KUSHTIA

city, west-central Bangladesh, lying just south of the Padma (Ganges) River. The city is connected by rail with Saidpur and Calcutta and is a trade centre containing cotton-textile and sugar mills and a pottery cottage industry. Kushtia houses several government colleges that are affiliated with the University of Rajshahi. The surrounding area is a wide, fertile alluvial plain situated at the head of the Gangetic delta. Heavy trade is carried out on its network of waterways, including the Bhagirathi and Matabhanga rivers. The region's chief crops are rice, jute, oilseeds, and pulses. Pop. (1981) city, 74,892.