Barisal

Barisal (/ˌbʌr əˈsɑːl/ or /ˈbær əˌsɔːl/; Bengali: বরিশাল, .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}pronounced [boɾiʃal]),[a] officially known as Barishal,[4] is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal District[b] and Barisal Division. It is one of the oldest municipalities and river ports of the country. The city was once called the Venice of the East or the Venice of Bengal.[6] Barisal municipality was established in 1876 during the British rule in India and upgraded to City Corporation on 25 July 2002.[7] Barisal is Bangladesh's third largest financial hub after Dhaka and Chittagong.[8][9] The city consists of 30 wards and 50 mahallas with a population of 533,000, according to the 2023 national census and with the voter of about 250,000 according to the 2018 voter list of city election.[10] The area of the city is 58 km2.[11]