Patuakhali Sadar Upazila

Patuakhali Sadar Upazila (patuakhali district) area 362.46 sq km, located in between 22°14' and 22°29' north latitudes and in between 90°12' and 90°28' east longitudes. It is bounded by dumki upazila on the north, galachipa, amtali and barguna sadar upazilas on the south, bauphal and galachipa upazilas on the east, mirzaganj upazila on the west.

Population Total 316462; male 155395, female 161067; Muslim 293091, Hindu 23183, Buddhist 43, Christian 125 and others 20.

Water bodies Main rivers: burishwar, Galachipa, Rajganj, Patuakhali.

Administration Patuakhali Thana was formed in 1871 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	12	101	124	69837	246625	873	70.7 (2001)	54.1

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
27.03 (2001)	9	29	65000	2318 (2001)	79.9

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
6.63 (2001)	1	4837	690 (2001)	49.5

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Auliapur 10	7358	10188	11116	53.8
Itabaria 20	6823	10515	10963	56.4
Kamalapur 40	11858	13592	14718	38.5
Kalikapur 33	3573	7063	7222	65.5
Chhota Bighai 13	7000	9844	9786	50.6
Jainkati 27	6252	8601	8913	47.7
Bara Bighai 31	7349	8890	9908	52.2
Badarpur 11	5460	11051	11678	57.5
Marichbunia 74	6892	8612	9541	49.1
Madarbunia 67	8151	11622	12555	54.7
Laukati 61	8380	13267	14237	67.6
Lohalia 54	7342	8520	9060	56.7

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Sreerampur Mian Bari Mosque (17th century), Sadar Bara Mosque (18th' century), Sikdar Bari three domed Jami Mosque at Jhopkhali (18th century), Lohalia Mian Bari Mosque (19th century), Bighai Mian Bari Mosque (19th century), Rajeswar Roy Chowdhury Bhaban (19th century).

War of Liberation The Pak army attacked Patuakhali Town on 26 April 1971. During the war of liberation the Pak army conducted mass killing, torturing and plundering in the upazila; they also set many houses of the upazila on fire. Freedom fighters had an encounter with Pak army at Madarbunia on 11 August. Patuakhali was liberated on 6 December. Mass graves have been found at 3 places (the old jail compound of Patuakhali Town, south-western side of the new jail, and Tulatali) pof the upazila; a memorial monument was built in front of the old Town Hall.

For details: see পটুয়াখালী সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৫।

Religious institutions Mosque 578, temple 113, church 1, sacred place 5, buddhist vihara 28. Noted religious institutions: Patuakhali Sadar Bara Mosque, Sikdar Bari Three Domed Jami Mosque at Jhopkhali, Lohalia Jora Mosque, Buddhist Vihara at Patuakhali Town.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 59.5%; male 62.7%, female 56.5%. Educational institutions: college 15, teachers training college 2, polytechnic institute 1, vocational institute 1, secondary school 56, primary school 193, kindergarten 3, madrasa 140. Noted educational institutions: Patuakhali Government University College (1957), Latif Municipal Seminary (1916), Patuakhali Government Mahila College (1968), Government Jubilee High School (1887), Patuakhali Town High School (1966), Sreerampur Secondary School (1900), Patuakhali Government Girls' High School (1946), Patuakhali Mohila Samiti School (1952), Wazedabad Mustafavia Fazil Madrasa (1913).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Rupantar, Tentulia, Ganadabi, Sathi; weekly: Payra, Patuakhali, Avijatri, Patuakhali Proshika; fortnightly: Metho Bart; defunct weekly: Palliseba (1934), Gram Bangla, Khilafat, Pratinidhi, Janata,' Trisha; defunct fortnightly: Andharmanik; Swadesh Darpan, Saikat, Priya Kagaz; defunct monthly: Chabuk; periodical: Patuakhali Samachar, Ek Mutho Suravi, Annesha.

Cultural organisations Library 4, club 104, women's society 1, theatre group 2, cinema hall 4.

Main sources of income Agriculture 45.44%, non-agricultural labourer 6.15%, industry 1.02%, commerce 16%, transport and communication 3.15%, service 13.55%, construction 2.76%, religious service 0.35%, rent and remittance 0.90% and others 10.68%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 70.99%, landless 29.01%.

Main crops Paddy, varieties of pulse, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Tobacco, jute, kaun, china.

Main fruits Coconut, palm.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 9, dairy 6, poultry 28.

Communication facilities Pucca road 270 km, semi-pucca road 58 km, mud road 1280 km; waterway 210 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin.

Noted manufactories Jute mill, ice factory, oil mill, printing press, textile mill.

Cottage industries Bamboo work, cane work, tailoring.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 50, fairs 4, most noted of which are Patuakhali Puran Bazar and Dewan Sharif Mela at Dharandi.

Main exports Dry fish.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 40.4% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Patas, phosphorus and mineral salt.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 96.7%, tap 1.4% and others 1.9%.

Sanitation 76.7% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 21.9% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 1.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Sadar hospital 1, upazila health complex 1, eye hospital 1, health and family welfare centre 14, chest disease clinic 1, mother and child welfare centre 1, family' health centre 1, family planning centre 1, clinic 6, community clinic 32.

Natural disasters Many people of the upazila were victims of the devastating cyclones of 1822, 1960 and 1961 and the flood of 1876. Besides, these natural disasters also caused heavy damages to settlements, livestock and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are proshika, brac, CARE, asa. [Iffat Jerin]

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