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Background of the District

Naming

Kushtia has an undisputed reputation as the cultural capital of Bangladesh since time immemorial. However, there is disagreement among historians as to how the name 'Kushtia' came to be known. The most supported opinion is found in Hamilton's Gazetteer. That is, Kushtia used to produce a lot of jute at one time. Jute was called ‘Koshta’ or ‘Kushti’ in the local language, from which the name Kushtia has come. According to some, Kushtia is named after the Persian word 'Kushtah' which means ash pit. There is also an opinion that the city of Kushtia originated around the port of Kushtia during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan.

Emergence as a District

Kushtia was under the Natore zamindari in 1725 and came to be known as a part of the civil administration of the Rajshahi Criminal Division of Kandanagar Pargana. Later the British East India Company annexed Kushtia to Jessore district in 1776. But in 1828 it was again included in Pabna district. Kushtia subdivision was established in 1861 due to the Indigo Rebellion and in 1871 Kushtia subdivision with Kumarkhali and Khoksa thanas came under the jurisdiction of Nadia District. Before the partition of the Indian subcontinent, Kushtia was a subdivision under Nadia district. Kushtia emerged as a district in 1947. At that time Kushtia district consisted of 3 subdivisions. Namely: Kushtia, Chuadanga and Meherpur. When Chuadanga and Meherpur were separated as separate districts in 1984, the present Kushtia district was formed with 6 thanas of Kushtia subdivision.