74-659: The 1947 Sylhet referendum was held in the Sylhet District of the Assam Province of British India to decide whether the district would remain in Undivided Assam and therefore within the post-independence Dominion of India , or leave Assam for East Bengal and consequently join the newly created Dominion of Pakistan . The referendum's turnout was in favour of joining the Pakistani union; however,
148-536: A Sufi saint who spread Islam in Bangladesh, along with hundreds of his disciples. The Sylhet Shahi Eidgah is a famous place where Eid prayers take place and it is one of the largest Eidgahs in Bangladesh, built by Farhad Khan during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb . There are a number of hotels and resorts, particularly in Sreemangal Upazila and Bahubal Upazila . In 1995, Sylhet split from
222-602: A descendant of one of the disciples of Shah Jalal . The revivalist Deobandi movement is also popular in the region with Jamia Tawakkulia Renga being a notable centre and many are part of the Tablighi Jamaat . Haji Shariatullah 's Faraizi movement was very popular during the British period and Wahhabism is adopted by some upper-class families. The Ahmadiyya community is mostly concentrated in Selbaras , which
296-514: A message to President Mirza which said, "I have followed with close interest the progress of your country since its establishment ... It is a source of great satisfaction to me to know that your country intends to remain within the Commonwealth. I am confident that Pakistan and other countries of the Commonwealth will continue to thrive and to benefit from their mutual association". Territorial problems arose with neighbouring Afghanistan over
370-569: A pan-Islamic entity. The USA, which did not approve of Pakistan's creation, was against this idea and British Prime Minister Clement Attlee voiced international opinion at the time by stating that he wished that India and Pakistan would re-unite, as opposed to the hoped-for unity of Muslim World . Since most of the Arab world was undergoing a nationalist awakening at the time, there was little attraction in Pakistan's pan-Islamic aspirations. Some of
444-408: A referendum would be held on 6 July 1947 to decide the future of Sylhet. H. C. Stock was appointed as the commissioner of the referendum. Brigadier Mohinder Singh Chopra was in command of the "SYL Force" (Sylhet Force) made to keep the referendum peaceful, which is why there were no cases of riot or murder during the time. The majority of the population voted in favour of joining Pakistan . This
518-621: Is Bengali , which is used in education and all government affairs in the division. Sylheti is the most widely spoken in the division. At one point, the Sylheti Nagri script was notably popular in its use to write Islamic puthis . The Adivasis and tea labourers brought over during the British colonial rule also have their own native languages such as Khasi , Kuki , Laiunghtor , Meitei , Bishnupriya Manipuri , Hajong , Garo , Odia , Kurmi creole , Hindi , Bhumij and Tripuri . The intense building of mosques which took place during
592-440: Is a traditional tea growing area. The Surma Valley is covered with terraces of tea gardens and tropical forests. Srimangal is known as the tea capital of Bangladesh; for miles around, tea gardens are visible on the hill slopes. The area has over 150 tea gardens, including three of the largest tea plantations in the world, both in terms of area and production. Nearly 300,000 workers, of which more than 75% are women, are employed on
666-534: Is named after its headquarters, the city of Sylhet . Sylhet is the anglicisation of শিলহট ( Śilhôṭ ), one of the archaic native names for the city. The local name is generally thought to be directly derived from শ্রীহট্ট ( Śrīhaṭṭa ), the Sanskrit name of the city. The city of Śrīhaṭṭa takes its name from Śrīhaṭṭanātha , the tutelary deity of the Nātha dynasty who promoted the early settlement of Nāthas in
740-731: Is roughly divided into 9 wards before going to village-level. There are roughly 10,185 villages in the Division. The Division hosts 19 Municipal corporations known as pourashavas , and one city corporation in Sylhet city . It also has 19 Parliamentary constituencies . The headquarters of the Sylhet Division is the city of Sylhet in Sylhet Sadar Upazila , Sylhet District. Pre-partition Sylhet's Karimganj has been governed by India since 1947. 2022 Census Geographically
814-642: Is the largest religion in the whole region practised by the Bengali Muslims . Sunni Islam is the largest denomination with majority following the Hanafi school of law although some also follow the Shafi'i and Hanbali madhhabs . There are significant numbers of people who follow Sufi ideals similar to the Barelvis , the most influential is the teachings of Abdul Latif Chowdhury Fultali of Zakiganj –
