Chhatak Upazila

Chhatak Upazila (sunamganj district) area 440.48 sq km, located in between 24°49' and 25°06' north latitudes and in between 91°27' and 91°49' east longitudes. It is bounded by Meghalaya state of India and companiganj (sylhet) upazila on the north, jagannathpur on the south, Companiganj (Sylhet), sylhet sadar and bishwanath upazilas on the east, dakshin sunamganj and dowarabazar upazilas on the west.

Population Total 397642; male 197952, female 199690; Muslim 313971, Hindu 20238, Buddhist 74, Christian 17 and others 246.

Water bodies Main river: surma; Helu, Haluda, Kuri, Baruka and Satbila beels are notable.

Administration Chhatak Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1908.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	13	296	539	38670	346964	903	54.2 (2001)	36.6

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
11.80 (2001)	9	13	44364	2896 (2001)	55.6

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
5.58 (2001)	4	6314	806 (2001)	22.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Uttar Khurma 94	6623	8408	9006	38.3
Kalaruka 57	8899	16288	16950	36.8
Charmohalla 14	6827	11396	12135	32.0
Chhatak 13	3183	5379	5709	32.4
Jawar Bazar 52	9314	17103	17269	41.3
Dakshin Islampur 47	9540	16102	15658	26.7
Dakshin Khurma 42	7580	11562	11964	34.7
Dular Bazar 38	9440	16314	16355	46.3
Noarai 76	12789	18649	19314	24.0
Bhatgaon 11	11806	14634	14853	36.5
Sing Chapair 92	7620	11304	11819	38.8
Saila Afzalabad 90	7890	14300	14694	41.9
Saidergaon 85	4373	12839	13274	41.8

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Bagbari Tila.

Historical events The people of Chhatak under the leadership of Ganga Singha revolted against the east india company in 1788. In an encounter with the soldiers of the Company, Ganga Singha was captured and he later committed suicide by jumping into the river.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation a battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the Pak army on 28 April 1971, in which 13 freedom fighters were killed and 11 were wounded. Besides, encounters were held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Hadar Tila and Durbin Tila. Shikha Satera (seventeen flames) has been founded at Madhavpur and a central memorial monument has been built at Chhatak.

For details: see ছাতক উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৩।

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 38.6%; male 40.8%, female 36.3%. Noted educational institutions: Chhatak Degree College (1972), Gobindaganj A Haque Smriti Degree College (1974), Jaua Bazar College (1995), Chhatak Technical School and College (1981), Chandranath Girls' High School (1857), Chhatak Multilateral High School (1941), Gobindaganj High School (1957), Jalalia Alim Madrasa (1980).'

Newspapers and periodicals Periodical: Suchayan, Prattayan, Mangala (1906) (defunct); Weekly: Chhatak Kantha, Chhatak Barta (defunct); Monthly: Jhankar (1929), Pradip (1929) (defunct).

Cultural organisations Library 3, cinema hall 1, theatre group 3, others 2.

Main sources of income Agriculture 52.15%, non-agricultural labourer 10.33%, industry 0.60%, commerce 10.19%, transport and communication 1.19%, service 7.16%, construction 0.89%, religious service 0.42%, rent and remittance 3.23% and others 13.84%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 46.87%, landless 53.13%; agricultural landowner: urban 33.48% and rural 48.86%.

Main crops Paddy, sesame, linseed, vegetables.

Main fruits Orange, pineapple, litchi.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 30, dairy 37, poultry 130, nursery 7.

Communication facilities Pucca road 257 km, semi-pucca road 40 km, mud road 406 km; waterway 65 km; railway 15 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin.

Manufactories Chhatak Cement Factory, Chhatak Pulp and Paper Mill, Concrete and Slipper Plant and lime industry Chhatak Cement Company (1941), Lafarse Surma Cement Company (2000), Nitol Pump and Paper Mill and Pre States Concrete Slipper Co. are notable.'

Cottage industries Weaving, cane and bamboo work, crafts made of reed and chhan (a kind of tall grass). '

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 28, most noted of which are Chhatak Bazar, Gobindaganj Bazar, Jaua Bazar, Dular Bazar; Manipuri Rush Purnima Mela and Durbin Shah Mela.

Main exports Orange, natural gas, cement, lime stone, paper and paper pulp.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 49.7% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Lime, limestone, sand, gas, bamboo and cane.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 78.8%, tap 3.3% and others 17.9%. The presence of arsenic has been discovered in 23.5% of the shallow tube well water in the Paurasabha area and 12.26% of the shallow tube well water in the union areas.

Sanitation 42.6% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 48.3% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 9.1% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health centre 1, union health and family planning centre 10, community clinic 12.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, CARE. [Ashfaq Hossain]

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Chhatak Upazila 2007.