Sunamganj District


Sunamganj is a district located in north-eastern Bangladesh within the Sylhet Division.

History

Classic period

In the ancient period, Sunamganj was part of the Laur Kingdom. After the conquest of Sylhet in 1303 by Muslims under the spiritual guidance of Shah Jalal, Shah Kamal Quhafa established a capital in Shaharpara with the aid of his twelve disciples and his second son, Shah Muazzam Uddin Qureshi, who also maintained a second sub-administration office at Nizgaon on the bank of the river Surma, present day Shologhar in Sunamganj town, which was administered by one of his descendants. Between the latter part of 1300 CE and 1765 CE, the present-day Sunamganj district was a part of Iqlim-e-Muazzamabad, i.e. the state of Muazzamabad, which was an independent state until 1620 when it was conquered by the mighty Mughal of Delhi. The last sultan of Muazzamabad was Hamid Qureshi Khan, who was a descendant of Shah Kamal Quhafah and he was widely known by his appellation of Shamsher Khan. After the fall of Jalalabad, Shamsher Khan, accepted the post of Nawab-cum-Fauzadar and remained so until his death at the Battle of Giria on 29 April 1740 along with Sarfaraz Khan, Nawab of Bengal.

Administration

District

District Administrator is appointed from amongst non-civil servants, usually from amongst the member of political party that is in power at the time of appointment and endorsed by the central government. Deputy Commissioner is appointed from amongst career civil servants, who administers all subordinate branches of the administration such as upazillah parishadMr.Black was the first district commissioner of Sunamganj.

Subdistricts

Sunamganj District comprises 11 sub-districts or Upazilas:
During the late British colonial period, Sunamganj was a subdivision and contained six thanas; Sunamganj Sadar, Tahirpur, Chhatak, Derai, Jagannathpur and Dharmapasa.

Healthcare

The district has 12 government hospitals and 22 health centers. The infant mortality rate is 62 per 1000 child births.The average lifespan of the district's residents is 62 years.

Notable people