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#1732780600662888-413: Is very warm and fairly clear. Nearly 80% of the annual average rainfall of 4,200 millimetres (170 in) occurs between May and September. The physiography of the division consists mainly of hill soils, encompassing a few large depressions known locally as " beels " which can be mainly classified as oxbow lakes , caused by tectonic subsidence primarily during the earthquake of 1762 . Geologically,
962-800: The Bengali Hindus as well as majority of the Bishnupriya Manipuri , Beens , Bhumij , Bonaz , Sabar , Musahar , Kurmi , Lalengs , Bauris and Tripuri population. Sylhet has the largest concentration of Hindus in Eastern Bengal and is a part of the Shakta pitha . Other minority religions include Christianity (including the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sylhet and Sylhet Presbyterian Synod ), Ka Niam Khasi , Sanamahism , Songsarek as well as animism. In
1036-612: The Indian Independence Act 1947 provided that from "the fifteenth day of August, nineteen hundred and forty-seven, two independent dominions shall be set up in India, to be known respectively as India and Pakistan ." Muslims had been pushing for their own state since at least 1940 (see the Lahore resolution ), believing they would become second-class citizens in a Hindu-majority India otherwise. The British monarch became
1110-645: The Pakistan–Afghanistan border in 1949, and with India over the Line of Control in Kashmir . Diplomatic recognition became a problem when the Soviet Union led by Joseph Stalin did not welcome the partition which established Pakistan and India. The Imperial State of Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan in 1947. In 1948, Ben-Gurion of Israel sent a secret courier to Jinnah to establish
1184-889: The St Albans District Council supported a housing project in Sylhet as part of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. Sylhet was chosen because it is the area of origin for the largest ethnic minority group in St Albans. Sylhet also has many "friendship links" with other cities in the United Kingdom , as the majority of the half-million British Bangladeshis have origins in Sylhet. This includes places such as Rochdale , Oldham , London , and many more places. The area around Sylhet
1258-702: The State Parliament . Mountbatten had offered to serve as Governor-general of both India and Pakistan but Jinnah refused this offer. The first formal step to transform Pakistan into an ideological Islamic state was taken in March 1949 when Liaquat Ali Khan introduced the Objectives Resolution in the Constituent Assembly . The Objectives Resolution declared that sovereignty over the entire universe belongs to Allah . Support for
1332-589: The United Kingdom and the other Dominions in the British Commonwealth of Nations . Following George VI's death on 6 February 1952, his elder daughter Princess Elizabeth, who was in Kenya at that time, became the new monarch of Pakistan. During the Queen's coronation in 1953, Elizabeth II was crowned as Queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries, including Pakistan. In her Coronation Oath,
1406-713: The diplomatic relations , but Jinnah did not give any response to Ben-Gurion. After gaining Independence, Pakistan vigorously pursued bilateral relations with other Muslim countries and made a wholehearted bid for leadership of the Muslim world , or at least for leadership in achieving its unity. The Ali brothers had sought to project Pakistan as the natural leader of the Islamic world, in large part due to its large population and military strength . A top ranking Muslim League leader, Khaliquzzaman , declared that Pakistan would bring together all Muslim countries into Islamistan –
1480-596: The lingua franca of the Pakistan state", although at the same time he called for the Bengali language to be the official language of the Bengal province . Nonetheless, tensions began to grow in East Bengal . Jinnah's health further deteriorated and he died in 1948. Bengali leader, Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin succeeded as the governor general of Pakistan. During a massive political rally in 1951, Prime Minister Ali Khan
1554-681: The 1950 and 1960s and settled mainly in urban Sindh , particularly in the new country's first capital, Karachi . Prime Minister Ali Khan established a strong government and had to face challenges soon after gaining the office. His Finance Secretary Victor Turner announced the country's first monetary policy by establishing the State Bank , the Federal Bureau of Statistics and the Federal Board of Revenue to improve statistical knowledge, finance, taxation, and revenue collection in
