Karimganj district, officially Sribhumi district, is one of the 35 districts of the Indian state of Assam. The district's administrative headquarters and largest town is Karimganj. Located in southern Assam, it shares borders with the Indian state of Tripura and the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. Alongside Hailakandi and Cachar, it forms the Barak Valley region. Historically, the area was part of Sylhet District before the Partition of India in 1947. It was later designated as a separate district in 1983.
Etymology
Rabindranath Tagore referred to the region as Sribhumi (), and in November 2024, the district was officially renamed to reflect Tagore's vision. Previously known as Karimganj, the district derived its name from Muhammad Karim Chowdhury, a Bengali Muslim mirashdar who established a bazaar (market) near the confluence of the Natikhal and Kushiyara rivers.
History
1700s and 1800s
In 1778, Karimganj was established as a subdivision of the undivided Sylhet district, comprising 40 parganas. The name "Karimganj" is derived from Muhammad Karim Chowdhury, who established a bazaar (market) south of the confluence of the Natikhal and Kushiyara River. However, due to the Natikhal drying up during autumn, the market was relocated in the 1870s to what is now the town of Karimganj.
1900s
During the partition of India in 1947, a referendum was held to determine whether the Sylhet region, including Karimganj, would remain in India or join East Pakistan. Karimganj had a Muslim-majority population and had opted for Pakistan however, Abdul Matlib Mazumdar a partition opposer led a delegation advocating for the region to remain with India. Mazumdar succeeded to tutelage southern thanas of Karimganj for India in August 1947 while the northern thanas of Zakiganj, Barlekha, and a union council were opt for Pakistan by a delegation let by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Some Assamese journalists profess that electoral fraud and irregularities were raised during the plebiscite.
Following the partition, Sylhet was incorporated into East Pakistan, while Karimganj was divided, with part of it remaining in India to ensure connectivity with Tripura. The Kushiyara River was established as the international border between India and Pakistan.
2000s
On 21 November 2024, Karimganj district was officially renamed Sribhumi to honour Rabindranath Tagore, who had described the region as the land of goddess Lakshmi.
Protests and Objections to Renaming
The Assam government’s decision to rename Karimganj district as Sribhumi sparked widespread protests and objections from local residents, civil society groups, and opposition parties. Critics argued that the move lacked public consultation and undermined the district’s historical and cultural identity. Nearly 300,000 people signed a memorandum submitted to the Governor opposing the renaming, calling it politically motivated.
A 12-hour bandh was observed on 3 September 2025, backed by the Congress, Left parties, and several local organisations. Clashes broke out between protesters and police during demonstrations, resulting in injuries and detentions.
In early 2025, more than 200,000 citizens signed another petition urging the government to retain the name Karimganj, describing the renaming as unilateral and harmful to the district’s heritage.
Geography
thumb|A typical house of Karimganj|right
Karimganj district occupies an area of , comparatively equivalent to Alaska's Afognak Island. It is bordered on the northeast by Cachar District, east and south by Hailakandi District, south by Mizoram, southwest by Tripura state, and on the west and northwest by Bangladesh. Karimganj, the administrative headquarters and main town of the district, also bears the same name. Karimganj town is located on the northern fringe of the district adjoining Bangladesh by the Kushiyara River.
Its distance from Guwahati – the largest city of Assam - is approximately 330 km by road and about 350 km by rail. Distances to other important cities are as follows: Silchar – 55 km, Shillong – 220 km, Agartala – 250 km. Flanked on two sides by the Kushiyara and Longai rivers, Karimganj town is located just on the Bangladesh border, with the Kushiyara river flowing in between. One prominent feature of the place is a long and winding canal called Noti Khal, meandering through the town. Earlier, it used to be a connecting riverway between Kushiyara and Longai, facilitating river communication and also balancing water levels between the two rivers. Now, however, this canal has been blocked at several places through embankments and landfills to pave the way for road transport and construction works. Karimganj and the Barak valley have been prone to serious flooding for decades. The recent floods that caused significant damage were in 1976, 1988, and 2007.
Wildlife
The forests of Karimganj were once rich in wildlife but are now vanishing due to hunting, deforestation, and urbanization. Rare species found in the region include the Tiger, Hoolock gibbon, Porcupine, Golden Langur, Monkey, Fox, Asian Elephant, Giant river otter, macaws, parrots, Parakeets, Hornbill, different types of local and migratory birds, Snakes, Capybara, etc. These animals are found mostly in the Patharia Hills reserve forest. Many have suggested it be named an official wildlife sanctuary due to its biodiversity, with another sanctuary being created in the southern part of the forest named Dhaleswari Wildlife Sanctuary.
Economy
thumb|Karimganj is an agricultural district
The town of Karimganj is an important centre of trade and commerce in northeastern India. Its river port is capable of handling large volumes of cargo carried by ships coming through rivers via Bangladesh. Karimganj is also a border trade centre and import-export business worth crores of rupees carried out through the custom trade point at Dakbangla Ghat in the town and the Sutarkandi Custom Station.
Karimganj is an agricultural district. Historically, tea has been the major agricultural product of the Cachar region including Karimganj.
Administration
Divisions
Karimganj District has one sub-division. The district has 5 circles (also known as tehsils), Karimganj, Badarpur, Nilambazar, Patharkandi and Ramkrishna Nagar, two cities Karimganj and Patharkandi, 7 police stations (Karimganj, Badarpur, Ramkrishna Nagar, Patharkandi, Ratabari, Nilambazar, and Bazarichara), 95 gram panchayats.
Politics
There are five Assam Legislative Assembly constituencies in this district: Ratabari, Patharkandi, Karimganj North, Karimganj South, and Badarpur, with Ratabari being designated for scheduled castes. All five are in the Karimganj Lok Sabha constituency.
Transport
The nearest airport is Kumbhirgram (85 km) near Silchar, in Cachar. Karimganj town is also an important river port and has seasonal cargo and freight transport links with Kolkata through river ways via Bangladesh.
Railway
thumb|New BG station, Karimganj Junction
<!-- thumb|upright|Another view of New BG station, Karimganj Junction -->
Karimganj town is linked via both rail and road transport with the rest of India. Karimganj town has a railway junction, with broad gauge lines connecting Assam with Tripura pass through this station. Badarpur railway station is the biggest junction of the district.
Road
The most popular mode of passenger transport is road. A good number of buses - mostly night services - ply between Karimganj and Guwahati daily. Direct long-distance bus services are also available to Shillong, Agartala, and Aizawl. Communication with Silchar, Badarpur, Patharkandi and other nearby places is also mainly dependent on road transport, with services by all sorts of light and heavy vehicles available at frequent intervals.
Sutarkandi international border crossing
The district is home to the Sutarkandi International border crossing, which is on Bangladesh–India border on Karimganj-Beanibazar route.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, Karimganj district has a population of 1,228,686, or the US state of New Hampshire. This gives it a ranking of 392nd in India (out of a total of 640).