Khulna

Khulna (Bengali: খুলনা ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of Khulna District and Khulna Division. As of the 2011 census, the city has a population of 663,342.

Khulna is an old river port located on the Rupsha River. It is an important hub of Bangladeshi industry and hosts many national companies. It is served by Port of Mongla, the second largest seaport in the country. It is also one of the two principal naval command centres of the Bangladesh Navy.

A colonial steamboat service, including the fleet Tern, Osrich and Lepcha, continues to operate on the river route to the city. It is regarded as the gateway to the Sundarbans, the world's largest tidal forest and home of the Bengal tiger. Khulna is also situated north of the Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

Khulna was part of the ancient kingdoms of Vanga or Samatata. In the 12th century, it came under the Sena dynasty during the reign of Ballal Sena and formed part of the Bagri division of Bengal. The previous name of this region was Jalalabad.