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#17327806006621628-492: The 1950s. The dispute over Kashmir escalated into the first war between India and Pakistan . With the assistance of the United Nations (UN) the war was ended but it became the Kashmir dispute , unresolved as of 2024 . In 1947, the founding fathers of Pakistan agreed to appoint Liaquat Ali Khan as the country's first prime minister , with Muhammad Ali Jinnah as both first governor-general and speaker of
1702-478: The Arab countries saw the 'Islamistan' project as a Pakistani attempt to dominate other Muslim states. Pakistan vigorously championed the right of self-determination for Muslims around the world. Pakistan's efforts for the independence movements of Indonesia , Algeria , Tunisia , Morocco and Eritrea were significant and initially led to close ties between these countries and Pakistan. From 1947 to 1956, Pakistan
1776-578: The Chittagong Division and was declared the 6th division of the country. The Sylhet Division is overseen by the Divisional Commissioner, the current Divisional Commissioner is Md. Mashiur Rahman. The Sylhet Division is divided into four districts ( Habiganj , Moulvibazar , Sunamganj and Sylhet ) and further divided into 35 upazilas (sub-districts). These upazilas are further divided into 323 union parishads . Each union
1850-569: The Objectives Resolution and the transformation of Pakistan into an Islamic state was led by Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, a respected Deobandi alim (scholar) who occupied the position of Shaykh al-Islam in Pakistan in 1949, and Maulana Mawdudi of Jamaat-i Islami . Indian Muslims from the United Provinces , Bombay Province , Central Provinces and other areas of India continued migrating to Pakistan throughout
1924-595: The Pakistani province of Punjab and the eastern part became the Indian state of Punjab . Bengal was similarly divided into East Bengal (in Pakistan) and West Bengal (in India). Under the Indian Independence Act 1947 , British India was to be divided into the independent sovereign states of India and Pakistan. From 1947 to 1952, George VI was the sovereign of Pakistan, which shared the same person as its sovereign with
1998-488: The Sultanate era indicates the rapidity with which the locals converted to Islam. Today, mosques are present in every Muslim-inhabited village. Bengali mosques are normally covered with several small domes and curved brick roofs decorated with terracotta . Ponds are often located beside a mosque. Faujdar Farhad Khan built Sylhet Shahi Eidgah in the 1660s under the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb . It stands as
2072-552: The Surma and Barak valleys between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, founding the Śrīhaṭṭa janapada and establishing Śrīhaṭṭanātha idols across the region. The later Hindu rajas of Sylhet, such as Gour Govinda , continued to pay tribute to the deity as Hāṭkeśvara or Haṭṭanātha as evident from the Devipurana and copper-plate inscriptions. In 1874, the current Sylhet Division, which included Karimganj District ,
2146-524: The UK. Sylhet has also benefited from tourism. There are many natural landmarks people tend to visit, such as the Keane Bridge , Ali Amjad's Clock , Lalakhal , Jaflong , Madhabkunda waterfall , Ratargul Swamp Forest , Hakaluki Haor , Lawachara National Park , Tanguar Haor and Bichnakandi . Sylhet is also considered to be the spiritual capital of Bangladesh, due to the resting place of Shah Jalal ,
2220-511: The Viceroy, Lord Northbrook , visited Sylhet to reassure the people that education and justice would be administered from Bengal, and when the people in Sylhet saw the opportunity of employment in tea estates in Assam and a market for their produce. In 1905, Sylhet district rejoined Bengal as a part of the new Surma Valley Division of Eastern Bengal and Assam . In 1912, the then Sylhet district
2294-482: The border between the parts of British India allocated to the two new independent dominions of India and Pakistan. The Radcliffe Boundary Commission sought to separate the Muslim-majority regions in the east and northwest from the areas with a Hindu majority. This entailed the partition of two British provinces which did not have a uniform majority — Bengal and Punjab . The western part of Punjab became
