This article is about the city. For the upazilas, see Comilla Adarsha Sadar Upazila. For and, see Comilla Sadar Dakshin Upazila. For the district, see Comilla District. For the proposed division, see Comilla Division.
Comilla
Metropolis
Native nameকুমিল্লা
CountryBangladesh
DivisionChittagong
DistrictComilla
Municipality1890
City Corporation10 July 2011
Governing bodyComilla City Corporation
AdministratorMd Yusuf Molla
City Council27 constituencies
Parliament1 constituencies
Area urban61.34 km²
Area metro148 km²
Population metro867,757
Population as of2022
Population urban634,654
Coordinates23°27′N 91°12′E
Population blank 18th in Bangladesh
Metro rank8th in Bangladesh
Time zoneBangladesh Time (UTC+6)
National Calling Code+880
Elevation11 m
Elevation36 ft
Postal code3500–3583
Calling code+880 81
OfficialBengaliEnglish
RegionalEastern Bengali dialects
UN/LOCODEBD CLA
GDP (2022)PPP
$4.4 billion
Nominal
$1.6 billion
HDI (2023)0.672[1]
medium · 16th of 22
AirportComilla Airport (currently non-operational)
Planning AuthorityCOCC Development Authority
Water Supply and Sewerage AuthorityCOCC WASA
Websitecomilla.gov.bd
Calling code081
PoliceCumilla Range Police

Comilla (Bengali: কুমিল্লা), officially spelled Cumilla,[2][3] is a metropolis on the banks of the Gumti River in eastern Bangladesh. Comilla was one of the cities of ancient Bengal. It was once the capital of Tripura kingdom.[4] Comilla Airport is located in the Dulipara area of Comilla city Although it is currently replaced with Comilla Export Processing Zone (EPZ). Comilla City is a division centered city district with surrounding districts coming to Comilla in more diverse areas of work. Bibir Bazar land port is located 5 km away from Comilla city. The area of Comilla City Corporation is 53.04 square kilometers, so the surrounding areas of the main city fall under the jurisdiction of the City Corporation. The urban areas falling outside the Comilla City Corporation are considered suburbs, forming part of the metro area, which was estimated at 691,000 in 2025- a 2.98% increase from 2024.[5]

History

Ancient era

The Comilla region was once under the reign of Gangaridai and Samatata in ancient period. This district came under the reign of the kings of the Harikela in the ninth century AD. Lalmai Mainamati was ruled by the Deva dynasty (eighth century AD) and Chandra dynasty (during the 10th and mid-11th century AD). In 1732, it became the centre of the Bengal-backed domain of Jagat Manikya.[6]

The Peasants' Movement against the king of Tripura in 1764, which originally formed under the leadership of Shamsher Gazi is a notable historical event in Comilla.[7] It came under the rule of East India Company in 1765. This district was established as the Tripura district in 1790. It was renamed Comilla in 1960.

British era

Communal tension spread over Comilla when a Muslim was shot in the town during the partition of Bengal in 1905. On 21 November 1921, Kazi Nazrul Islam composed patriotic songs and tried to awaken the townspeople by protesting the Prince of Wales's visit to India.[8] During this time, Avay Ashram, as a revolutionary institution, played a significant role. Poet Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi visited Comilla at that time. In 1931, approximately 4000 peasants in Mohini village in Chauddagram Upazila revolted against a land revenue tax. The British Gurkha soldiers fired indiscriminately on the crowd, killing four people.[9] In a major peasant gathering, the police fired at Hasnabad of Laksam Upazila in 1932. Two people were killed and many were wounded. Comilla Victoria Government College in the city was named in memory of Queen Victoria. The main meaning of the context is that the people of Comilla have always maintained good relations and harmonized with others.[10]

World War II

Comilla Cantonment is an important military base and the oldest in East Bengal. It was widely used by the British Indian Army during World War II. It was the headquarter of the British 14th Army. There is a war cemetery, Maynamati War Cemetery,[11] in Comilla that was established after World War II to remember the Allied soldiers who died during World War I and II, mostly from Commonwealth states and the United States. There are a number of Japanese soldiers buried there as well, from the Second World War.[12]

War of liberation of Bangladesh

During the war for the liberation of Bangladesh, when Pakistan Army created the 39th ad hoc Division in mid-November, from the 14th Division units deployed in those areas, to hold on to the Comilla and Noakhali districts, and the 14th Division was tasked to defend the Sylhet and Brahmanbaria areas only.[13] Pakistan Army's 93,000 troops unconditionally surrendered to the Joint Coalition forces on 16 December 1971.[14] This day and event is commemorated as the Bijoy Dibos (Bengali: বিজয় দিবস) in Bangladesh.[15][14]

Geography

Comilla is bounded by Burichang Upazila and Tripura on the north, Laksam and Chauddagram on the south, and Barura Upazila on the west. The major rivers that pass through Comilla include Gomati River[16] and Little Feni.

