Districts of Bangladesh

Encyclopedia

The divisions of Bangladesh are divided into 64 districts or zila. The headquarters of a district is called a district seat (jela shodor). The districts are further subdivided into 492 sub-districts or upazila.

History

Main article: East Pakistan § Administrative geography

Before independence, Bangladesh (then known as East Pakistan) had 20 districts.

English spelling change

In April 2018, the government changed the English spelling of five districts to avoid inconsistencies in the Bengali and English spellings. The spellings have been changed from Bogra to Bogura, Barisal to Barishal, Jessore to Jashore, Chittagong to Chattogram and Comilla to Cumilla.

Administration

Deputy commissioner

A deputy commissioner (popularly abbreviated to “DC”) is the executive head of the district. Deputy commissioners are appointed by the government from the deputy secretary BCS Administration Cadre.

District councils

Main article: District Councils of Bangladesh

A district council (or zila parishad) is a local government body at the district level. The Bengali word parishad means council and zila parishad translates to district council.

The functions of a district council include construction and maintenance of roads, and bridges, building hospitals and dispensaries, schools and educational institutions, health facilities and sanitation, tube wells for drinking water, rest houses, and coordination of activities of the Union parishads within the district.

Timeline of creation

1666
  • Chittagong district.
1769
  • Rangpur District.
1772
  • Rajshahi district.
1772
  • Dhaka district.
  • Jashore district.
3 January 1782
  • Sylhet district.
1786
  • Dinajpur district.
1787
  • Mymensingh district.
1790
  • Comilla district.
1797
  • Barisal district.
1815
  • Faridpur district.
1821
  • Noakhali district.
  • Bogra district.
1832
  • Pabna district.
1860
  • Hill Tracts district is split from Chittagong district.
1882
  • Khulna district.
1947
  • Kushtia district.
1969
  • Tangail district is split from Mymensingh district.
  • Patuakhali district.
1971
  • Dhaka Division: Dhaka district, Faridpur district, Mymensingh district, Tangail district
  • Chittagong Division: Hill Tracts district, Chittagong district, Comilla district, Noakhali district, Sylhet district, Cox’s Bazar district
  • Rajshahi Division: Bogura district, Dinajpur district, Rajshahi district, Rangpur district, Pabna district
  • Khulna Division: Bakerganj district, Jashore district, Khulna district, Kushtia district, Patuakhali district
1978
  • Jamalpur district is split from Mymensingh district.
1983
  • Joypurhat district was split from Bogra district.
22 February 1984
  • Brahmanbaria and Chandpur districts were split from Comilla district.
  • Sirajganj district was split from Pabna district.
  • Sherpur, Netrokona and Kishoreganj districts were split from Mymensingh district.
  • Lakshmipur and Feni districts were split from Noakhali district.
  • Sunamganj, Habiganj and Maulvibazar districts were split from Sylhet district.
  • Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts were split from Dinajpur district.
1 March 1984
  • Cox’s Bazar district was split from Chittagong district.

List of districts

District Division Established Area (km2) Population (2011) Density (/km2)
Barguna Barisal 1984 1,831 892,781 488
Barisal 1797 2,785 2,324,310 835
Bhola 1984 3,403 1,776,795 522
Jhalokati 1984 749 682,669 911
Patuakhali 1969 3,221 1,535,854 477
Pirojpur 1984 1,308 1,113,257 851
Bandarban Chittagong 1981 4,479 388,335 87
Brahmanbaria 1984 1,927 2,840,498 1,474
Chandpur 1984 1,704 2,416,018 1,418
Chittagong 1666 5,283 7,616,352 1,442
Comilla 1790 3,085 5,387,288 1,746
Cox’s Bazar 1984 2,492 2,289,990 919
Feni 1984 928 1,437,371 1,549
Khagrachhari 1983 2,700 613,917 227
Lakshmipur 1984 1,456 1,729,188 1,188
Noakhali 1821 3,601 3,108,083 863
Rangamati 1983 6,116 595,979 97
Dhaka Dhaka 1772 1,464 12,043,977 8,227
Faridpur 1815 2,073 1,912,969 923
Gazipur 1984 1,800 3,403,912 1,891
Gopalganj 1984 1,490 1,172,415 787
Kishoreganj 1984 2,689 2,911,907 1,083
Madaripur 1984 1,145 1,165,952 1,018
Manikganj 1984 1,379 1,392,867 1,010
Munshiganj 1984 955 1,445,660 1,514
Narayanganj 1984 700 2,948,217 4,212
Narsingdi 1984 1,141 2,224,944 1,950
Rajbari 1984 1,119 1,049,778 938
Shariatpur 1984 1,182 1,155,824 978
Tangail 1969 3,414 3,605,083 1,056
Bagerhat Khulna 1984 3,959 1,476,090 373
Chuadanga 1984 1,177 1,129,015 959
Jessore 1781 2,567 2,764,547 1,077
Jhenaidah 1984 1,961 1,771,304 903
Khulna 1882 4,394 2,318,527 528
Kushtia 1947 1,601 1,946,838 1,216
Magura 1984 1,049 918,419 876
Meherpur 1984 716 655,392 915
Narail 1984 990 721,668 729
Satkhira 1984 3,858 1,985,959 515
Jamalpur Mymensingh 1978 2,032 2,292,674 1,128
Mymensingh 1787 4,363 5,110,272 1,171
Netrokona 1984 2,810 2,229,642 793
Sherpur 1984 1,364 1,358,325 996
Bogra Rajshahi 1821 2,920 3,400,874 1,165
Joypurhat 1983 965 913,768 947
Naogaon 1984 3,436 2,600,157 757
Natore 1984 1,896 1,706,673 900
Chapai Nawabganj 1984 1,703 1,647,521 967
Pabna 1832 2,372 2,523,179 1,064
Rajshahi 1772 2,407 2,595,197 1,078
Sirajganj 1984 2,498 3,097,489 1,240
Dinajpur Rangpur 1786 3,438 2,990,128 870
Gaibandha 1984 2,179 2,379,255 1,092
Kurigram 1984 2,296 2,069,273 901
Lalmonirhat 1984 1,241 1,256,099 1,012
Nilphamari 1984 1,580 1,834,231 1,161
Panchagarh 1984 1,405 987,644 703
Rangpur 1772 2,368 2,881,086 1,217
Thakurgaon 1984 1,810 1,390,042 768
Habiganj Sylhet 1984 2,637 2,089,001 792
Moulvibazar 1984 2,799 1,919,062 686
Sunamganj 1984 3,670 2,467,968 672
Sylhet 1782 3,490 3,434,188 984
Total 147,570 144,043,697 976