Chittagong
(1991 pop. 1.4 million). Chittagong is the primary port and second largest manufacturing city in Bangladesh. It is located on coast of the Bay of Bengal, 164 miles southeast of Dhaka. Previously a center of Buddhism, Chittagong came under the rule of the Hindu kings of the Sena dynasty in the twelfth century CE. In 1299, it was occupied by Muslim invaders, and by the early fourteenth century it had been incorporated into the Delhi sultanate (1192–1526). It was subsequently controlled by Portuguese pirates and Arakanese conquerors before passing under the Mughal rule in 1666 and British rule a century later. In 1947, after Indian independence, Chittagong became part of the newly created Pakistan. It has been part of Bangladesh since December 1971, when Bangladesh won its liberation struggle against West Pakistan.
Chittagong today has several distinct regions: the Old City, the British City, and the Modern City. The oldest part of the city is the Sadarghat on the banks of the Karnaphuli River. Near the Old City is the British City, now the business center of Chittagaong. The Modern City consists of contemporary buildings, as well as steel mills, an oil refinery, and cigarette factories. Chittagong also has several mosques, the most famous of which is Qadam Mubarak, dating from 1336.
Further Reading
Murray, Jon. (1991) Bangladesh: A Travel Survival Kit. Berkeley, CA: Lonely Planet.
O'Malley, L. S. S. (1908) Eastern Bengal District Gazetteers: Chittagong. Calcutta, India: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot.
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