Sylhet

Sylhet, city, northeastern Bangladesh. It lies along the right bank of the Surma River.

The most important town in the Surma River valley, it is connected by road and rail with Comilla, Chhatak, and Habiganj, by road with the states of Assam and Meghalaya (both in India), and by air with Dhaka and several international destinations. Sylhet is known for its cane products and produces tea, fertilizer, and liquefied petroleum (propane) gas. There are also several handicraft cottage industries, including mat weaving and bamboo work. Tea estates southeast of Sylhet provide most of Bangladesh’s yield.

Sylhet was constituted a municipality in 1878. It is the home of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (1987) and several other government colleges. It was the capital of the 14th-century raja Gaur Gobind and later served as a Muslim cultural centre. Historic sites include the Shah Jalal Mosque and the tombs of several Muslim saints. Pop. (2001) 263,197; (2011) 479,837.