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Woman wearing a wide bamboo hat shown picking tea leaves by hand, surrounded by many plants. Sylhet, Bangladesh
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Woman wearing a wide bamboo hat shown picking tea leaves by hand, surrounded by many plants.
Tea picker near Sylhet, Bangladesh A woman picks tea leaves near Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Sylhet

Bangladesh
Also known as: Srihatta
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

News •

242 not out: The records Tawhid Hridoy set in Sylhet • Nov. 9, 2026, 2:43 PM ET (Daily Star)
Bangladesh ready to ditch spin-first approach in Sylhet • Nov. 6, 2026, 10:35 PM ET (Daily Star)
Sammy eyes 2-0 'Christmas present' in Sylhet to seal unbeaten year for West Indies • Nov. 4, 2026, 9:01 AM ET (Daily Star)
Sammy wary of hosts: Can Tigers roar back in Sylhet? • Nov. 2, 2026, 4:55 AM ET (Daily Star)
Debutant Rakib’s five-for helps Khulna edge Chattogram; Sylhet, Rajshahi win • Oct. 21, 2026, 11:46 AM ET (Daily Star)

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

Sylhet, Bangladesh
Sylhet, Bangladesh

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.

Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Virginia Gorlinski.
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