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Chittagong: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Chittagong
Chittagong appeared on ancient Greek and Roman maps, including Ptolemy's world map in the 2nd century. It was located on the southern branch of the Silk Road. In the 9th century, merchants from the Abbasid Caliphate established a trading post in Chittagong. The port fell to the Muslim conquest of Bengal during the 14th century. It was the site of a royal mint under the Delhi Sultanate, Bengal Sultanate and Mughal Empire. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, Chittagong was also a centre of administrative, literary, commercial and maritime activities in Arakan. During the 16th century, the port became a Portuguese trading post and João de Barros described it as "the most famous and wealthy city of the Kingdom of Bengal". Chinese traveller Xuanzang described the area as "a sleeping beauty rising from mist and water" in the 7th century. Ibn Battuta visited the port city in 1345. Niccolò de' Conti, from Venice, also visited around the same time as Battuta. Chinese admiral Zheng He's treasure fleet anchored in Chittagong during imperial missions to the Sultanate of Bengal.
Colonial Conquests And Conflicts
The Nawab of Bengal ceded the port to the British East India Company in 1793. The Port of Chittagong was re-organized in 1887 and its busiest shipping links were with British Burma. In 1666, the Mughal government of Bengal led by viceroy Shaista Khan moved to retake Chittagong from Portuguese and Arakanese control. The Mughals attacked the Arakanese from the jungle with a 6,500-strong army, which was further supported by 288 Mughal naval ships blockading the Chittagong harbor. After three days of battle, the Arakanese surrendered. The Mughals expelled the Portuguese from Chittagong. Two decades after Vasco Da Gama's landing in Calicut, the Bengal Sultanate permitted the Portuguese settlement in Chittagong to be established in 1528. It became the first European colonial enclave in Bengal. The Bengal Sultanate lost control of Chittagong in 1531 after Arakan declared independence. The nearby island of Sandwip was conquered in 1602. In 1615, the Portuguese Navy defeated a joint Dutch East India Company and Arakanese fleet near the coast of Chittagong.
When was Chittagong first mentioned on ancient maps?
Chittagong appeared on Ptolemy's world map in the 2nd century. The city was located on the southern branch of the Silk Road during this period.
Who established the first European trading post in Chittagong and when?
The Bengal Sultanate permitted the Portuguese to establish a settlement in Chittagong in 1528. This became the first European colonial enclave in Bengal two decades after Vasco Da Gama landed in Calicut.
What role did Chittagong play during World War II?
Chittagong served as a critical air, naval and military base for Allied Forces during the Burma Campaign against Japan. Units of the United States Army Air Forces' 4th Combat Cargo Group were stationed at Chittagong Airfield in 1945.
How much economic output does Chittagong generate today?
Chittagong accounts for 12% of Bangladesh's GDP including 40% of industrial output and 80% of international trade. The Port of Chittagong handled US$60 billion in annual trade in 2011.
When was the Shah Amanat International Airport renamed?
The Government renamed the airport from MA Hannan International Airport to Shah Amanat International Airport on the 2nd of April 2005. It is now the second busiest airport in Bangladesh.
During World War II, Chittagong became a frontline city in the Southeast Asian Theater. It was a critical air, naval and military base for Allied Forces during the Burma Campaign against Japan. The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force carried out air raids on Chittagong in April and May 1942. Units of the United States Army Air Forces' 4th Combat Cargo Group were stationed in Chittagong Airfield in 1945. Commonwealth forces included troops from Britain, India, Australia, and New Zealand. During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, which was waged under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Chittagong witnessed heavy fighting between rebel Bengali military regiments and the Pakistan Army. The Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence was broadcast from Kalurghat Radio Station and transmitted internationally through foreign ships in Chittagong Port. Ziaur Rahman and M A Hannan announced the independence declaration from Chittagong. A K Khan drafted the English version of Zia's broadcast. These radio broadcasts began the journey of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. In December 1971, the Bangladesh Air Force and the Indian Air Force carried out the heavy bombing of facilities occupied by the Pakistani military.
Economic Engine And Industrial Hub
Chittagong accounts for 12% of Bangladesh's GDP, including 40% of industrial output, 80% of international trade, and 50% of tax revenue. The Port of Chittagong handled US$60 billion in annual trade in 2011, ranking 3rd in South Asia after the Port of Mumbai and the Port of Colombo. The Chittagong Stock Exchange has more than 700 listed companies, with a market capitalisation of US$32 billion in June 2015. The city is home to many of the country's oldest and largest corporations. Major Bangladeshi conglomerates headquartered in Chittagong include M. M. Ispahani Limited, BSRM, A K Khan & Company, PHP Group, James Finlay Bangladesh, the Habib Group, the S. Alam Group of Industries, Seamark Group, KDS Group, Abul Khair Group and the T. K. Group of Industries. By 2024, the Chittagong-based S Alam Group emerged as one of Bangladesh's most powerful conglomerates, with interests in energy, commodities, infrastructure, economic zones, healthcare, textiles and fintech. S Alam's projects include a $640 million steel plant, a $2.6 billion power plant and a $3 billion renewable energy plant.
Geography And Infrastructure Projects
Chittagong lies at . It straddles the coastal foothills of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in south-eastern Bangladesh. The Karnaphuli River runs along the southern banks of the city, including its central business district. Mount Sitakunda is the highest peak in Chittagong District, with an elevation of . Within the city itself, the highest peak is Batali Hill at . In 1924, an engineering team of the Assam Bengal Railway established the Foy's Lake. The largest of these projects is the Chittagong Outer Ring Road, which runs along the coast for from Patenga to Sagorika Industrial Area. The authority also began the construction of a underwater expressway tunnel through the Karnaphuli river to ensure better connectivity between the northern and southern parts of Chittagong. This tunnel will be the first of its kind in South Asia. The Shah Amanat International Airport serves as Chittagong's only airport. It is the second busiest airport in Bangladesh. The airport was formerly known as MA Hannan International Airport but was renamed after a famous Sufi saint Shah Amanat on the 2nd of April 2005 by the Government.
Cultural Diversity And Demographics
At the 2022 Census, Chittagong had a population of 3,230,507. By gender, the population was 50.89% male and 49.11% female, and the literacy rate in the city was approximately 84.49 percent. Muslims, numbering approximately 2,841,595, form the overwhelming majority of the city's population, with the rest being 329,566 Hindus, 53,181 Buddhist and 4793 Christian. Chittagong was a melting pot of ethnicities during the Bengal Sultanate and Mughal Bengal periods. Muslim immigration started as early as the seventh century, and significant Muslim settlements occurred during the medieval period. The city has many ethnic minorities, especially members of indigenous groups from the frontier hills of Chittagong Division, including Chakmas, Rakhines and Tripuris; as well as Rohingya refugees. The Bengali-speaking Theravada Buddhists of the area, known as Baruas, are one of the oldest communities in Chittagong and one of the last remnants of Buddhism in Bangladesh. Descendants of Portuguese settlers, often known as Firingis, also live in Chittagong, as well as Catholics, who largely live in the old Portuguese enclave of Paterghatta.