zila

Zila, also spelled zillah or zila, is an administrative unit used in several countries of the Indian subcontinent. The word comes from Persian and Arabic roots meaning “district.” In these systems, a zila is a subdivision of a state, province, or division and typically encompasses multiple towns, towns, and rural areas. The term is commonly used in Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and related languages.

In India, a zila is a district and represents an essential level of governance. It is usually headed by a District Collector or District Magistrate, an officer of the Indian Administrative Service, who oversees revenue collection, land records, and administration. Law and order is managed by the district police, headed by a Senior Superintendent or Superintendent of Police. Districts are subdivided into tehsils or taluks and further into blocks and municipalities. The Zila Parishad is the elected body at the district level responsible for rural development and coordination with state government departments.

In Pakistan, the zila is likewise a district and is a subdivision of a province. It is administered by a Deputy Commissioner who leads the district administration, with police under a District Police Officer. Districts are partitioned into tehsils and contain municipalities and union councils. District-level governance includes local councils that handle development and service delivery within the district.

In Bangladesh, a zila is a district within a division. It is headed by a Deputy Commissioner and is divided into upazilas (sub-districts). Local administration supports rural and urban development, with coordination between national and provincial authorities.

In Nepal, the corresponding term is jillā (district), a cognate concept used to denote similar administrative units.