Gazipur is a city in central Bangladesh located in the Gazipur district. The city is a major industrial city north of the capital city of Dhaka. The city is bounded by Mymensignh and Kishoreganj. As of 2010, it consists of 1,199,215 people.
The district itself consists of 9 wards including Uttar Chayabithi and 31 mahallas.
It’s considered the fast-growing town with a population 52.52% males and 47.48% females.
Gazipur is home to Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology and the Islamic University of Technology which is the country’s only international university in the fields of engineering and technology.
The literary rate is 62.60% males, and 58.9% for females, and school attendance rate is 42.50% for ages 5 to 24 years old.
Various sources say that this region was ruled by the Mughals under the emperor Ashok, and during the ninth century, it was ruled under the Chedi Kingdom.
There are several stories of where the name Gazipur came from. One story indicates
that the entire Gazipur district was called Bhawal (from the name Bhawal Gazi who ruled the region) during the settlements of Muslims, but there were various disagreements on the name.
Another story indicates that it derived from the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
After the partition of India in 1947, the Awami League leader at the time, Tajuddin Ahmed (also the first Prime Minister of Bangladesh) formulated an outline of political and administrative arrangements in the name of Bhawalgarh district and city (Gazipur now).
During the Bangladesh Liberation, it was the site of mass killings and graves, and there were monuments structured to honor the dead.
In 1978, the government of Bangladesh formed a committee to help rename the district and city, and Gazipur was formed with the government’s approval.
The major industries in the city is the garment industry, aluminum, textile, pharmecutical cosmetics and brick.
