Fatikchhari Upazila

Fatikchhari Upazila (chittagong district) area 773.54 sq km, located in between 22°35' and 22°58' north latitudes and in between 91°38' and 91°57' east longitudes. It is bounded by tripura state of India on the north, hathazari and kawkhali (rangamati) upazilas on the south, ramgarh, manikchhari, lakshmichhari and raozan upazilas on the east, mirsharai and sitakunda upazilas on the west.

Population Total 526003; male 259730, female 266273; Muslim 463640, Hindu 50778, Buddhist 8083, Christian 135 and others 3367. Indigenous communities such as tripura, chakma, marma and Kheyang belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main river: Dhurung.

Administration Fatikchhari Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1918.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	21	102	206	41994	484009	680	56.2	50.9

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
22.03	4	41994	1906	56.2

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Abdullapur 11	529	2471	2846	54.2
Kanchannagar 52	14612	14368	14890	33.8
Khiram 55	-	5814	5547	49.7
Jafarnagar 47	1562	11340	8973	76.4
Dantmara 23	12367	23400	24126	42.9
Daulatpur 38	2871	19342	18464	61.5
Dharmapur 28	3719	14136	13190	64.7
Dhurung 33	-	10086	10934	55.7
Nanupur 61	12031	12516	13142	56.6
Narayanhat 66	14800	16347	17416	35.2
Paindanga 71	7209	13442	13498	47.7
Baktapur 14	1136	7917	7244	68.8
Bagan Bazar 13	47251	19773	20723	45.6
Bhujpur 19	13311	15415	15039	48.5
Rangamatia 76	-	9802	11172	56.7
Roushangiri 80	1723	5127	5838	59.7
Lelang 57	11062	11684	13394	51.4
Samitirhat 90	2601	9060	9954	65.7
Sundarpur 95	2599	9660	11117	54.1
Suabil 85	17810	15628	16022	41.6
Harwalchhari 42	14772	12402	12744	43.8

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Company Tila, Ahsan Ullah Gomasta Mosque, Courtpar Buddhist Vihara, Adullapur Buddhist Vihara, Kalibari Mandir (Nanupur).

War of Liberation In March 1971, M. R. Siddiqui, Major ziaur rahman, Zonal Commandar Mirza Abu Mansur, in collaboration with the local freedom fighters, established a training camp for the freedom fighters. The freedom fighters of Chittagong region used to go to India for training and come back through this upazila. For this reason, Fatikchhari is regarded as the gateway to freedom fighters. The playground of Abu Subhan School at village Nanupur of the upazila was a site of the refugee camp. About 1500 freedom fighters of the upazila took part in encounters with Pakistani soldiers during the war of liberation. Mass graves have been discovered at 4 places (Lelang Tea Garden, Darbar Sharif, Bagan Bazar, Dantmara) of the upazila.

For details: see ফটিকছড়ি উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৬।

Religious institutions Mosque 570, temple 50, pagoda 8, tomb 3.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 51.4%; male 52.8%, female 50.0%. Educational institutions: college 6, secondary school 44, primary school 217, madrasa 177. Noted educational institutions: Fatikchhari Degree College (1970), Fatikchhari Coronation Model High School (1912), Maizbhander Ahmadia Adarsha High School, Haithchakia High School (1926), Abdul Hadi Institution (1932), Lathifur Rahman High School (1933), Nanupur Abu Sobhan High School (1942), Dhurung Khulshi Lions High School (1943), Fatikchhari Jameul Ulum Fazil Madrasa (1904), Jamia Arabia Nachhirul Islam Madrasa (1912), Nanupur Sunniya Madrasa (1928).

Newspapers and periodicals Monthly: Fatikchhari Barta, Fatikchhari Sambad, Jibanbati, Daoatul Huq.

Cultural organisations Library 1, auditorium 1, park 1, cinema hall 1, community centre 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 35.88%, non-agricultural labourer 5.37%, industry 0.80%, commerce 13.37%, transport and communication 2.29%, service 14.44%, construction 0.92%, religious service 0.39%, rent and remittance 12.16% and others 14.38%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 46.12%, landless 53.88%; agricultural landowner: urban 44.77% and rural 46.25%.

Main crops Paddy, tea, rubber, potato, onion, garlic, pulse, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sugarcane, tobaco, watermelon.

Main fruits Mango, black berry, jackfruit, litchi, guava, lemon, banana, shaddock, plum, Indian gooseberry, olive, custard apple.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 20, poultry 298, hatchery 1.

Communication facilities Pucca road 87 km, semi-pucca road 137 km, mud road 1091 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin.

Cottage industries Blacksmith, potteries, wood work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 87, fairs 6, most noted of which are Bibir Hat, Mohammad Takir Hat, Mazir Hat, Kala Munshi Hat, Daulatmunshi Hat, Fatikchhari Bazar, Azadi Bazar, Maizbhandar Sharif Mela, Orosh Mela and Baishakhi Mela.

Main exports Tea, rubber.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 61.8% of the dwellings have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 85.0%, tap 3.2% and others 11.8%.

Sanitation 57.8% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 33.4% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 8.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health centre 10, family planning centre 7, charitable hospital 1.

NGO activities brac, asa, caritas. [Tilak Barua Rubel]

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Fatikchhari Upazila 2007.