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Chittagong is the main seaport and second largest city of Bangladesh. It is situated in the Karnaphuli River Valley and faces the Bay of Bengal on its coastline. The city has an estimated population of over 6 million people. It is the administrative capital of the Chittagong Division. An ancient and historic gateway to Bengal, Old Chittagong was a major port for Indian Ocean traders and was...  MORE

Chittagong is the main seaport and second largest city of Bangladesh. It is situated in the Karnaphuli River Valley and faces the Bay of Bengal on its coastline. The city has an estimated population of over 6 million people. It is the administrative capital of the Chittagong Division. An ancient and historic gateway to Bengal, Old Chittagong was a major port for Indian Ocean traders and was linked with the Southwest Silk Road. For centuries, it was frequented by Arab and Persian merchants and attracted numerous explorers such as Ibn Battuta, Admiral Zheng He and Niccolò de' Conti. The Portuguese arrived in the 16th century and established the settlement of Porto Grande De Bengala. After the collapse of the Principality of Bengal, the British East India Company gained control of the port in the late-18th century. Modern Chittagong emerged under the British Raj as a key transportation hub of Bengal, Assam and Burma. It underwent urban and commercial expansion in the early and mid-20th century with the growth of tea, jute and petroleum exports from the region. During World War II, it served as an important base for Allied Forces engaged in the Burma Campaign. After the partition of India in 1947, Chittagong became part of East Pakistan. At the onset of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, the declaration of Bangladesh’s independence was proclaimed from Chittagong. LESS