Kushtia

Kushtia (Bengali: কুষ্টিয়া (listen^ⓘ) is a city located on the banks of the Gorai River in Bangladesh. It serves as the headquarters of Kushtia District and is considered the cultural capital of Bangladesh. The city is known for its Tiler Khaja (sesame sweets), kulfi malai, and the Mausoleum of Lalon Shah. Kushtia is home to numerous medium and heavy industries that play a vital role in the national economy. The area of Kushtia Municipality is 42.79 square kilometres (16.52 sq mi). According to the 2022 Bangladeshi census, the population of Kushtia Municipality is 221,804.

In 1864, the 'Kushtia Union Committee' was formed with 10 villages under the Kushtia subdivision. During this time, the town of Kushtia developed in the mouzas of Mojompur and Bahadurkhali. In 1869, the Kushtia Municipality was established. With the construction of the Kushtia and Kushtia Court railway station in 1871 various industries began to emerge in the town. Among them, Mohini Mill and Renwick Jajneswar & Co Limited are notable.

Kushtia has long been widely recognized as the "Cultural Capital" of Bangladesh. However, there are differing opinions among historians regarding the origin of the name "Kushtia." The most widely accepted theory is found in Hamilton’s Gazette published in 1820. According to it Kushtia was once a major producer of jute. In the local dialect jute was called "Koshta" (a term still in use) or "Kushti" from which the name "Kushtia" is believed to have originated.

Some believe the name came from the Persian word 'Kushtah', meaning 'island of ashes'. Another theory suggests that the town developed around the "Kushti port" during the reign of the fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Kushtia is located to the west of the capital Dhaka, north of Khulna, and southeast of Rajshahi between 23º42΄ to 23º59΄ north latitude and 88º55΄ to 89º04΄ east longitude.

To the north of Kushtia flows the Gorai River and to the east lies the Kaliganga River. The city mainly developed around the Gorai River. The Gorai is a distributary of the Padma River and the Kaliganga is a branch of the Gorai. To improve connectivity between the city and the areas of Haripur and Kaya, a road bridge was constructed between 2013 and 2017 from Thanapara to Haripur named Haripur Bridge. People also cross the river via Ghorar Ghat in the Big Bazar area.

In 1949, the Gorai Canal was excavated to benefit Kushtia’s municipal residents, reduce waterlogging of agricultural land in parts of Mirpur Upazila, and expand the local waterways. The canal is 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) long. In 1954–55 under the Ganges-Kobadak Irrigation Project the Chourhas Canal was excavated.

A bus terminal was constructed in Kushtia in 1991 known as Kushtia Central Bus Terminal or Chourhas Bus Terminal.