Some Picture Of Goaldi Mosque In Sonargaon

History Of Goaldi Mosque Surviving Medieval Monument

History

Built in 1519, the graceful, single-domed Goaldi Mosque is the most impressive of the few extant monuments of the old capital city, and a good example of pre-Mughal architecture.

This mosque is one of the few remnants from the Sultanate period in Sonargaon, during the reign of Sultan Hussain Shah in 925 Hijri (1519AD). It was built by Mulla Hizabar Akbar Khan in the early 16th century, during the reign of Alauddin Husain Shah at a place called Goaldi - half a mile northeast of Panam village in Sonargaon. Sonargaon was the administrative center of medieval Muslim rulers of East Bengal. It became as the capital of Bengal during Isa Khan's ruling. The area falls under present-day Narayanganj District, Bangladesh. This mosque is more elegant and ornate in comparison to the earlier Sultanate mosques at Bagerhat.

Architectural features

The Goaldi mosque is a good example of the 'enclosed square type' mosque of Bengal that is distinguished by a cubical prayer chamber with corner towers and entrances on all sides except the qibla wall. A single dome caps the mosque; engaged ribbed turrets define the four corners; and the cornice is gently sloped. Circular corner towers are a deviation from the usual octagonal corner towers. This is the only example of circular corner towers in the Dhaka district. Accentuating the cornice is a row of small niches with floral motifs inside.

The east facade has three arched openings, embellished on either sides with rectangular panels of delicate relief work in the form of a niche with an ornamental hanging lamp motif. The north and south facades similarly display three arches, though only the center arch is open while the two side arches are blind.

The cubical prayer chamber measures 7.57 m and the walls are 2 m thick. The dome is carried on squinches that spring from the tops of stone pilasters, two on each wall. The qibla wall has three mihrabs. The use of black basalt for the central mihrab was a common practice during the sixteenth century. It is decorated with beautiful, intricate patterns composed of an ornamental hanging lamp motif. The two flanking mihrabs are decorated in similar fashion but instead of black basalt they are made of brick and fine terra cotta work. Lotus motifs are found carved in the spandrels and are closely related to the lotuses held by the Hindu god, Surya.

Present condition

The condition of mosque had deteriorated: with the exception of the qibla wall the entire mosque had collapsed, including the dome. Careful restoration was executed by the Department of Archaeology and Museums and this small graceful mosque is now restored to resemble its original design.

Sonargaon Tour By Motorcycle Travelers Bangladesh

Full Documentary About Panam City Sonargaon

Traditional Place Video Of Sonargaon In Bangladesh

Administrative News Of Narayanganj Dist Town

Narayanganj district (Dhaka division) with an area of 759.57 sq km, is bounded by Gazipur and Narsingdi districts on the north, Brahmanbaria and Comilla districts on the east, Munshiganj district on the south, and Dhaka district on the west. Geologically, the area lies on the edge of the Madhupur tract and the Holocene floodplain deposits form the aquifer. The total area of the district is 759.57 sq km., of which 48.56 sq km. is reverine and 0.60 sq km. is under forest. The district lies between 23°33´and 23°57´north latitude and between 90°26´ and 90°45´ east longitude. Average maximum temperature 36°C, minimum 12.7°C; annual total rainfall 2376 mm. Physically the zila is characterised by alluvial formations caused by several rivers such as, Shitalakshya, Meghna, Old Brahmaputra, Buriganga, Balu and Dhaleshwari.

Narayanganj a former sub-divisional town of dhaka district upgraded to a district headquarter in February 1984. Narayanganj, the oldest and the most prominent river port of Bangladesh, grew into a place of trade and commerce and therefore, became known as a ganj. Vicon Lal Pandey (also known as Benur Thakur or Lakhsmi Narayan Thakur), a Hindu religious leader, acquired the ownership of this region from the East India Company in 1766. He declared the markets located on the bank of the river Shitalakshya as endowed property by a will to meet the expenses of the worship of Narayan and consequently, the place got the name Narayanganj.

Narayanganj subdivision was established in 1882 and was turned into a district in 1984. The district consists of five upazilas, 49 union parishads, 881 mouzas, 1374 villages, 2 municipalities, 12 wards and 115 mahallas. The upazilas are Araihazar, Bandar, Narayanganj sadar, Rupganj, and Sonargaon.

Narayanganj (Town) a municipal town (estd. in 1876), consists of 8 wards and 76 mahallas. The area of the town is 18.7 sq km. It has a population of 230294; male 53.51%, female 46.49%. The density of population is 12315 per sq km. The literacy rate among the town people 60.2%.