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2368-731: The centre of the region is also an isolated range known as the Ita Hills. The region is considered one of the most picturesque and archaeologically rich regions in South Asia . It is home to three national parks ; the Lawachara National Park , Khadim Nagar National Park and Satchari National Park , as well as numerous smaller parks and forests such as the Ratargul Swamp Forest , Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary . Its burgeoning economy has contributed to
2442-591: The completion of the Constitution of Pakistan , which established the country as a republic. The constitution also administratively split the nation into West Pakistan and East Pakistan . Until then, these provinces had been governed as a singular entity, despite being separate geographic exclaves . Eventually, the East became Bangladesh and the West became Pakistan . During the year that followed its independence,
2516-502: The country. In 1954 the controversial One Unit Program was imposed by the last Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Prime minister Ali Bogra dividing Pakistan on the German geopolitical model . The same year the first legislative elections were held in Pakistan, which saw the communists gaining control of East Pakistan. The 1954 election results clarified the differences in ideology between West and East Pakistan, with East Pakistan under
2590-451: The country. There were also problems because India cut off water supply to Pakistan from two canal headworks in its side of Punjab on 1 April 1948 and also withheld delivering Pakistan its share of the assets and funds of United India, which the Indian government released after Gandhi 's pressurisation. In a 1948 speech, Jinnah declared that " Urdu alone would be the state language and
2664-836: The district's Karimganj subdivision remained within the Indian state of Assam . Prior to the British arrival in the region in late eighteenth century, the Sylhet Sarkar was a part of the Bengal Subah of the Mughal Empire . Initially, the Company Raj incorporated Sylhet into its Bengal Presidency ; however, 109 years later on 16 February 1874, Sylhet was made a part of the non-regulation Chief Commissioner's Province of Assam (North-East Frontier) in order to facilitate Assam's commercial development. This transfer
2738-613: The district's Karimganj subdivision was given to India by Cyril Radcliffe, after apparently being pleaded by a delegation led by Abdul Matlib Mazumdar . The four other subdivisions ( North Sylhet , South Sylhet , Habiganj and Sunamganj ) joined the Dominion of Pakistan ; subsequently forming East Bengal 's 'Sylhet district' in the Chittagong division. Following the Independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Sylhet became part of
2812-517: The division is complex having diverse sacrificial geomorphology; high topography of Plio - Miocene age such as the Khasi and Jaintia Hills and small hillocks along the border. At the centre there is a vast low laying flood plain of recent origin with saucer shaped depressions, locally called haors . There are many haors in the region and the largest ones include Hakaluki , Kawadighi, Tanguar and Hail. Available limestone deposits in different parts of
2886-493: The early 20th century, there were over a hundred Marwaris from Rajasthan that were living in Sylhet, mostly as merchants and followed Jainism . There was a presence of Sikhism in Sylhet after Guru Nanak 's visit in 1508 to spread the religion. Kahn Singh Nabha has stated that in memory of Nanak's visit, Gurdwara Sahib Sylhet was established. This Gurdwara was visited twice by Tegh Bahadur and many hukamnamas were issued to this temple by Guru Gobind Singh . In 1897,
2960-508: The first Bengali leaders of the country. Huseyn Suhrawardy became the prime minister leading a communist - socialist alliance , and Iskander Mirza became the first president of Pakistan . The dominion began as a federation of five provinces: East Bengal (later to become Bangladesh ), West Punjab , Balochistan , Sindh , and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). Each province had its own governor, who
3034-421: The gurdwara fell down after the earthquake . [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Dominion of Pakistan The Dominion of Pakistan , officially Pakistan , was an independent federal dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations , which existed from 14 August 1947 to 23 March 1956 . It
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3108-603: The head of state of both the new dominions, with Pakistan sharing a king with the United Kingdom and the other dominions of the British Commonwealth, and the monarch's constitutional roles in Pakistan were delegated to the Governor-General of Pakistan . Before August 1947, about half of the area of present-day Pakistan was part of British India , which was directly governed by the British in