Points of interest

Comilla has a number of tourist attractions. Various archaeological relics discovered in the district, especially from the seventh–eighth centuries, are now preserved in the Mainamati Museum.[17] There is a World War II war cemetery in Comilla, which is protected and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.[18]

Sports

Comilla Victorians is a professional cricket team based in Comilla and is the most successful franchise in the Bangladesh Premier League.[19][20]

Administration

Comilla is controlled by the Comilla City Corporation. It has 27 wards.[21]

Demographics

As of 2022 census results, Comilla City Corporation had 101,245 households and a population of 440,233. 17.63% of the population was under 10 years of age. Comilla had a literacy rate of 87.28% for those 7 years and older and a sex ratio of 100.68 males per 100 females.[22]

Transportation

Highway

One of the oldest highways of the Indian subcontinent, 'The Grand Trunk Road', passes through the city. The Dhaka–Chittagong Highway bypasses the city from the cantonment to Shuagaji through Poduar Bazar.[23]

Airport

Comilla Airport is a public-use airport that is not in use for commercial travel.

Media

Daily newspapers published in Comilla include Comillar Kagoj, Daily Amader Comilla, Shiranam, and Rupasi Bangla, established in 1972. Amod, founded in 1955, is the city's oldest weekly newspaper.[9][24][25]

Notable residents

Main article: List of people from Comilla

See also

References

  1. ^ "Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Bangladesh changes English spellings of five districts". Bdnews24.com. 2 April 2018. Archived 24 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Mixed reactions as govt changes English spellings of 5 district names". Dhaka Tribune. 2 April 2018. Archived 6 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Comilla District - Banglapedia". en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  5. ^ "Comilla, Bangladesh Metro Area Population 1950-2025 | MacroTrends". www.macrotrends.net. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  6. ^ Kilikhar, Bidhas Kanti (1995). Tripura of the 18th Century with Samsher Gazi Against Feudalism: A Historical Study. Agartula: Chhapa Kathi, Tripura State Tribal Cultural Research Institute and Museum. p. 55. OCLC 39290375
  7. ^ Nawaz, Ali (2012). "Shamsher Gazi". Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Second ed. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh
  8. ^ Islam, Rafiqul (2012). "Islam, Kazi Nazrul". Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Second ed. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh
  9. ^ Siddiqi, Mamun (2003). "Comilla District". Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. First ed. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh During this time Avaya Ashram, as a revolutionary institution, played significant role. Poet Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi visited Comilla at that time. In 1931, the British Gurkha soldiers fired indiscriminately and killed four persons of village Mohini of Chauddagram Upazila when about four thousand peasants of this village revolted against paying land revenue.
  10. ^ https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2398721153683156&id=1671913669697245
  11. ^ Whitaker's Cumulative Book List. J. Whitaker. 1961. p. 146.
  12. ^ "Japan-Bangladesh E-Bulletin (13th issue / November 22nd, 2004". Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh. 22 November 2004. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  13. ^ Salik, Siddiq, Witness to Surrender, pp126
  14. ^ "Why Do India Celebrate 'Vijay Diwas' On 16th December". SSBToSuccess. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  15. ^ "About us". Liberation War Museum. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  16. ^ Vol. 6. p. 763.
  17. ^ Huntington, Susan L. (1984). The "Påala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture. Brill Archive. p. xxvi. ISBN 978-90-04-06856-8.
  18. ^ "Maynamati War Cemetery | Cemetery Details"
  19. ^ "Cricket Records | Bangladesh Premier League | Records | Series results". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  20. ^ "Cricket Records | Bangladesh Premier League | Records | Result summary". ESPN Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  21. ^ "History". Comilla City Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  22. ^ Population and Housing Census 2022 - District Report: Comilla. District Series. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. June 2024. ISBN 978-984-475-284-9.
  23. ^ Leung, Mikey & Meggitt, Belinda (2012). Bangladesh. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 274. ISBN 978-1-84162-409-9.
  24. ^ "bn:পত্র পত্রিকা" [Periodicals] (in Bengali). Comilla District. Bangladesh National Portal.
  25. ^ "Bangladesh Newspapers and News Media Guide". ABYZ News Links
  26. ^ Sarma, Ramya (3 September 2013). "The magic in the music". The Hindu. Archived 2013-09-05 at the Wayback Machine.
  27. ^ "bn:দেবী চৌধুরানি" [Devi Choudhurani] (in Bengali). Anandabazar Patrika. 25 October 2010. Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine.
  28. ^ Shazu, Shah Alam (10 November 2017). "Mim goes for a spin on her birthday". The Daily Star. Archived 15 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine.
  29. ^ "bn:প্রধান উপদেষ্টা ও উপদেষ্টাদের কার বাড়ি কোথায়, জানুন কর্মময় জীবন" [Know the working life of the chief advisor and advisors, where they live] (in Bengali). Dhaka Times 24. 8 August 2024.
  30. ^ "Veteran Calling: Rashid Ahmed". The Pakistan Observer. 1 August 1969. p. 10.