Barisal is a city on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. The largest city in the Barisal Division has one of the oldest municipalities. Barisal is also the administrative headquarters of both the Barisal district and the Barisal Division.
The new Barisal diocese has the diocese of Chittagong to the east, and the diocese of Khulna to the west as borders.
Barisal diocese covers an area of 20.708 square km. Out of a population of 15, 183, 927, Catholics make up to 29, 685.
The new diocese has 5 parishes with 13 diocesan priests, six religious priests, four religious men, 29 religious women and three major seminarians.
Barisal was a semi-independent area during the Mughal period due to the intense fighting between the Mughals and the Hindu chiefs. In the course of time, it fell under the Bengal Nawabs and then to the colonial British India. It was later passed to East Pakistan during the Partition and then finally to Bangladesh.
Barisal has one of the biggest river ports in the area. It is a city with nearly 0.38 million people and a divisional headquarters, medical college, cadet college, pharmaceutical and textile industries, and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority's head office.
Barisal is a fast-growing city. The country's first short take-off and landing airport has been completed in Barisal and a private airlines, Air Bengal, has begun regular service between Dhaka Tejgaon Airport and Barisal. The city is sometimes called the "Venice of the East" or the "Venice of Bengal".
Barisal has a tropical wet and dry climate.
Barisal is a rice-producing center of Bangladesh. Balam (a kind of basmati rice) is the most popular rice in Barisal. It is also famous for betel leaf, a typical South Asian chewing leaf. As Barisal is surrounded by river, fish is available in plenty there. As the Bengali saying goes, Dhan, nadi, khal ai tine Barisal, which translates to "paddy, river and canal are the three things that make Barisal.”
Coconut is a common fruit as the city is located near the coast. Barisal is also known for its hog plum.
Exports
Agricultural products, Hilsha fish, medicines, empty gelatine capsules, cement, etc.
The majority of Barisal's people are Muslims (89.50%), mainly Sunni Islam Hanafi. Other religious groups include Hindus (8.5%), Christians (.4%) and Buddhists (0.6%).
Since 2015-end, the Catholic minority has its own diocese in Barisal.