Narayanganj is connected to Dhaka by three metalled roads and a metre gauge rail line as well as by waterways through the rivers Buriganga and Shitalakshya. Steamer services from Narayanganj started in 1862. At that time, steamer and rail routes via Goalanda and Narayanganj connected Dhaka with calcutta. Narayanganj was then known more as the port of Dhaka. Narayanganj grew in importance after the arrival of the Portuguese and the English traders during the early parts of the 17th and 18th centuries respectively. Though the west bank of Shitalakshya was an important commercial centre since the rule of Mir Jumla in the early years of the second half of the 17th century. One of the important places of Narayanganj is Sonargaon, which had the distinction of being described by Ralph Fitch in 1583 as the place "where there is the best and finest cloth made of cotton that is in all India". Sonargaon is historically famous for manufacturing a species of very fine muslin. Narayanganj at times was known as the 'Dandy of the East.' National warehouse (silo-type), largest jute mill, cotton mills and a number of industrial units are located at Narayanganj. A major establishment of the Bangladesh Engineering and Ship Building Corporation established in 1925 at Sonakanda.

Archaeological heritage: Tomb of Sultan Giasuddin Azam Shah (1389-1411 AD), Baba Saleh Mosque (1481 AD), Goaldi Mosque (1519 AD), three domed mosque of Sultan Jalaluddin Fateh Shah (1484 AD), Hajiganj Fort, Sunakanda Fort, Pagla Bridge, Kadam Rasul Dargah, Bandar Shahi Mosque.

Historical events: Sonargaon of the district was an important historical place from the ancient time. It was the capital of Bengal during the reign of Isa khan.(see Sonargaon upazila HQ)

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Population 2138492; male 52.60% and female 47.40%; Muslim 92.59%, Hindu 6.43%, others 1.07%.

Religious institutions: Mosque 2006, temple 82, church 4, sacred place 4 and monastery 1.

Literacy rate and educational institutions: Average literacy 39.84%; male 46.23% and female 32.24%. Educational institutions: art college 1, physical education institute 1, marine technology centre 1. government. high school 2, non-government high school 127, madrasa 76, government. primary school 376, non-government primary school 47, kindergarten school 12, satellite school 24, community school 65, NGO operated school 285. The noted educational institutions are Narayanganj High School (1885), Tolaram College (1937) and Sonargaon J R institute (1900).

Cultural organisations Club 125, museum 1, public library 15, theatre group 15, literacy organisation 12, theatre spot 2, cinema hall 32, dakbungalow 6, shilpakala academy 1, shishu academy 1, community centre 8, Islamic foundation 1, mohila sangstha 2. Most reputed cultural institutions are the Folk Arts and Crafts Foundation at Sonargaon and Narayanganj Rifle Club.

Main occupations Agriculture 13.37%, agricultural labourer 8.61%, wage labourer 4.07%, commerce 19.9%, service 23.36%, weaving 5.49%, transport 4.09%, fishing 1.21%, industries 2.74%, construction 1.48%, others 15.68%.
Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard seed, vegetables

Fisheries, poultries and dairies Dairy 636, poultry 860, hatchery 4, nursery 31.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 225.98 km, mud road 748 km; railway 18 km; waterways 111 nautical mile.

Manufactories: Adamjee Jute Mills (closed in 2002), Chittaranjan Cotton Mills, Lakshmi Narayan Cotton Mills, Dhakeshwari Mills, Star Particle Board Mills, Dhaka Vegetable Oil Mills, Husain Paper Mills, Moula Textile, RM Steel Mill, Haripur Electricity Centre, Hosiery Industries, Dying Mill, Aluminum Factory. Besides, Kachpur has become as an industrial town.

Cottage industries: Weaving is traditionally the most important cottage industry. Rupashi and Kazipara are famous for Jamdani sari production. Narayanganj is also famous for hosiery products.

Main exports: Fruits and fruit products, jute and jute products, jamdani saris and hosiery products.

NGO activities: brac, grameen bank, asa, proshika, SIDA.

Health centres: Hospital 4, upazila health complex 7, family welfare centre 34, union health centre 19, satellite health centre 4, clinic 12.

