Sunamganj district is located in the north- eastern borderline of Bangladesh. The history of the region is very ancient. According to the written description of Mr Linds, the entire area once was under the Bay of Bengal. In the ancient age, the region was under the kingdom of Kamrupa. It is said that Sunamganj was named after Mughal Sipahi Sunamuddin who established a bazaar on the bank of Surma River. The region was once a part of Iqlim- e- Moazzamabad which was an independent state until 1612. Sunamganj subdivision was established 1877. The physiography of the region was seriously changed due to a divesting earthquake on 12 June 1897. Nankar Rebellion (1922-1923), Anti-British Movement, The leftist movement (1947) etc are the remarkable chapters of the region. Sunamganj was upgraded to a district in 1984. The Geo position of the district is between 24˚34’ to 25˚12’ North latitudes and between 90˚56’ to 91˚49’ east longitude. Mystic poet Hason Raja was born in the region.
Administration: The area of Sunamganj District is 3747.18 Sq Km. It is under Sylhet Division. There are 04 Municipalities in Sunamganj named Sunamgonj, Chatok, Dirai and Jagannathpur. The number of Upazilla (sub district) in Sunamganj district is 11, named- Sunamgonj sadar, Dirai, Chatok, Jamalgonj, Dharmapasha, Modhanagor, Jagannathpur, Tahirpur, Shalla, Doarabazar and Bishamvorpur containing 87 Unions, 1535 Mauzas and 2887 Villages.
Population: The total population of Sunamganj district is 24,67,968 (Male- 12,36,106 and Female- 12,31,862), Sex ratio 100:100, Population Density 659/Sq Km and annual growth rate is 2.02%.
Literacy: The Literacy Rate of Sunamganj district is 35.00% (Male- 36.90% and Female- 33.10%). School attendance rate is 44.50% for 5 to 24 years age group.
Other Important Data: The postal code of Sunamganj district is 3000 and NWD Code is 0871. Total Parliament seat in Sunamganj is 05. During the liberation war, Sunamganj was under Sector Number 05 & 11. Urbanization rate of the district is 10.38%, average temperature is 29.600C and average rainfall is 5000 mm. Sunamganj was liberated on 6 December 1971.
Rivers: Surma, Kalni, Kushiara, Bawlai, Dhanu, Shameshwari, Jalalpur etc.
Agro Products: Paddy, Oil seeds, Orange, Mango, Vegetables, Fishes etc.
Remarkable Personalities from Sunamganj District
Shah Abdul Karim (Mystic Poet), Dewan Mohammad Azrof, Nirmolendra Chowdhury, Hason Raja, Roy Bahadur, Akkhoy Kumar Das, Sree Chaytannya Deb, Shahed Ali (Writer), Humayan Rashid Chowdhury (Politician and Diplomat), Abdus Samad Azad (Politician), Mawlana Ibrahim Ali, Mawlana Obaidul Hoque, Mawlana Nuruddin, Suranjit Sen Gupta(Politician), Shaheed Taleb Uddin (Freedom Fighter), Syed Shahnoor(Composer of Sufi Traditional Song), Dewan Hasan Raja, Likhan Ghosh (Philanthropist), Dr. S. M. Ghulam Quadir, Khan Bahadur Ghulam Mustafa Choudhury (Land Lord) , Niloy Dash, Dhrubho Eshe (Artist) etc.
Tourist Places in Sunamganj District
Tanguar Haor, Jadukata River Bank, Hason Raja Memorial Royal Palace, Laurer Garh, Chatok Cement Factory, Paper Mill, Bareker Tila, Matir Mosque, Taker Ghat Lime Stone (CaCo3) Field, Graveyard of 48 Martyr Freedom Fighter etc.