladesh's third-largest economic centre. North of the Port of Mongla, it has a variety of light and heavy industry. Major sectors are jute, chemicals, fish and seafood packaging, food processing, sugar milling, power generation and shipbuilding. The KCCI regulates commerce through its Licensed Measurers’ Department and certification, attestation and publicity departments of this area. The region has an Export Processing Zone, which has attracted foreign investment. The city is home to branch offices of a number of national companies, including M. M. Ispahani Limited, BEXIMCO, James Finlay Bangladesh, Summit Power and the Abul Khair Group. The largest companies based in the city include Khulna Shipyard, Bangladesh Cable Shilpa Limited, Bangladesh Oxygen, Platinum Jubilee Mills, Star Jute Mills and the Khulna Oxygen Company.

Transport

Road

s are the most popular means of public transport in Khulna for short trips, and auto rickshaws are also common. Nagar Paribahan buses have frequent service between Rupsha and Phultala, with stops throughout Khulna. Motorcycles are popular among the middle class, and wealthier people prefer a private car.
The N7 highway connects Khulna with the rest of Bangladesh, and the Khulna City Bypass is a major road. The R760 connects Satkhira and western Khulna Districts. There are several nationwide bus services available in Khulna, and the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation operates inter-district bus service 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

is the city's main station in the city. Bangladesh Railway operates six intercity trains: the Sundarban and Chitra Express, the Kapotaksha and Sagardari Express, and the Rupsa and Seemanta Express to Syedpur. Two commuter express trains serve Benapole, in addition to mail trains to Parbatipur, Chapainawabganj and Goalanda. The international Bandhan Express runs to Kolkata. There are four other railway stations in Khulna, and two more are under construction as part of the Khulna–Mongla Port Railway project.

Air

is under construction. Jessore Airport, north of the city centre, is the region's only airport. Biman Bangladesh Airlines, United Airways, US-Bangla Airlines and Novoair have regular flights between Jessore and Dhaka, with air-conditioned bus service from the airport to Khulna.

Water

Several passenger launches and cargo services operate from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Launch Terminal in Khulna, with express service to Dhaka.

Education

Khulna has a number of educational institutions. The most prestigious institute in Khulna is Khulna University of Engineering & Technology. The Khulna University of Engineering & Technology is the only engineering university in Khulna, has been ranked in the 2019 edition of QS Asian University Rankings. The QS authority has mentioned that KUET has a sober objective to achieve excellence in quality education, research and progression to address the present needs of the country as well as the South-Western region to make it as the "Center of Excellence". Moreover, top graded students of the country are enrolled yearly at the undergraduate level through very competitive, transparent and standard admission tests''. Brajalal College, founded in 1902, is the city's oldest higher-education institution. It also has a general public university, named Khulna University which is the only public university in Bangladesh where student politics is prohibited..There is also an agriculture university, named Khulna Agricultural University which had its first batch in 2018. The Khulna Medical College and BL College are also in the city. North Western University, Bangladesh and the Northern University of Business and Technology are private institutions.

Colleges

Hospitals

and football are the two most popular sports in Khulna, and the Khulna Division cricket team has its home ground in the city. Khulna's Bangladesh Premier League Khulna Titans were formerly the Khulna Royal Bengals.
The Khulna Abahani Club played in Bangladesh Football Premier League for several seasons before its relegation in the 2008–09 Bangladesh Premier League season.
Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium, the city's only international sports venue, became Bangladesh's seventh test-cricket venue on 21 November 2012; it also hosts several Bangladesh Premier League matches. Khulna District Stadium hosts other domestic sports and cultural events.

Media

Newspapers include the Daily Purbanchal, Daily Janmabhumi, Daily Shomoyer Khobor, Daily Probah, Dakhinanchal Protidin and the English-language Daily Tribune. Khulnainfo.com is a web portal. Radio Stations are Bangladesh Betar Khulna Radio Today, Radio Foorti, and Radio Khulna FM.

Tourism

The Sundarbans, in Khulna District, is home to the Bengal tiger and the world's largest virgin mangrove forest). It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Mosque City of Bagerhat is a formerly-lost city in the suburbs of Bagerhat, about south-est of Khulna. It is also a World Heritage Site.
Rabindra Complex is in the village of Dakkhindihi, from Khulna. The home of Rabindranath Tagore's father-in-law, Beni Madhab Roy Chowdhury, Tagore visited it several times. The museum has been renovated and is administered by Bangladesh's Department of Archaeology.
The Khulna Divisional Museum, founded in 1998, is the city's only museum. It was established by Bangladesh's Department of Archaeology.

Notable People from Khulna