3182-807: The influence of the Communist Party allying with the Shramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal (Workers Party) and the Awami League . The pro-American Republican Party gained a majority in West Pakistan, ousting the PML government. After a vote of confidence in Parliament and the promulgation of the 1956 constitution , which confirmed Pakistan as an Islamic republic , two notable figures became prime minister and president, as
3256-428: The instigation of religious parties, anti- Ahmadiyya riots erupted, which led to many Ahmadi deaths. The riots were investigated by a two-member court of inquiry in 1954, which was criticised by the Jamaat-e-Islami , one of the parties accused of inciting the riots. This event led to the first instance of martial law in the country and began the history of military intervention into the politics and civilian affairs of
3330-411: The largest eidgah of the region. In 1872, Nawab Moulvi Ali Ahmed Khan of Prithimpassa constructed Ali Amjad's Clock , named after his son, in Sylhet City . In 1936, a bridge was constructed across the Surma River known as the Keane Bridge . These two historic landmarks are known as the gateway to Sylhet city . Assam-type architecture developed in Sylhet region under Assam Province during
3404-593: The late modern period. Cricket is the most popular sport in Sylhet. Regional cricket teams include Sylhet Thunder , East Zone and the Sylhet Division cricket team . Football is also a common sport and the multi-use Saifur Rahman Stadium are known to host football matches. Beanibazar SC has played in the Bangladesh League . The home stadium of the football club, Sheikh Russel KC , is in Sylhet District Stadium . Board and home games such as Dosh Fochish and its modern counterpart Ludo , as well as Carrom Board , Sur-Fulish, Khanamasi and Chess , are very popular in
3478-435: The lifestyle of managers are still unchanged. Numerous projects and businesses in the city and in large towns have been funded by Sylhetis living and working abroad. As of 1986, an estimated 95 percent of ethnic British Bangladeshis originated from or had ancestors from the Sylhet region. The Bangladesh government has set up a special Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Sylhet, in order to attract foreign investors, mainly from
3552-425: The name of the British Crown , while the remainder were princely states in subsidiary alliances with the British, enjoying semi-autonomous self-government. The British abandoned these alliances in August 1947, leaving the states entirely independent, and between 1947 and 1948 the states all acceded to Pakistan, while retaining internal self-government for several years. More than ten million people migrated across
3626-403: The new Queen promised "to govern the Peoples of ... Pakistan ... according to their respective laws and customs". The Standard of Pakistan at the Coronation was borne by Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani . Pakistan abolished the monarchy on the adoption of a republican constitution on 23 March 1956 . However, Pakistan became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations . The Queen sent
3700-550: The new borders and between 200,000–2,000,000 people died in the spate of communal violence in the Punjab in what some scholars have described as a 'retributive genocide' between the religions. The Pakistani government claimed that 50,000 Muslim women were abducted and raped by Hindu and Sikh men and similarly the Indian government claimed that Muslims abducted and raped 33,000 Hindu and Sikh women. The two governments agreed to repatriate abducted women and thousands of Hindu, Sikh and Muslim women were repatriated to their families in
3774-494: The new country was joined by the princely states of Pakistan , which were ruled by princes who had previously been in subsidiary alliances with the British. These states acceded to Pakistan one by one as their rulers signed Instruments of Accession . For many years, these states enjoyed a special status within the dominion and later the republic, but they were slowly incorporated into the provinces. The last remnants of their internal self-government were lost by 1974. Section 1 of
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#17327806006623848-403: The newly formed country. In 1984, the four subdivisions of Sylhet district were upgraded to districts as part of H M Ershad 's decentralisation programme. The four districts remained in the Chittagong Division until 1995 when they formed the new Sylhet Division. The Sylhet Division has a "friendship link" with the city of St Albans , in the United Kingdom. The link was established in 1988 when
