Barisal

About Barisal

Barisal, officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal District and Barisal Division. It is one of the oldest municipalities and river ports of the country. The city was once called the Venice of the East or the Venice of Bengal. Barishal is known for its extensive network of rivers and waterways, which play a crucial role in local transportation.

Barisal municipality was established in 1876 during the British rule in India and upgraded to City Corporation on 25 July 2002. Barisal is Bangladesh's third largest financial hub after Dhaka and Chittagong. The city consists of 30 wards and 50 mahallas with a population of 533,000, according to the 2023 national census, and about 250,000 voters, according to the 2018 voter list of city election. The area of the city is 58 km2.

The toponym Barisal is etymologically derived from the Perso-Arabic phrase "Bahr-e-Sawal," translating to "the ship of questions". This appellation is rooted in the interactions of Semitic Arab maritime traders...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.