Khulna Division () is the second largest of the eight divisions of Bangladesh. It has an area of and a population of 17,416,645 at the 2022 Bangladesh census (preliminary returns). Its headquarters and largest city is Khulna city in Khulna District.
History During the British Raj era, Khulna Division was part of the Presidency Division. Before 1947, the Presidency division included six major districts: Murshidabad, Calcutta, 24 Parganas, Khulna, undivided Jessore, and undivided Nadia. In 1947, The Partition of India divided this division into two. The district of Khulna and the other half of Jessore District and Nadia District became part of the newly established East Bengal. And rest of the district of the presidential division became part of West Bengal. In 1948, Nadia district of East Bengal formed a new district called Kushtia. And the government of East Bengal added the Jessore, Khulna & Kushtia district into the Rajshahi Division. In 1960, the government of East Pakistan decided that these three districts from the Rajshahi Division and one district from the Dacca Division would create a division called Khulna. In 1993, the Barisal Division was formed from the Khulna division.
Geography The Khulna division borders the indian state of West Bengal to the west, the Rajshahi Division to the north, the Dhaka division to the northeast and the Barisal division to the southeast. It also has a coastline on the Bay of Bengal to the south. It is part of the Ganges River delta or Greater Bengal Delta. Other rivers include the Madhumati River, the Bhairab River and the Kapotaksha River. The region also includes several islands in the Bay of Bengal.
The Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, is in the southern part of the division.
Khulna city is in the northern part of the district, and the Mayur River is the western boundary of the metropolitan area.
Administrative districts The division was formed in 1960. Khulna Division consists of the following ten districts (zilas), subdivided into 59 sub-districts (upazilas):Census figures for 1991, 2001 and 2011 are from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Population Census Wing. The 2011 Census figures are based on preliminary results.
DistrictMapEst.Area (km2)Population (2022)Density (/km2)Seats in ParlamentNo. of Upazila Jashore17812,6073,076,1441,20068Khulna18824,3942,613,38559569Kushtia19471,6092,149,6921,33646Satkhira19843,8172,196,58157447Jhenaidah19841,9651,771,30490246Bagerhat19843,9591,613,07940739Chuadanga19841,1741,234,0661,05124Magura19841,0391,033,11599424Narail1984968788,67381523Meherpur1984742705,35695123Total22,28417,415,9247813659
Demographics
Muslims are the predominant religion with 88.21%, while Hindus are the main minority with 11.53% population. Christians and others are 0.24% and 0.02% respectively.
Economy Majority of the largest mangrove forest in the world — the Sundarban — is spread across the three most southerly districts of Satkhira, Khulna and Bagherhat. Khulna's GDP is the third-largest GDP behind Dhaka and Chittagong. It possesses a GDP of $53 billion.
Education The division contains educational institutions including
Universities Public Universities Khulna University Khulna University of Engineering and Technology Khulna Agricultural University Khulna Medical University Jashore University of Science and Technology Islamic University, Bangladesh Meherpur University Private Universities North Western University, Bangladesh Northern University of Business and Technology Khulna Rabindra Maitree University, Kushtia Lalon Science and Arts University, Kushtia First Capital University of Bangladesh, Chuadanga. Khan Bahadul Ahsanullah University, Khulna
Medical Colleges
Public Khulna Medical College Kushtia Medical College Jashore Medical College Satkhira Medical College Magura Medical College Army Medical College, Jashore
Private Khulna City Medical College Hospital Gazi Medical College Ad-Din Akij Medical College hospital, Khulna Khulna Homeopathic Medical College Ad-Din Sakina Medical College & Hospital, Jashore Selima Medical College & Hospital, Kushtia
Colleges Khulna Public College Khulna Govt. College Ahsanullah College, Khulna Kushtia Government College Khulna Collectorate Public School & College Kushtia Government Central College Kushtia Government Womens College Police Lines School and College, Kushtia Khulna Govt. Model School and college, Khulna Kushtia Islamia College, Kumarkhali Govt. College, Kushtia Govt. Bangabandhu College, Rupsha, Khulna Bheramara Govt. College, Kushtia Bheramara Govt. Womens College, Kushtia Chuadanga Govt College-Chuadanga Government B L College, Khulna Jhenaidah Cadet College Majid Memorial City College, Khulna Cantonment College, Jashore Azam Khan Govt. Commerce College, Khulna BN School & College, Khulna Govt. H.S.S College, Magura Michael Modhushudon College, Jashore Govt. Pioneer Woman's College, Khulna Khulna Govt. Girls College Govt. Sundarban Adarsha College, Khulna. Govt. K.C. College, Jhenaidah Government P.C. College, Bagerhat Daulatpur College (Day/Night), Daulatpur, Khulna Govt. Keshabpur College, Keshabpur, Jashore Khan Jahan Ali Ideal College Chuknagor College, Dumuria, Khulna Dr. Abdur Razzak Municipal College BAF Shaheen College, Jashore Jashore Govt. City College Dawood Public School, Jashore Adarsha Degree College, Magura Sreepur Degree College, Magura
Polytechnic institutes Khulna Polytechnic Institute Jashore Polytechnic Institute City Polytechnic Institute, Khulna Mangrove Institute of Science and Technology North South Polytechnic Institute Khulna Jhenaidah Polytechnic Institute Khanjahan Ali college of Engineering and Technology BCMC College of Engineering & Technology Khulna Mohila Polytechnic Institute Kushtia Polytechnic Institute Satkhira Polytechnic Institute Magura Polytechnic Institute
