Kot derived from the Sanskrit term 'Kotta' meaning fort. The chief of the Kotta was called 'Kottapala'. Hindu-Buddhist writings, copperplate and pillar inscriptions refer to Kottapala as the head of a fort. In the local dialect the term 'Kottapala' was transformed first to 'Kotpala' and then to 'Kotala'.

Many place names in Bangladesh either begin with or end in kot, eg kotalipara of Gopalganj, Sahar Vidyakot under Gazipur, Mangalkot in Naogaon, Koterpar in Chittagong, Vardhankot in Bogra and so on. Many artefacts have been unearthed in Kotalipada and there is the least doubt about its antiquity. There exist the remains of a walled fort in Sahar Vidyakot village on the bank of the Sitalakhya. A shallow ditch externally surrounds the wall. It is gathered that at times artefacts were found there also. Kotalipada also was surrounded by high earthen wall. It can, therefore, be guessed that Kotalipada also was once a fort.

Kots were located in strategically important places. Some scholars consider the Kots to be centres of local administration in those days.

Some more place names of Bangladesh, either beginning with or ending in 'Kot' are: Nangalkot, Kotbadi and Andhikot in Comilla; Vidyakot, Pathankot and Bhalakot in Brahmanbaria; Virakot in Noakhali; Badalkot in Laksmipur; Ramkot in Coxsbazar, Barkot in Sylhet; Naitikot in Habiganj; Vardhankot and Phulkot in Bogra; Asurkot, Sitakot, kotpada, Badakot and Ujalkot in Dinajpur; Kotalbadi in Thakurgaon; Achilkot in Natore, Kotchandpur in Jhenaidaha; Naolakot in Narsingdi; Kotbadi and Chitrakot in Dhaka; Dhamalkot in Munshiganj etc. [Ahmed Amin Chowdhury]