Nearby cities: Dhaka City, Comilla District Town, Agartala

Coordinates:   23°37'23"N   90°30'25"E

Historical Background Of Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah

Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah (Bengali: ফখরুদ্দিন মুবারক শাহ)(reigned: 1338–1349) ruled an independent kingdom in areas that lie within modern-day eastern and southeastern Bangladesh. He is also the first Muslim ruler to conquest Chittagong, the principal port of Bengal region in 1340 AD.

History

Fakhruddin's capital was Sonargaon. Sonargaon emerged as the principal city of the region as the capital of an independent sultanate during the reign of Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah. His conquests of Comilla and Noakhali were followed by territorial gains to the north Sylhet and south Chittagong. His military initiatives included a successful naval action against Sultan Alauddin Ali Shah of Lakhnauti. Shah sponsored several construction projects, including a trunk road and raised embankments, along with mosques and tombs. Ibn Batuta, after visiting his capital in 1346, described Shah as "a distinguished sovereign who loved strangers, particularly the fakirs and sufis.

He is credited to be the founder of independent Sultanate of Bengal, which lasted for about 200 years. His son Ikhtiyaruddin Ghazi Shah was his successor and ruled the independent Sultanate from Sonargaon till 1352.

Preceded by Bahram Khan

Independent Sultan of Bengal 1338–1349

Succeeded by Ikhtiyaruddin Ghazi Shah

See also

• Sonargaon
• Ibn Batuta

References

1. ^ Jump up to: Muazzam Hussain Khan, Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah, Banglapedia: The National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Retrieved: 2011-04-23
2. ^ Jump up to: Sarkar, Jadunath (2003). The History of Bengal (Volume II): Muslim Period. Delhi: B.R. Publishing. ISBN 81-7646-239-X.
3. Jump up^ "About Chittagong:History". Local Government Engineering Department, Government of Bangladesh.Retrieved: 2013-12-30
4. Jump up^ Historical Sites needs to be preserved, The Daily Star, September 5, 2009,Retrieved: 2013-12-23
5. Jump up^ Ibn Batuta, Famous Bengalis and Related Topics, Retrieved: 2013-12-23

Historical Importance Of Shitalakshya River

The Shitalakhya is a branch of the Brahmaputra which has changed its course at least twice in the Bangladesh region in the fairly recent past, indirectly affecting the flow of water in the Shitalakhya. In the 21st century, the main flow of the Brahmaputra waters is through the Jamuna channel. Earlier, after tracing a curve round the Garo Hills on the west, it took a sharp turn in the south-east direction near Dewanganj, and then passing by Jamalpur and Mymensingh, threw off the Shitalakhya branch and flowed through the eastern part of Dhaka district and fell into the Dhaleshwari. The Shitalakhya ran almost parallel to the Brahmaputra and after passing by Narayanganj joined the Dhaleswari. The course of the Brahmaputra through Dhaka district was deserted by the 18th century when it flowed further east and joined the Meghna near Bhairab. Towards the end of the 18th century the Jamuna channel increased its importance and around 1850 it became the main channel of the Brahmaputra.In Van den Brouck’s map the river is marked as Lecki, flowing west of Barrempooter (Brahmaputra). In Van den Brouck’s time (1660), it was large and swift flowing river. It was so till the early 19th century. There, however, are some reservations about the accuracy of Van den Brouck’s map.

Van den Brouck’s map of 1660

Historical importance

Sonargaon, a former capital of the region, stood on the banks of the Shitalakhhya. A fort was built by Isa Khan, a former ruler of the area, on its banks. It is believed that it was connected with Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka through an underground tunnel. Sonakanda Fort, also on the river, was built to counter Magh and Portuguese pirates. There are several historical mosques on its banks – Bandarshahi mosque (built in 1481 by Baba Saleh), Kadam Rasul mosque (containing the footprints of Hazrat Mohammad), Mariamer masjid (built by Shaista Khan) etc.

Economic importance

The Shitalakshya River was once an important center for the muslin industry. Even today, there are centres of artistic weaving on its banks. There also are a number of industrial units on its banks, including the Adamjee Jute Mills. Thermal power houses are located along the river at Palash (north of Ghorashal) and at Siddhirganj. Industrial affluent dumped into the river resulting in high levels of pollution is a cause for concern.

Portion of a sari woven on the banks of Shitalakshya River

There is a river port in Narayanganj. Numerous launches move out along the river to different parts of Bangladesh. The government has approved construction of a container terminal on the river Shitalakhya with foreign investment.

