Jessore

Jessore (or Jashahor) is a district located in the Khulna of southwestern Bangladesh. It is bordered by India to the west.

The district produces a variety of crops year-round. Date-sugar called patali is made from the sap of locally grown date trees that is cooked, thickened and crystallised using a traditional method. Patali is mainly produced in Khajura, but there are also many such trees in the Keshabpur and Monirampur areas.

Jessore has eight upazilas, namely Abhaynagar, Bagherpara, Chowgacha, Jessore-Sadar, Jhikargacha, Keshobpur, Monirampur, and Sharsha.

A town called Jessore stands on the Bhairab, and consists of 9 wards and 73 mahalls. Jessore municipality was established in 1864.

Jessore district once belonged to the ancient Janapada kingdom of Samatat Janapada. At the time of the partition of India in 1947, Jessore was partially divided. Except for the Bangaon and Gaighata thanas, the entire district became part of East Pakistan.

The Bengali soldiers stationed at Jessore cantonment mutinied against the Pakistan Army on 29 March, 1971. They were led by Captain Hafiz Uddin and Lieutenant Anwar in an uprising in which about 300 soldiers were killed. The rebels killed 50 Pakistani soldiers with machine gun fire at Chanchara.

On 7 December, 1971, Jessore became the first district of Bangladesh to be liberated from Pakistani forces.