3922-401: The opportunity of employment in Assam's tea estates and a market for their produce. After the first partition of Bengal in 1905, Sylhet was briefly reincorporated with Eastern Bengal and Assam , as a part of the new province's Surma Valley and Hill Districts division. However, this reorganization was short-lived as Sylhet once again became separated from Bengal in 1912, when Assam Province
3996-433: The referendum was largely welcomed by the Assamese population . ( India ) Sylhet Division Sylhet Division ( Bengali : সিলেট বিভাগ ; Sylheti : ꠍꠤꠟꠐ ꠛꠤꠜꠣꠉ ) is the northeastern division of Bangladesh . It is bordered by the Indian states of Meghalaya , Assam and Tripura to the north, east and south respectively, and by the divisions of Chittagong to the southwest and Dhaka and Mymensingh to
4070-445: The region is surrounded by hillocks (known as tilla s) from all three sides except its western plain boundary with the rest of Bengal . In the south of the region ( Habiganj , Moulvibazar ), eight hill ranges enter the plains of Sylhet running uniformly from the west to the east. They are: Raghunandan, Dinarpur-Shatgaon, Balishira, Bhanugach-Rajkandi, Hararganj-Singla, Patharia, Pratapgarh-Duhalia and Sorrispur-Siddheswar hill ranges. At
4144-444: The region primarily near the hills and tea gardens. They are made up of several ethnic groups such as the Bishnupriya Manipuris , Khasi , Lalengs , Tripuris , Meiteis , Garos , and Kukis . In the nineteenth century, the British brought over indigenous peoples from other parts of British India to work as tea garden labourers such as the Kurmis , Musahars , Bauris , Beens , Bonaz , Sabar and Bhumij amongst others. Islam
4218-406: The region suggest that the whole area was under the ocean in the Oligo - Miocene . In the last 150 years, three major earthquakes hit the city, at a magnitude of at least 7.5 on the Richter Scale , the last one took place in 1918, although many people are unaware that Sylhet lies on an earthquake prone zone. The region is home to the Asian elephant and the One-horned rhinoceros , mostly towards
4292-410: The region. Nowka Bais is a common traditional rowing competition during the monsoon season when rivers are filled up, and much of the land is under water. Fighting sports include Kabaddi , Latim and Lathi khela . The division's population is over 12 million and Bengalis make up a large majority of the region's population. The tribal and Adivasi population tend to live in secluded rural areas of
4366-419: The regional attractions of landscapes filled with fragrant orange and pineapple gardens as well as tea plantations. The region has a tropical monsoon climate ( Köppen Am ) bordering on a humid subtropical climate ( Cwa ) at higher elevations. The rainy season from April to October is hot and humid with very heavy showers and thunderstorms almost every day, whilst the short dry season from November to February
4440-417: The south. Tigers and leopards were once found throughout the region. Other notable fauna include the Sambar deer , Indian hog deer , Sylhet hara and Sylhet roofed turtle . The Asian elephant were once found in small numbers in places such as Chapghat, Bhanugach, Chamtolla, Mahram and the Raghunandan hills. More abundantly they are found near streams in Singla and Langai. The official language of Sylhet
4514-449: The tea estates. Employers prefer to engage women for plucking tea leaves since they do a better job than, but are paid less than, men. A recent drought has killed nearly a tenth of the tea shrubs. The plantations, or gardens, were mostly developed during the British Raj . The plantations were started by the British, and the managers still live in the white timber houses built during the Raj. The bungalows stand on huge lawns. The service and
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#17327806006624588-415: The transfer of Sylhet and Cachar to Bengal in September 1928 during the Surma Valley Muslim Conference ; supported by Abdul Majid's Anjuman-e-Islamia and Muslim Students Association . The partition of India was to happen along religious lines in August 1947. Muslim -majority areas would be combined to form the new Pakistan while non-Muslim and Hindu -majority areas would remain in India . Sylhet
4662-429: The west. Prior to the Partition in 1947 , it included Karimganj subdivision (presently in Barak Valley , Assam , India ). However, Karimganj (including the thanas of Badarpur , Patharkandi and Ratabari ) was inexplicably severed from Sylhet by the Radcliffe Boundary Commission . According to Niharranjan Ray , it was partly due to a plea from a delegation led by Abdul Matlib Mazumdar . The Sylhet Division
