port city, southern Bangladesh, on the Noakhali watercourse near the estuary of the Meghna River as it empties into the Bay of Bengal (Bengal, Bay of). The port is connected by road and rail with Comilla and by boat with Barisal. The milling of jute, rice, flour, and oilseeds; chemical and soap production; and printing are among the leading industries. The city, formerly called Sudharam, was constituted a municipality in 1876 and now has several government colleges, including Noakhali College (1983), as well as many private institutions of higher education.

Around Noakhali on three sides is an alluvial plain that is annually inundated and fertilized by silt deposits from the Meghna estuary; the area is broken only by a hilly tract in the northeast known as Baraiyadhala. Rice, peanuts, various pulses, chilies, and sugarcane are among the chief local crops. Pop. (2001) 75,956.