# Dakshin Surma Upazila

Dakshin Surma (Bengali: দক্ষিণ সুরমা, romanized: Dokkhin Shurma), also known as South Surma, is an upazila of Sylhet District in Sylhet Division, Bangladesh.

## History

After the Conquest of Gour in 1303, many disciples of Shah Jalal settled in the Jalalpur, Godhrail and Renga parganas in modern-day South Surma where they would preach Islam to the locals. Shah Sheikh Mir Afzal Khandakar migrated to the village of Mirargaon, Shah Kamal Pahlawan Yemeni, Shah Moinuddin and Shah Jawharuddin to Maqamduar, Sheikh Jalal Shah Milon, Shah Muhammad Taqiuddin and Shah Sheikh Fathuddin to Jalalpur, Sheikh Farid Ansari and Sheikh Shah Sikandar to Lalabazar, Makhdum Zafar Sheikh Ghaznawi to Muhammadpur (Godhrail), Khwaja Taif Salim to Silam (Godhrail), Shah Sheikh Rahimuddin Ansari to Purbobhag (Jalalpur), Syed Qutbuddin Sheikh and Syed Jalaluddin Sheikh to Bungigram (Godhrail), Sayyid Zakir Shah Fatimi Makki to Turukkhola (Renga) and Shah Sheikh Daud Qureshi to Daudpur (Renga).

## Demographics

Religions in Dakshin Surma Upazila (2022) :
| Religion | Religion | Percent | Percent |
| Islam | Islam | 95.33% | 95.33% |
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 4.65% | 4.65% |
| Other or not stated | Other or not stated | 0.02% | 0.02% |
According to the 2011 Census of Bangladesh, Dakshin Surma Upazila had 43,004 households and a population of 253,388. 60,786 (23.99%) were under 10 years of age. Dakshin Surma had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 56.01%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1006 females per 1000 males. 17,064 (6.73%) lived in urban areas.

## Administration

The following are the nine unions in South Surma based on the Bangladesh Population Census of 2011 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Union :
| Name of union and GO code | Area (km2) | Population | Population | Literacy rate (%) |
| Name of union and GO code | Area (km2) | Male | Female | Literacy rate (%) |
| Kuchai 45 | 16.27 | 7,311 | 6,588 | 60.33 |
| Jalalpur 37 | 31.98 | 13,735 | 13,368 | 52.31 |
| Tentli 85 | 9.48 | 10,253 | 9,894 | 59.94 |
| Daudpur 30 | 27.18 | 11,762 | 10,649 | 56.02 |
| Baraikandi 36 | 9.87 | 7,894 | 7,103 | 64.02 |
| Mogla Bazar 60 | 37.91 | 12,835 | 12,170 | 56.10 |
| Mollargaon 65 | 9.56 | 10,494 | 9,892 | 62.81 |
| Lala Bazar 50 | 20.10 | 9,982 | 9,714 | 56.99 |
| Silam 75 | 25.3 | 12,846 | 12,183 | 59.72 |
| Kamalbazar | 6.54 | | | |

## Points of interest

There are many popular places to visit in Dakshin Surma. Qadipur Jame Mosque in Jalalpur, Monir Ahmad Academy, Turukkhola Islamia Balika Alim Madrasa, Hayat Mahmud Turukkhola Jame Masjid (Puran Masjid), Shah Daud (R) Jame Masjid in Daudpur, Jamia Towakkulia Renga Madrasha in Moglabazar and Chapra Beel in Tetli are notable tourist sites.

## Notable people

* Hormuz Ullah Shayda, Islamic scholar researcher, professor and author
* Abdul Jalil Choudhury, Islamic scholar and member of Assam Legislative Assembly for 27 years
* Abdul Muktadir, geologist and lecturer martyred during the 1971 Dhaka University massacre
* Abdul Malik, first cardiologist of Pakistan and National Professor of Bangladesh
* Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury (Qureshi), businessman, politician
* Abdul Mukit Khan, politician
* Dilwar Khan, poet
* Khandaker Abdul Malik, politician
* Mahbub Ali Khan, rear admiral and former Chief of Naval Staff (Bangladesh)
* E. A. Chowdhury, former Inspector General of Bangladesh Police and founding commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police
* Nazrul Islam, Principal of Madan Mohan College
* Habibur Rahman Habib, politician
* Md Mizanur Rahman Mizan, Army officer