4736-412: Was assassinated , and Nazimuddin became the second prime minister. Tensions in East Pakistan reached a climax in 1952, when the East Pakistani police opened fire on students protesting for the Bengali language to receive equal status with Urdu. The situation was controlled by Nazimuddin who issued a waiver granting the Bengali language equal status, a right codified in the 1956 constitution. In 1953 at
4810-409: Was a Muslim-majority Sylheti -speaking district in Assam, which was a Hindu-majority Assamese -speaking province. The Government of Assam believed that removing Sylhet would make the state more homogeneous and strongly unified as a result. Assam's Chief Minister, Gopinath Bordoloi , stated in 1946 that his wish was to "hand over Sylhet to East Bengal ". The British Raj declared on 3 July 1947 that
4884-406: Was appointed by the Governor-General of Pakistan. In addition, over the following year the princely states of Pakistan, which covered a significant area of West Pakistan, acceded to Pakistan. They included Bahawalpur , Khairpur , Swat , Dir , Chitral , and the Khanate of Kalat . The controversial Radcliffe Award , not published until 17 August 1947 specified the Radcliffe Line which demarcated
4958-427: Was created by the passing of the Indian Independence Act 1947 by the British parliament . The new dominion consisted of those presidencies and provinces of British India which were allocated to it in the Partition of India . Until 1947, these regions had been ruled by the United Kingdom as a part of the British Empire . The Dominion's status as a federal dominion within the British Empire ended in 1956 with
5032-401: Was entirely known as the 'Sylhet district'. On 16 February 1874, Sylhet was separated from mainland Bengal to be made a part of the non-regulation Chief Commissioner's Province of Assam (Northeast Frontier Province) in order to facilitate Assam's commercial development. The people of Sylhet submitted a memorandum to the Viceroy protesting the inclusion in Assam. The protests subsided when
5106-435: Was implemented despite a memorandum of protests being submitted to the Viceroy, Lord Northbrook , on 10 August from the district's Sylheti -majority population which consisted of both Hindus and Muslims . These protests subsided when Northbrook visited Sylhet to reassure the people that education and justice would be administered from the city of Calcutta in Bengal, as well as when the Hindu zamindars of Sylhet realized
5180-402: Was implemented via Article 3 of the Indian Independence Act of 18 July 1947. The Radcliffe Line published on 17 August 1947 gave some areas of Sylhet – mainly Karimganj – to India , while the rest of Sylhet joined East Bengal , even though Karimganj had a Muslim-majority population which had opted for Pakistan, unlike some other areas in Sylhet like Moulvibazar . The putative cause of this
5254-409: Was once again moved to the newly created Assam Province alongside the other districts of the Surma Valley Division. Historically, the entire Sylhet region was a single district within the Surma Valley and Hill Districts Division as part of the Assam Province. In 1947, a referendum was held in the Sylhet district, the people of the whole district voting in favour of succession to Pakistan. However,
5328-527: Was reconstituted into a Chief Commissioner's Province . By the 1920s, organisations such as the Sylhet Peoples' Association and Sylhet–Bengal Reunion League mobilized public opinion, demanding Sylhet's reincorporation into Bengal. However, the leaders of the Reunion League, including Muhammad Bakht Mauzumdar and Syed Abdul Majid , who were also involved in Assam's tea trade, later opposed
5402-600: Was the ancestral home of Ahmad Toufiq Choudhury, the leader of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Bangladesh. There is a very small minority of Shia Muslims who gather every year during Ashura for the Mourning of Muharram processions. Places of procession include the Prithimpasha Nawab Bari in Kulaura , home to a royal Shia family, as well as Rajtila . Hinduism is the second largest religion practised by
5476-574: Was the plea of a group led by Abdul Matlib Mazumdar . India received three and a half thanas of Sylhet. Along with Karimganj, Zakiganj was also to be a part of independent India, but this was prevented by a delegation led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman . Thus, most of the Sylhet District joined East Pakistan , which later emerged as the new country of Bangladesh in 1971 following the Bangladesh Liberation war . The result of
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