References

1. ^ Jump up to: Md Mahbub Murshed (2012). "Shitalakshya River". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
2. Jump up^ Majumdar, Dr. R.C., History of Ancient Bengal, First published 1971, Reprint 2005, pp. 3-4, Tulshi Prakashani, Kolkata, ISBN 81-89118-01-3.
3. Jump up^ Roy, Niharranjan, Bangalir Itihas, Adi Parba, (Bengali), first published 1972, reprint 2005, p. 86, Dey’s Publishing, 13 Bankim Chatterjee Street, Kolkata, ISBN 81-7079-270-3
4. Jump up^ Khokon, Leaquat Hossain, 64 Jela Bhraman, 2007, pp.14-15, Anindya Prokash, Dhaka, ISBN 984-8740-19-8
5. Jump up^ "Risk and Water Quality Assessment overview of River Sitalakhya in Bangladesh". Technical College, Bourgas. Retrieved 2007-11-22.
6. Jump up^ UNB, Dhaka. "Govt okays container terminal on Shitalakhya". The Independent. Retrieved 2007-11-17.

Exhibition Place Within Sonargaon Upazila Of Bangladesh

Sonargaon (Bengali: সোনারগাঁও; also transcribed as Sunārgāon, meaning City of Gold) was a historic administrative, commercial and maritime center in Bengal. Situated in the center of the Ganges delta, it was the seat of the medieval Muslim rulers and governors of eastern Bengal. Sonargaon was described by numerous historic travelers, including Ibn Battuta, Ma Huan, Niccolò de' Conti and Ralph Fitch as a thriving center of trade and commerce. It served as the capital of Sultan Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah, Isa Khan and the Baro-Bhuyan Confederacy.

The area is located near the modern industrial river port of Narayanganj in Bangladesh. Today, the name Sonargaon survives as the Sonargaon Upazila (Sonargaon Subregion) in the region.

Trade

By the 14th century Sonargaon became a commercial port. Trade activities were mentioned by travelers like Ibn Batuta, Ma Huan and Ralph Fitch. Maritime ships travelled between Sonargaon and southeast/west Asian countries. Muslin was produced in this region.

See also

• Isa Khan
• Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah
• Sonargaon Upazila
• Further reading
  • Kazi Azizul Islam and Tania Sharmeen (July 5, 2005). "Panam Among World’s 100 Endangered Historic Sites". News from Bangladesh.
  • Roy, Pinaki (July 9, 2004). "Panam Nagar's Fate in Limbo". The Daily Star.
  • Ali, Tawfique (April 26, 2007). "Unscientific Restoration Defacing Heritage". The Daily Star, Vol 5 num 1031.

History Of Sonargaon Subregion

History

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Pre-Muslim period

The name Sonargaon came as the Bangla version of the ancient name Suvarnagrama. Buddhist ruler Danujamadhava Dasharathadeva shifted his capital to Suvarnagrama from Bikrampur sometime in the middle of the 13th century. In early 14th century, Bauddha ruling in this area ended when Shamsuddin Firoz Shah (reigned 1301–1322) of Lakhnauti occupied and annexed it to his kingdom.

Muslim period

The 7th voyage of Zheng He's fleet map based on analysis byEdward L. Dreyer shows that Hong Bao and Ma Huan visited Sonargaon in 1432.

Muslim settlers first arrive in Sonargaon region in around 1281. Sharfuddin Abu Tawwamah, a medieval Sufi saint and Islamic philosopher came and settled here sometime between 1282 and 1287. He then established his Khanqah and founded a Madrasa.

Firoz Shah built a mint in Sonargaon from where a large number of coins were issued. When he died in 1322, his son,Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah, replaced him as the ruler. In 1324 Delhi Sultan, Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, declared war against him and after the battle, Bahadur Shah was captured and Bengal, including Sonargaon, became a province of Delhi Sultanate. The same year, Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq, son and successor of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, released him and appointed him as the governor of Sonargaon province.

After 4 years of governorship, in 1328, Bahadur Shah declared independence of Bengal. Delhi Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq sent his general, Bahram Khan, to depose him. In the battle, Bahadur Shah was defeated and killed. Bahram Khan recaptured Sonargaon for the Delhi Sultanate and he was also appointed the governor of Sonargaon.

When Bahram Khan died in 1338, his armor-bearer, Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah, declared himself the independent Sultan of Sonargaon. Fakhruddin sponsored several construction projects, including a trunk road and raised embankments, along with mosques and tombs. 14th century Moroccan traveller, Ibn Batuta, after visiting the capital in 1346, described Fakhruddin as "a distinguished sovereign who loved strangers, particularly the fakirs and sufis". After the death of Fakhruddin in 1349, Ikhtiyaruddin Ghazi Shah became the next independent ruler of Sonargaon.

