Zakiganj, Sylhet

Zakiganj is currently known as an upazila (sub-district) of the Sylhet Division in Bangladesh. But the Zakiganj area guide hasn’t always looked the way it does now. Before 1947, the present-day Zakiganj Bazar area was only known as Zakiganj. It used to be a part of India’s Karimganj Sadar Thana.

However, during the India-Pakistan division in 1947, it became a part of West Pakistan (now Bangladesh) as a thana area. In 1983, the Zakiganj Upazila was established, which now includes 9 unions, 114 mouzas, and 278 villages.

The Zakiganj Upazila’s land area is about 267 square kilometers, and the population is 2,67309 (2022 Census). It is yet another part of Bangladesh located near the India-Bangladesh border. The upazila is bounded by Kanaighat Upazila and India’s Meghalaya State in the north, the Beanibazar Upazila in the west, and India’s Assam State in both south and east. The length of the Bangladesh-India borderline in Zakiganj is about 53 kilometers.

If you are traveling to Zakiganj from Sylhet Sadar Upazila, the most convenient way to travel is by bus, using the Zakiganj-Sylhet Road. However, if you are on a lighter vehicle, opt for the Karimganj-Sylhet Road. Most of the main roads of the area are in good condition. However, there are more mud roads that need to be developed.

The two main rivers in the area are the Surma and Kushiyara Rivers. The Barak River from India meets these two, and the mouth of these three rivers is known as Trimohona, which is a notable spot in the upazila. But if you travel to Zakiganj, you can enjoy many more beautiful things there.

Other than Trimohona, some of the most popular sites in Zakiganj Upazila are Dewan Sajid Raja’s House, Zakiganj Custom Ghat, Balai Haor, Moricha Bagan Bari, Jannat Entertainment Park, Atgram Boro Bari Masjid, etc. Among its notable educational institutions in the area are the Zakiganj Government High School, Zakiganj Government College, Isamoti Degree College, Zakiganj Senior Fazil Madrasa, etc. Though there are around 200 educational institutions in Zakiganj, it doesn’t have any universities.

80% of the population in the area depends on agriculture as the main source of economic activity. While Zakiganj Upazila is a partially urban and developing location, it still has problems like heavy flooding every year.