Thanas of Bangladesh

A thana (Bengali: থানা, romanized: thânâ, lit. 'police station') serves as a fundamental administrative unit in Bangladesh.^[1] functioning as a city district governed by a police station (analogous to a police district or a police precinct).

In rural areas, the thana system, originating in the 18th century under British rule, served as a sub-district administration, overseen by a Thana Council during the Pakistan period. However, starting in 1982, each thana was redesignated as an upazila (lit. 'sub-district') headed by an Upazila Council with provisions for semi-autonomous local governance.