Comilla, city in eastern Bangladesh, in central Chittagong Division. Comilla is located south of the Gumti River and about 80 km (about 50 mi) southeast of Dhaka, the national capital. The tropic of Cancer (23°27' N) passes through Comilla. Comilla is an important regional market center for traditional craft products such as bamboo and cane baskets, cotton cloth, and woodwork. Rail, road, and air connections link Comilla with Dhaka. There are more than 400 historic water tanks in and around the city; one from the 15th century, the Dharma Sagar, has a circumference of more than 1500 m (5000 ft). The ruins of an 8thcentury monastery called the Mainamati Buddhist Vihara, the Comilla army barracks, and a cemetery commemorating unknown soldiers of World War II (1939-1945)are near the city. In addition to a department of the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development and a teachers training college, Comilla has colleges affiliated with the University of Chittagong. Population (1991) 164,509.