Schools V J Govt High School, Chuadanga Chuadanga Govt Girls' High School-Chuadanga Govt. Coronation Girls' High School-khulna Islamabad Collegiate School Government Naldanga Bhushan Pilot Secondary School, Jhenaidah Dighalia M.A. Majid Secondary School, Khulna Jashore Zilla School Khulna Zilla School Kushtia Zilla School Fatima Girls High School, Khulna Jashore Cantonment Public School Keshabpur Govt. Pilot Higher Secondary School, Jashore Khulna Collegiate Girls School Khulna Engineering University School Khulna Lions Schools Adarsho Girls' School, Keshabpur, Jashore Sagardari Michael Madhusadan Institution, Keshabpur, Jashore Kumira High School M.M. High School Mangolkot M.L High School, Keshabpur, Jashore Rev. Paul High School Rosedale International School Rotary School, Khalishpur, Khulna S.B.S.N, Damoder St. Joseph's High School, Khulna St. Xavier's High School, Khulna Udayan Khulna Zilla Police School Manirampur Government High School
Other educational institutes Khulna has six integrated general and vocational (IGV) schools and one technical school of UCEP (Underprivileged Children's Educational Programs), which is a non-profitable organization. UCEP Mohsin Khulna TVET Institute, Baikali, Khulna UCEP Mohsin Khulna Technical School, Baikali, UCEP Sonadanga Technical School, Sonadanga UCEP M.A Majid Technical School, Fulbarigate UCEP Khalishpur Technical School, Khalishpur UCEP Johara Samad Technical School, Tootpara UCEP Wazed Ali Technical School, Banorgati
Transportation Khulna Division has a high transportation link with other areas in Bangladesh as well as with India by Road, Rail, Air and Waterways
Road The national highway (N7) cross through Khulna Division which connects Dhaka to the Port of Mongla. The AH1 and AH41 also Cross through Khulna division. It also connects with India by the Landports of Benapole, Darshana, Mujibnogor, and Bhomra through various Road links.
Rail There are several railway routes in Khulna Division which connects various cities and areas of Bangladesh. It also has 2 international routes to India which connects by train.
Air There are two airports in Khulna Division. One of them is functional and one is under construction. The Jashore Airport is a functional airport in Khulna Division which connects to Dhaka, Chattogram and Cox's Bazar by air and the Khan Jahan Ali International Airport is still under construction.
Waterways Port of Khulna, Port of Kushtia, Port of Noapara are the main three river ports in Khulna division. Every day various ship are leaving from these ports to various parts of Bangladesh.
Port of Mongla is the only sea port in Khulna division.
Newspapers and magazines Daily and weekly newspapers are published from Khulna Division, including: Anirbhan Janmobhumi Khulna News Lok Samaj Probaho Purbanchal satkhiranews.com The Daily Gramer Kagoj The Daily Spandan Tribune Daily Mathabhanga
Points of interest Sixty Dome Mosque — Situated in the suburbs of Bagerhat Sadar Upazila, at the meeting-point of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, this ancient city, formerly known as Khalifatabad, was founded by the Turkish general Ulugh Khan Jahan in the 15th century. The city's infrastructure reveals considerable technical skill and an exceptional number of mosques and early Islamic monuments, many built of brick, can be seen there.
The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the largest such forests in the world (140,000 ha), lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. It is adjacent to the border of India's Sundarbans World Heritage site inscribed in 1987. The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes. The area is known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.
Mobarakganj Sugar Mills Limited is a prominent sugar manufacturing company located in Mobarakganj, Jhenaidah. Established with the goal of supporting the agricultural sector and contributing to the national economy, the company produces high-quality sugar and related by-products.
Shilaidaha Kuthibadi is a place in Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia District in Bangladesh. The place is famous for Kuthi Bari; a country house made by Dwarkanath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore lived a part of his life here and created some of his memorable poems while living here.
1971: Genocide-Torture Archive & Museum - Rare pictures and paintings depicting the genocide of Bangladeshis by the Pakistan army hang on the wall. There is also a rich collection of books and audio-visual materials on the ruthless massacre against the unarmed people. The aim of the museum is to educate people, especially youths, about the genocide committed by the Pakistan army in association with their local collaborators, said Prof Muntassir Mamoon, chairman of the trustee board that runs the institution.
Notable residents Khan Jahan Ali, saint Fakir Lalon Shah, Baul legend Prafulla Chandra Ray - Acharya and scholar of University of Dhaka Michael Madhusudan Datta, poet and dramatist Amir Hamza, poet and fighter SM Sultan, artist Nilima Ibrahim, educationist, littérateur and social worker Firoz Mahmud, contemporary visual artist and painter Mohammad Lutfur Rahman, author Tanvir Mokammel, filmmaker and writer Pramatha Chaudhuri, essayist, poet, author and editor Farrukh Ahmad, poet and editor Qazi Imdadul Haq, writer Nur Mohammad Sheikh, EPR member, Bir Sreshtho recipient Sheikh Abu Naser, politician Sharif Khasruzzaman - politician (Narail), fighter and commander during the Bangladesh War of Independence Abdul Hyee, politician, fighter and commander during the Bangladesh War of Independence SM Shafiuddin Ahmed - 17th Chief of Army Staff (CAS) of Bangladesh Army