Narayanganj
Encyclopedia
Narayanganj is a city in central Bangladesh
. It is located in the Narayanganj District
, near the capital city of Dhaka
and has a population of 220,000. The city is on the bank of the Shitalakshya River
. The river port of Narayanganj is one of the oldest in Bangladesh. It is also a center of business and industry, especially the jute
trade and processing plants, and the textile
sector of the country. It is nicknamed the Dundee
of Bangladesh due to the presence of lots of jute mills. Dundee
was the first industrialised Juteopolis in the world.
religious leader who was also known as Benur Thakur or Lakhsmi Narayan Thakur. He leased the area from the British East India Company
in 1766 following the Battle of Plassey
. He donated the markets and the land on the banks of the river as Devottor or Given to God property, bequethed for maintenance expenses for the worship of the god Narayan
.
A post office was set up in 1866, and Dhaka-Narayanganj telegraph service was started from 1877. The Bank of Bengal introduced the first telephone
service in 1882.
The Narayanganj Municipality was incorporated on September 8, 1876. The first hospital of the area, the Narayanganj Victoria Hospital was established in 1885 by the Municipality with financial contributions from Harakanta Banerjee.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. It is located in the Narayanganj District
Narayanganj District
The district of Narayanganj consists 3078 mosques, 269 temples, ten churches and four Buddhist temples.-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...
, near the capital city of Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
and has a population of 220,000. The city is on the bank of the Shitalakshya River
Shitalakshya River
Shitalakshya River is a distributary of the Brahmaputra. In its initial stages it flows in a southwest direction and then east of the city of Narayanganj in central Bangladesh until it merges with the Dhaleswari near Kalagachhiya. A portion of its upper course is known as Banar River...
. The river port of Narayanganj is one of the oldest in Bangladesh. It is also a center of business and industry, especially the jute
Jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae....
trade and processing plants, and the textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
sector of the country. It is nicknamed the Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
of Bangladesh due to the presence of lots of jute mills. Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
was the first industrialised Juteopolis in the world.
History
The town got its name from Bicon Lal Pandey, a HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religious leader who was also known as Benur Thakur or Lakhsmi Narayan Thakur. He leased the area from the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in 1766 following the Battle of Plassey
Battle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey , 23 June 1757, was a decisive British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies, establishing Company rule in South Asia which expanded over much of the Indies for the next hundred years...
. He donated the markets and the land on the banks of the river as Devottor or Given to God property, bequethed for maintenance expenses for the worship of the god Narayan
Narayan
Narayan may refer to:*Narayana, an Indian name, an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu*Narayanan, an Indian name*Narain, an Indian name- People :*Aditya Narayan, Indian television show host*Anand Narayan, Indian television personality...
.
A post office was set up in 1866, and Dhaka-Narayanganj telegraph service was started from 1877. The Bank of Bengal introduced the first telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
service in 1882.
The Narayanganj Municipality was incorporated on September 8, 1876. The first hospital of the area, the Narayanganj Victoria Hospital was established in 1885 by the Municipality with financial contributions from Harakanta Banerjee.