Barisal, officially known as Barishal, ( "Bengali Pron: [boɾiʃal]") is a town in southern Bangladesh. It is an old port on the Kirtankhola. It is 142 km (373 km by road) away from the capital city Dhaka. It is now the headquarters of both the Barisal Division and the Barisal District. The city has 30 wards and 50 mahallas. Barisal municipality was formed in 1957 and was turned into a City Corporation in 2000.