The ancient history of the Sylhet region dates back to the kingdoms of Kamarupa and Harikela. For centuries, it was a thriving frontier territory, acting as a crossroads for trade and cultural exchange between the Indian subcontinent, Tibet, and Southeast Asia.
A defining moment in Sylhet's history occurred in 1303, when the Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Jalal, accompanied by 360 disciples, arrived in the region. He defeated the local Hindu king, Gour Govinda, integrating Sylhet into the expanding Islamic world. This era laid the foundation for the region's strong Islamic heritage and its reputation as a center of Sufi mysticism.
During the Mughal era, Sylhet became a prominent *sarkar* (district) of the Bengal Subah. Following the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the British East India Company took control. In 1874, the British administration controversially transferred Sylhet to the Chief Commissioner's Province of Assam to boost the province's revenue. It remained part of Assam until the pivotal 1947 Sylhet Referendum, in which the local population voted to join East Bengal (part of newly formed Pakistan) rather than remain with India.
Sylhet played a crucial role during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. General M.A.G. Osmani, the supreme commander of the Bangladesh Forces, was a native of Sylhet, and the region witnessed fierce fighting. After independence, Sylhet remained a district of the Chittagong Division until August 1, 1995, when it was elevated to the status of a full administrative division, reflecting its growing economic and cultural importance.
