Comilla

Comilla কুমিল্লা
City
Clockwise from top: Comilla Skyline, Mainamati Chondimura temple, Shalban vihara and City Hall Library
Seal
Comilla
Coordinates: 23°27′N 91°12′E / 23.450°N 91.200°E / 23.450; 91.200Coordinates: 23°27′N 91°12′E / 23.450°N 91.200°E / 23.450; 91.200
Country	Bangladesh
Division	Comilla Division
District	Comilla District
Municipality established	1890
City corporation	10 July 2011
Government
• Type	Mayor–Council
• Body	Comilla City Corporation
• City Mayor	Monirul Haque Sakku
Area
• Total	51 km2 (20 sq mi)
Elevation	72 m (236 ft)
Population (2012)
• Total	346,238
Demonym(s)	Comillian
Time zone	BST (UTC+6)
Postal code	3500–3583
Calling code	081
Website	Districts Website City Corporation

Districts Website

Comilla (Bengali: কুমিল্লা) is a city in eastern Bangladesh, located along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. It is the administrative centre of the Comilla District, part of the Chittagong Division. Comilla is the second-largest city of eastern Bangladesh after Chittagong and is one of the three oldest cities in Bangladesh.

The Comilla region was once under ancient Samatata 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 10th and mid-11th century AD). In 1732, it became the centre of the Bengal-backed domain of Jagat Manikya.

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 Upazila revolted against a land revenue tax. The British Gurkha soldiers fired indiscriminately on the crowd, killing four people. In a major peasant gathering, the police fired at Hasnabad of Laksam Upazila in 1932. Two people were killed and many were wounded. Queen Victoria visited Comilla several times. Comilla Victoria Government College was named for her memories in the city.