Kanaighat Upazila (sylhet district) with an area of 412 sq km, is bounded by Meghalaya (India) on the north, beanibazar and zakiganj upazilas on the south, Meghalaya (India) on the east, Jaintiapur and golabganj upazilas on the west. Main river is surma; Jalmahal 72. Notable Beels are Amri, Manika, Chatal, Rowa.

Kanaighat (Town) consists of 5 mouzas. It has an area of 3.36 sq km; population 4590; male 53.7%, female 46.3%; density of population is 1366 per sq km. Literacy rate among the town people 31.5%. The town has one dakbungalow.

Administration Kanaighat thana was established in 1932 and was turned into an upazila in 1980. The upazila consists of 9 union parishads, 252 mouzas and 288 villages.

Population 178654; male 50.49%, female 49.51%; Muslim 95%, Hindu 4.10%, Christian 0.2%, and tribal 0.3%; ethnic nationals: Khasi (about 30 family).

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 41.85%; male 50%, female 33.7%. Educational institutions: college 1, secondary school 10, primary school (government) 91, primary school (non-government) 20, madrasa 37. Jhingabari Senior Madrasa (1882), Kanaighat Mansuria Senior Madrasa (1889), Gachbari Jamiul Ullum Aalia Madrasa (1901), Chotodesh High School (1948) are notable educational institutions.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 40 km, mud road 122 km.