Barisal Division বরিশাল বিভাগ |
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Division of Bangladesh | ||
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Barisal Division in Bangladesh |
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Districts of Barisal Division |
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Coordinates: 22°30′N 90°20′E / 22.500°N 90.333°ECoordinates: 22°30′N 90°20′E / 22.500°N 90.333°E | ||
Country | Bangladesh | |
Established | 1797 (as Backergunge District) | |
Capital | Barisal city | |
Government | ||
• Commissioner | Mohammad Gaus | |
Area | ||
• Total | 13,225.20 km2 (5,106.28 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 1.2 m (3.9 ft) | |
Population (2011 census) | ||
• Total | 8,325,666 | |
• Density | 630/km2 (1,600/sq mi) | |
Time zone | BST (UTC+6) | |
ISO 3166 code | BD-A | |
Districts | 6 | |
Sub-Districts | 41 | |
Union Councils | 352 | |
Website | barisaldiv |
Barisal (Bengali: বরিশাল বিভাগ) is one of the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Located in the south-central part of the country, it has an area of 13,644.85 km2 (5,268.31 sq mi), and a population of 8,325,666 at the 2011 Census. It is bounded by Dhaka division on the north, the Bay of Bengal on the south, Chittagong division on the east and Khulna division on the west. The administrative capital, Barisal city, lies in the Ganges (Padma) River delta on an offshoot of the Arial Khan River (Kirtonkhola). Barisal division is criss-crossed by numerous rivers that earned it the nickname 'Dhan-Nodi-Kaal, Ei tine Barisal' (rice, river and canal built Barisal).
In early times the Barisal region was composed of an amalgamation of marshlands formed by the merging of islands brought into existence and built up by alluvial soils washed down the great channels of the combined Brahmaputra-Ganges-Meghna river systems.
In the early 13th century, when Muhammad bin Tughluq completely conquered eastern Bengal, Hindu chieftains from northwest Bengal were dislodged from power and they dispersed over Barisal region and founded the kingdom of Bakla.
During the Mughal conquest in Bengal, Hindu society was concentrated to northern and western Barisal (known as Bakarganj). Barisal's southern portion was still covered by forests and laced with lagoons. The northwest was also the only part of Bakarganj where the Hindu population exceeded Muslims in early British censuses.