Lesson 3/35 min
District and thana facts; past questions
History of districts
- The first district is Chattogram, formed in 1666
- The first subdivisions, each made of several thanas, were created in 1842 (Zubair)
- Under the upazila system 460 thanas were declared upazilas and subdivisions were abolished; the subdivisions were turned into districts (Zubair)
- The first ‘digital district’: Jashore (declared 20 December 2012)
District records
| Item | District |
|---|---|
| Largest by area | Rangamati |
| Smallest by area | Narayanganj |
| Largest / smallest by population | Dhaka / Bandarban |
| Higher / lower density | Dhaka / Bandarban |
| Faster / slower growth | Gazipur / Bagerhat |
| Literacy higher / lower | Dhaka / Sunamganj |
Watch out: Many books give Meherpur as the smallest district, but Zubair states clearly that this is wrong: the smallest is Narayanganj, as Khandokar also has it. The population-based rankings (growth, literacy) are from an older census in Zubair; the order may have changed in 2022, so they are not in the quiz.
Largest and smallest district in each division (by area)
| Division | Districts | Largest | Smallest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka | 13 | Tangail | Narayanganj |
| Chattogram | 11 | Rangamati | Feni |
| Rajshahi | 8 | Naogaon | Joypurhat |
| Khulna | 10 | Khulna | Meherpur |
| Barishal | 6 | Bhola | Jhalokathi |
| Sylhet | 4 | Sunamganj | Habiganj |
| Rangpur | 8 | Dinajpur | Lalmonirhat |
| Mymensingh | 4 | — | Sherpur |
Districts with a special feature (Zubair)
| District | Feature |
|---|---|
| Chattogram | First district (1666) |
| Nilphamari | Named after indigo cultivation |
| Chapainawabganj | First arsenic-affected district |
| Sylhet | Coldest district |
| Rajshahi | Hottest district |
| Gazipur | First armed resistance in the Liberation War |
| Magura | First illiteracy-free district |
| Jashore | First district freed of the occupation army; first digital district (2012) |
| Bhola | The island district |
| Bandarban | Sparsely populated district |
Thana facts
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Total thanas (Khandokar) | 652; river thanas 4; railway thanas 21 |
| Total thanas (Zubair) | 640; the latest is Madhabdi in Narsingdi |
| North-west corner | Tetulia, Panchagarh |
| North-east corner | Zakiganj, Sylhet |
| South-west corner | Shyamnagar, Satkhira |
| South-east corner | Teknaf, Cox's Bazar |
| Latest thana (Khandokar) | Eidgaon, Cox's Bazar |
| Largest / smallest by area (Zubair) | Shyamnagar (Satkhira) / Wari (Dhaka) |
| Largest / smallest by population (Zubair) | Gazipur Sadar / Biman Bandar (Dhaka) |
Watch out: The two books give different thana totals (652 and 640); a 2026 report mentions 639 police stations. This is not settled, so it is not in the quiz. The number of upazilas is now about 500 (new upazilas were approved in 2026).
Past questions on local government printed in the book
- How many tiers of local government? Three
- Which is not local government? District administration
- What is a Union Digital Centre? An information service centre at union level
- DAP stands for Detailed Area Plan
- The Local Government Ordinance: 1976
- Upazila system started: 1983 (printed answer); first upazila election: 1985
- A Union Parishad has 13 members (including 3 reserved women's seats); one reserved seat per three wards
- Women were first elected directly to reserved UP seats in 1997
- Smallest division by area: Mymensingh; largest city corporation by area: Gazipur
Watch out: Khandokar's book gives 12 city corporations (the latest Mymensingh, 2018). With Bogura there are now 13 (gazette of 14 May 2026).
Check yourself
In which district did the first armed resistance of the Liberation War arise?
At a glance
- 1
First district Chattogram (1666); first digital district Jashore (20 December 2012).
- 2
Largest district by area Rangamati, smallest Narayanganj (not Meherpur).
- 3
Largest district by population Dhaka, smallest Bandarban (Zubair).
- 4
Coldest Sylhet, hottest Rajshahi; first illiteracy-free Magura; first district freed of the occupation army Jashore.
- 5
Thana corners: Tetulia, Zakiganj, Shyamnagar, Teknaf; the largest thana by area is Shyamnagar.
- 6
Book questions: UP has 13 members, women's direct vote 1997, first upazila election 1985.