Ilyas Shah, the independent ruler of Lakhnauti, attacked Sonargaon in 1352. After defeating Ikhtiyaruddin Ghazi Shah, he became the sole ruler of whole Bengal for the first time in history and thus he became the founder of a sultanate of the unified Bengal.

A squadron of the Chinese fleet of Zheng He, commanded by the eunuch Hong Bao, visited Sonargaon in 1432. The information about that expedition comes from the book of one of its participants, the Muslim translator Ma Huan. In 1451 Huan wrote his experience in details in his book Yingyai Shenglan (The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores).

Sonargaon is the eastern terminus of the Grand Trunk Road, which was built by the Pashtun emperor Sher Shah Suri and extended approximately 2500 kilometres from Bangladesh across northern India and Pakistanto Kabul in Afghanistan.

Isa Khan's rule

When Taj Khan Karrani was the independent Afghan ruler of Bengal, Isa Khan obtained an estate in Sonargaon and Maheswardi Pargana in 1564 as a vassal of the Karrani rulers. Isa Khan gradually increased his strength and in 1571 he was designated as the ruler of the whole Bhati region. In 1575 he helped Daud Khan Karrani fight the Mughal flotilla in the vicinity of Sonargaon.

Daud Khan Karrani died in the Battle of Raj Mahal against Mughals in 1576. Akbar then made Isa Khan the zamindar of Sonargaon, making him one of the Baro-Bhuiyans. However, he continued resisting Mughal rule. With the help of his allies, he stood defiant against Mughals in battle against Subahdar Khan Jahan in 1578, Subahdar Shahbaz Khan in 1584 and Durjan Singh in 1597. Isa Khan died in September 1599. His son, Musa Khan, then took control of the Bhati region. But after the defeat of Musa Khan on 10 July 1610 by Islam Khan, the army general of Mughals, Sonargaon became one of the sarkars of Bengal subah. The capital of Bengal was then shifted to Jahangirnagar(later named Dhaka).

British period

Panam City

Panam City was established in the late 19th century as a trading center of cotton fabrics during British rule. Hindu cloth merchants built their residential houses following colonial style with inspiration derived from European sources. Today this area is protected under the Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh. The city was linked with the main city area by three brick bridges - Panam Bridge, Dalalpur Bridge and PanamNagar Bridge - during the Mughal period. The bridges are still in use.

Sonakanda Fort is a Mughal river-fort located on the bank of the Shitalakshya River at Bandar.

Bangladesh period

Lok Shilpa Jadughar (Folk Arts Museum) in Sonargaon.

Lok Shilpa Jadughar (Folk Art and Craft Museum) of Sonargaon was established by Bangladeshi painter Joynul Abedin on March 12, 1975. The house, originally called Bara Sardar Bari, was built in 1901.

On 15 February 1984, Narayanganj subdivision was upgraded to a district by the Government of Bangladesh. Hence Sonargaon became a subdistrict of Narayanganj District of Dhaka division.

Due to the many threats to preservation (including flooding and vandalism), Sonargaon was placed in 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites by the World Monuments Fund.

Details Description Of Bangladesh Institute Of Marine Technology

History

The institute was established in 1958. It was known as Marine Diesel Training Center (MDTC) since 1960. On December 10, 1979 it was renamed as Bangladesh Institute of Marine Technology.

Campus

BIMT is situated on a 9 acres (3.6 ha) campus on the east bank of the Shitalakshya River in Bandar Upazila. Across the river lies the city of Narayanganj, most easily reached by boat. The Tribenee Canal marks the southern boundary of campus.

Workshop and laboratories

The labs of physics and chemistry have been decorated nicely with many kinds of instrument. A student can easily learn how to take the measurement of different types of scale. Not only this but also the workshop is the best in our country. Powerful diesel engine, I.C. engine are available in this shop. It is needless to say that the welding shop of this institute is biggest in our country. A student gets lot of time for welding which help them to make a skill welder. CNC Lathe M/C, CNC cutting M/C also provide here. A big M/C shop with lathe, shaper grinding, drilling M/C are decorated well. TIG, MIG & MAG welding are arranged specially.

