City (pop., 1991: 1,392,860; metro. area pop.: 2,040,663), chief Indian Ocean port, Bangladesh.
It is the country's second most important industrial city, with jute mills, engineering works, and a large oil refinery. Known to Arab sailors by the 10th century AD, it was conquered by Muslims in the 14th century and occupied by the governor of Bengal in the 17th century. Ceded to the British East India Company in 1760, it was constituted a municipality in 1864. Damaged in the conflict between India and Pakistan in 1971, its port facilities have been rebuilt. It is the site of the University of Chittagong (founded 1966).