Saidpur

The city was established by the British around 1858. It became an important place for trade and communications. A railway workshop was opened in 1870, which brought much employment to the local populace. The workshop meant the industrialisation of the town, making it a centre for manufacturing. The workshop still operates today, as the largest in the country. By 1971, Saidpur had become the third largest city in the country. During the 1971 Liberation War, hundreds of Hindu residents were massacred by Urdu-speaking Muslims and Pakistanis close to Saidpur, resulting in a killing fields site being erected. Today, Urdu still has some prominence in the city, with some schools continuing to teach it to students. The town is fairly laid back in comparison to other major cities, offering an opportunity to escape the usual Bangladeshi chaos. Some old red-brick buildings exist in the southern end of town, originating from the latter period of the British Raj.