Banshkhali Upazila

Banshkhali Upazila (chittagong district) area 376.90 sq km, located in between 21°53' and 22°11' north latitudes and in between 91°51' and 92°03' east longitudes. It is bounded by anowara upazila and Sanguriver on the north, chakaria upazila on the south, lohagara and satkania upazilas and wide hilly regions on the east, bay of bengal, Kutubdia channel and kutubdia upazila on the west.

Population Total 431162; male 212011, female 219151; Muslim 386720, Hindu 40679, Buddhist 3496, Christian 175 and others 92.

Water bodies Main river: sangu; Jalkanda canal, Sheker beel and Kutubdia channel are notable.

Administration Banshkhali Thana was formed in 1958 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	14	70	81	36910	394252	1144	42.3	36.9

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
28.42	9	38	36910	1299	42.3

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Katharia 50	2710	9855	11011	32.2
Kalipur 44	5694	16691	16843	46.8
Khankhanabad 56	6560	14288	15320	36.5
Gandamara 31	7343	16329	16936	25.2
Chambal 18	8848	17265	16856	33.6
Chhanua 25	4991	14544	14204	30.1
Puichhari 63	10812	17399	16825	36.1
Pukuria 69	7578	12884	13926	46.4
Bailchhari 12	3157	7611	7894	42.6
Baharchhara 11	5496	16078	17685	39.2
Silkup 94	2781	9735	10308	30.5
Sekherkhil 88	2602	10812	10712	33.4
Saral 82	7499	18775	19529	36.0
Sadhanpur 75	7091	11696	12241	48.1

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Baksi Hamid Mosque (1558), Jatebi Jami Mosque, Nabi Mosque (eighteenth century), Nim Kalibari (1710), Sikh Temple (Banigram).

War of Liberation During the war of liberation the Pak army brutally killed 75 persons on 19 May 1971. Besides, they set many houses on fire at villages Jaldi, Banigram and Kalipur. The Pak army also killed 89 freedom fighters at village Naporaon on the southern extremity of Banshkhali. They also heavily destroyed the area on the eastern border of Banshkhali. They had killed freedom fighters Md. Forhad Chowdhury, Sujankanti Das, Flight Sergent Mahiul Alam, Abu Saiyed and Mohammad Elias Chowdhurt at village Boilchhari. Freedom fighters of the upazila had encounters with Pak army at places like Gunaguri, Khankhanabad, Banigram Tahsil office, CO office at Jaladi, Puichhari and the razakar camp at Chambol. A mass grave (adjacent to the Banshkhali Degree College) and two mass killing sites had been discovered in the upazila.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 464, temple 52, church 1, kyang 2. Noted religious institutions: Habibullah Khan Jami Mosque, Katebi Jami Mosque, Rishidham Hermitage and Jaldi Dharmo Ratno Vihara.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 37.4%; male 38.5%, female 36.3%. Educational institutions: college 3, secondary school 25, primary school 140, community school 10, satellite school 10, kindergarten 5, madrasa 215. Noted educational institutions: Banshkhali Degree College (1967), Alaoul Degree College, Paschim Banshkhali Coastal College (1995), Banigram Sadhanpur High School (1917), Banshkhali Pilot High School (1932), Kalipur Ejaharul Haque High School (1942), Sadhanpur Polli Unnayan High School (1942), Chambal High School (1946), Banigram Primary School (1881), Jaldi Hossainia Madrasa (1967).

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 75, women's organisation 9, play ground 24.

Main sources of income Agriculture 58.73%, non-agricultural labourer 6.68%, commerce 11.42%, transport and communication 1.70%, industry 0.50%, service 6.78%, construction 0.58%, religious service 0.43%, rent and remittance 1.51% and others 11.67%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 47.16%, landless 52.84%; agricultural landowner: urban 40.34% and rural 47.53%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, tea, potato, ginger, betel leaf, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, mustard seeds.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, banana, papaya, watermelon, lemon, guava.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 34, poultry 86, hatchery 25.'

Communication facilities Pucca road 104.42 km, semi-pucca road 169.42 km, mud road 762.72 km; waterway 130 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Small industry 10, saw mill 15, ice factory 3, brickfield 5, welding factory 6.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 44, fairs 6, most noted of which are Beyan Bazar, Ramdas Munsir Hat, Mosharraf Ali Hat, Chowdhury Hat, Ishawar Babur Hat, Bahaddar Hat, Sadar Amin Hat, Darogar Hat and Kumvo Mela (Rishidham), Sairjabrata Mela, Rawthjatrar Mela (Banigram), Uttarayan Sangkrantir Mela and Balikhelar Mela.

Main exports Betel leaf, litchi, tea, ginger, salt, shrimp, sea fish.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 30.4% dwellings have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.6%, tap 0.6% and others 4.8%.

Sanitation 47.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 46.9% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 5.6% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family welfare centre 3, satellite clinic 3.

NGO activities CARE, proshika, brac, Uddipan, Shanirvor. [Ujjal Bishwas]

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