Divisions of Bangladesh

An overview of Bangladesh's eight top-level administrative divisions, their names, structure of subunits (districts and upazilas), brief history of changes, and their administrative role.

Overview

Bangladesh is divided into eight primary administrative regions called divisions. Each division takes its name from the city that serves as its administrative headquarters. These top-tier units coordinate government services, planning and development across broad geographic areas within Bangladesh.

List of divisions

Barisal (Bengali: বরিশাল, also spelled Barishal)
Chittagong (চট্টগ্রাম, sometimes written Chattogram)
Dhaka (ঢাকা)
Khulna (খুলনা)
Mymensingh (ময়মনসিংহ)
Rajshahi (রাজশাহী)
Sylhet (সিলেট)
Rangpur (রংপুর)

Administrative structure

Divisions are the highest administrative tier. Each division is subdivided into several districts (zila), which in turn break down into upazilas (sub-districts), union parishads, and villages. This hierarchical structure is intended to bring government services, law enforcement, and development programs closer to local populations.

History and development

The division system reflects both historical provinces and evolving administrative needs. While most divisions date back to earlier provincial arrangements, two of the current divisions—Rangpur and Mymensingh—were created more recently to improve local governance and resource allocation. In addition, spellings of several place names have been revised in recent years to better match Bengali pronunciations.

Role and notable facts

Divisions serve as focal points for regional planning, statistical reporting, and coordination of national ministries at a regional level. They vary widely in geography, economy and population: some include major urban centers and ports, while others are predominantly agricultural. Understanding divisions is essential for grasping Bangladesh's administrative geography, electoral organization, disaster response planning and delivery of public services.

Further information

For more detail on individual divisions, their districts and local administration, consult regional government resources and statistical reports linked from central government portals or provincial offices: each division name above links to further information and local resources.