Hostel facility

The student of the marine institute live in a nice hostel with a lot of facilities like current, water, a powerful generator is constant for students. Above 200 student can live together easily in the old hostel, other student live in the new hostel which is situated on the bank of the Shitalakshya River. A dining hall has been arranged and it operated by special cooker.

Library

The library of this institute is the biggest one with the collection of technical books and also huge collection of the foreign books. Besides it students have a library by the help of student parliament.

District Liberation War of Map

Information Of Narayanganj District

Narayanganj District (dhaka division) area 687.76 sq km located in between 23°33' and 23°57' north latitudes and in between 90°26' and 90°45' east longitudes. It is bounded by narsingdi and gazipur districts on the north, munshiganj district on the south, brahmanbaria and comilla districts on the east,dhaka district on the west.

Population Total 2173948; male 1161971, female 1011977; Muslim 2057398, Hindu 115151, Buddhist 695, Christian 385 and others 319.

Water bodies Main rivers: shitalakshya, meghna, old brahmaputra, buriganga, balu, dhaleshwari.

Administration Narayanganj Sub-division was formed in 1882 and it was turned into' distict in 1984. Of the five upazilas of the district araihazar is the largest (183.35sq km) and bandar is the smallest (55.84 sq km). narayanganj city corporation was established on 5 May 2011.

Profile

Narayanganj subdivision was established in 1882 and was turned into a district in 1984. The district consists of five upazilas, 49 union parishads, 881 mouzas, 1374 villages, 2 municipalities, 12 wards and 115 mahallas.

Area	759.57 square kilometers.
Bounded by	Narsingdi and Gazipur districts on the north, Munshiganj districts on the south, Brahmanbaria and Comilla districts on the east, Dhaka districts on the west.

History	sonargaon of the district was an important historical place from the ancient time. It was the capital of Bengal during the reign of isa khan. During the War of Liberation, the Pak army killed 139 people in Fatullah Thana on 29 November 1971.
Places to see	sonargaon of the district was an important historical place from the ancient time. It was the capital of Bengal during the reign of isa khan. During the War of Liberation, the Pak army killed 139 people in Fatullah Thana on 29 November 1971.
Newspapers	The Daily Sitalakhya, Khaborer Pata; weekly Fair House; extinct: weekly Sakal Barta, Ganadak.

Parliament Election And Elected MP(s) in Narayanganj District

Upazilla/ Thana

Araihazar Upazila, Bandar Upazila, Narayanganj Sadar Upazila, Rupganj Upazila, Sonargaon Upazila

History Of Narayanganj District

Named after Bicon Lal Pandey, a Hindu religious leader who was also known as Benur Thakur or Lakhsmi Narayan Thakur. Pandey acquired ownership of the region from the British East India Company in 1766 after the Battle of Plassey. He declared the marketplaces on the banks of the Shitalakshya river as endowed property to pay for expenses for the worship of the God Narayan. Subsequently, the region was named Narayanganj.

Important developments

• The post office was established in 1866.
• The Narayanganj municipality was officially founded on 8 September 1876.
• Dhaka–Narayanganj telegraph service was set up in 1877.
• Telephony was introduced by the Bank of Bengal in 1882.

Narayanganj became a district (Bengali: জেলা pronounced: Jela) on 15 February 1984. Formerly, it was a subdistrict (Bengali: উপজেলা pronounced: upojela) of the Dhaka district. It grew in importance in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, due to the influx of the Portuguese and the English. The first to develop was the west bank of Shitalakshya. Narayanganj only became important in the nineteenth century, when the Rally Brothers started a company exporting jute to the west in 1830, aided by a company from Assam. By 1908, 18 European companies, and two Indian companies were trading in jute from Calcutta.

From 1947, with the formation of Pakistan, the economy transformed from being mainly a jute production to include jute milling. This followed the establishment of a number of mills in and around Narayanganj that gave the local economy a great boost.

Religion

The district of Narayanganj has 3078 mosques, 269 temples, 10 churches and 4 Buddhist temples.

Administration

• Administrator of Zila Porishod: Abdul Hai
• Deputy Commissioner (DC): Anisur Rahaman Miah

Places of interest

The ancient city of Sonargaon was the capital of Isa Khan, a medieval ruler of Bengal. Sonargaon is also famous for producing muslin, a delicate and fine cloth made from cotton. The Dhaka-Narayanganj-Demra (DND) embankment surrounds Narayanganj district and protects it from flooding.

• The Bangladesh Engineering and Ship Building Corporation at Sonakanda on the east bank of the Shitalakshya River, established in 1925.