SYLHET

originally Srihatta, city, northeastern Bangladesh. It lies along the right bank of the Surma River. The most important town in the Surma River valley, it is connected by road and rail with Comilla, Chhatak, and Habiganj, by road with Assam and Meghalaya, India, and by air with Dhaka. Sylhet is known for its cane products and also produces tea, matches, and vegetable oil. There are also several handicraft cottage industries. Tea estates southeast of Sylhet provide most of Bangladesh's yield. Constituted a municipality in 1878, Sylhet houses a medical college and several government colleges affiliated with the University of Chittagong. It was the capital of the 14th-century raja Gaur Gobind and later served as a Muslim cultural centre. Historic sites include the Shah Jalal Mosque and the tombs of several Muslim saints. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 114,284.