Tangail

The name Tangail is thought to originate from the Bengali word tanga, meaning horse carts; long lines of horse carts were common in the area in the early 19th century,[5] as these were the favored mode of transport for passengers and cargo.

Tangail has been a popular local business center since the early 19th century.[6] In 1860, Tangail became the central area of the Greater Mymensingh region due to its fertile land and high elevation near the Louhajong River.

The Pourasabha (municipal corporation) was established on July 1, 1887, and originally divided the city into five wards:

This was later restructured to four wards - Ward No. 1 (Central), 2 (Betka), 3 (Dighulia) and 4 (Santosh) - and then, in 1988, to six wards with the addition of Wards 5 (Zila Sadar) and 6 (Kazipur).

The first city election was held in November 1887 where eight ward commissioners from four wards were elected by the citizens. The Subdivision Commissioner of Tangail, Shashi Shekhar Dutt, was appointed as the first administrator of Tangail city. The city was poorly developed with a lack of paved roads and roadside lamps; subsequently, the regional zamindars and subdivision board provided financial support to dig ponds, lakes, and canals, which created a safe water supply.[7]

In the early 1900s, the Pourashava installed kerosene roadside lamps. The Pourashava gradually became populated in the first half of the 20th century. During this time, many tube wells were set up in the city and the main modes of transportation were horsecars and cattle.[8]

Electricity was established in the city in the early 1930s. Paved roads were constructed in the 1960s, connecting the city to Dhaka. Simultaneously, bridges and culverts were installed.[9]

In 1985, Tangail was promoted from a C Class city to a B Class city. In 1989, the Pourashava was promoted to A-Class. In the 1990s, the city was financed by the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Bangladesh to develop water supply, sanitation, wastewater drainage, bus terminals, supermarkets, and other infrastructure.[10]

In 1999, the city was restructured again into 18 wards (its current organization).[11]

Tangail has an area of 35.22 square kilometres (13.60 sq mi), divided into 18 wards and 64 mahallas.[12]

The Bangladeshi government is planning to expand the city to a total area of 81.75 km².

Tangail had 700000 residents as of 2017.

The majority of this population are Muslim (88.2%), like most of the cities in Bangladesh. Other religious groups include Hindus (11.7%), Christians (0.08%) and Buddhists (0.02%).

In the centre of the city, Tangail Stadium hosts the city's most important sporting events. The stadium has hosted national events. It is the home venue of Bangladesh Football Premier League club Team BJMC. It was converted into a cricket stadium in 2015 and regularly hosts First Division Cricket.[15]

The "New Bus Terminal", Dewla, Tangail.

Bangabandhu Bridge, the longest bridge in Bangladesh, connects Tangail and Sirajganj.[16]

It takes approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes to reach Tangail from Dhaka (about 98 km away), via Kaliakair and Tongi. Several bus lines operate between Tangail and Dhaka's Mohakhali (মহাখালী) bus terminal. Among them are the Nirala, Dhaleshwari, Jathika, and High Choice bus lines.

Tangail railway station offers travel to Dhaka and other cities within Bangladesh. The inter-city Ekota Express, Sundarban Express and Rangpur Express (amongst others) serve the station alongside commuter rail and mail train services.[17]

Tangail Airport was opened in 1967 for agricultural purposes but has been unmaintained since 1976.

• Chomchom, a well-known dessert from Tangail.
• Pineapple

Tangail contains numerous parks, including Tangail Poura Uddan (one of the city's most-visited places), SP Park and DC Lake. The city also contains part of the Madhupur National Park, one of Bangladesh's oldest national parks.

The literacy rate of the city area is 71.8%.

• Madhab Lal Choudhury, zamindar, philanthropist, and educationist in pre-partition Bengal. Former headmaster of the Bindubasini Boys High School.
• Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Islamic scholar, political leader, and ex-president of the Awami League.
• Shamsul Huq, the first general secretary of the Awami League.
• Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, the second president of Bangladesh.
• Abdul Mannan, the Home and Family Planning Minister (1972-1975), MNA (1970), MP (1996-2001). He established the Tangail General Hospital, Govt. Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib College, and Atia College.
• Qader "Tiger" Siddiqi, Pakistan Army havildar, famed Mukti Bahini leader (decorated Bir Uttom) (MP 1999-2013), and founding leader of Krishak Sramik Janata League.
• SM Aslam Talukder aka Manna, film actor and producer.
• Tarana Halim, M.P., film actress

• Nayeem, film actor
• Amit Hassan, film actor

• Tangail Airdrop
• Handloom industry in Tangail

• District portal of Tangail