Boalkhali Upazila

Boalkhali Upazila (chittagong district) area 126.46 sq km, located in between 22°20' and 22°25' north latitudes and in between 91°52' and 92°03' east longitudes. It is bounded by raozan and rangunia upazilas on the north, patiya upazila on the south, Rangunia upazila on the east, chandgaon thana and Karnafuli river on the west.

Population Total 223125; male 109273, female 113852; Muslim 177202, Hindu 41447, Buddhist 4241, Christian 131 and others 104.

Water bodies Main river: karnafuli.

Administration Boalkhali Thana was formed on 9 August 1910 and it was turned into an' upazila on 3 July 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	10	35	34	51157	171968	1764	60.9	58.3

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
14.48	3	51157	3533	60.9

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (Acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Amchia 19	3210	5260	5395	58.1
Ahla Karaldanga 9	5540	7086	7778	53.0
Kandhurkhil 47	2445	11981	12718	63.2
Charandwip 28	1497	8823	10103	57.2
Purba Gomdandi 38	1720	14155	14801	59.0
Popadia 57	2564	12057	11131	65.7
Paschim Gomdandi 50	2560 (2001)	19354	19385	52.6
Sakpura 76	2028	10768	11433	63.4
Sreepur Kharandwip 85	8146	9212	10168	51.9
Saroatali 66	2686	10577	10940	65.1

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Sreepura Bura Mosque, Dewan Vita (c. 1711), Mazar of Hzrat Bu-ali Kalandar (R) at Karaldanga, Kalachan Thakur Bari (Popadia), Lalar Dighi (Kandhurkhil), Kanungopara Shyam Roy Mandir and Medos Hermitage.

War of Liberation Many people were killed or wounded in direct encounters between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at different places of the upazila such as Kalurghat, Fakirni Dighir Par and Kanungo Para. The Pak army conducted mass killing at the premises of the Durgabari of Kadhurkhil on 13 October. Besides, they also conducted torture and plundering and set many houses on fire. Memorial monuments have been established at two places of the upazila (Shaheed Shantimoy Khastogir and Shaheed Dilip Chowdhury memorials at Kanungo Para adjacent to Sir Asutosh College)

For details: see বোয়ালখালী উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৭।

Religious institutions Mosque 198, temple 40, church 1, pagoda 18, tomb 15.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 58.9%; male 60.2%, female 57.6%. Noted educational institutions: Sir Asutosh Degree College (1939), Boalkhali Sirajul Islam Degree College (1970), Kandhurkhil Jalil Ambia Degree College (1970), Purna Chandra Sen Saroatali High School (1880), Sakpura Adarsha High School (1915), Kanungo Para Dr. Bibhutibhushan High School (1917), Charandwip Dewan Bibi Girls' High School (1921), Mukta Keshe Girls' High School (1928), Sakpura Probortak Girls' High School (1930), Sree Aurobindo Girls' High School (1943), Khitabchar Azizia Mabudia Aliya Madrasa (1970).

Newspapers and periodicals Monthly: Boalkhali, Boalkhali Barta (defunct), Somajchitra; Fortnightly: Alokito Boalkhali.

Cultural organisations library 15,' Club 1, sports organisation 1, women's association 1.

Special attractions Historical Karoldanga Hill, extended river bank of Karnafuli.

Main sources of income Agriculture 18.06%, non-agircultural labourer 4.40%, industry 0.52%, commerce 19.29%, transport and communication 3.49%, service 22.54%, construction 1.34%, religious service 0.50%, rent and remittance 12% and others 17.86%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 39.07%, landless 60.93%.

Main crops Paddy, potato, jute, tobacco.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sugarcane.

Main fruits Guava, palm.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries This Upazila has a number of fisheries, dairies and poultries.

Communication facilities Pacca road 95 km, semi pacca road 200, mud road 350 km; railways 5 km; waterways 20 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart, 'horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Yarn mill, paper mill, ice factory, garments industry, salt industry, steel factory, ship construction factory.

Cottage industries Weaving, potteries, lime industry.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 11, fairs 1; most noted of which are Murad Munshi Hat, Nurulla Munshi Hat, Kalai Hat, Chowdhury Hat, Zamadar Hat, Arnopurna Hat, Chadar Hat, Kanugopara Master Bazar and Hari Mandir Baishakhi Mela, Kalachan Thakur Bari Mela and Surjo Broto Mela.

Main exports Cloths, chicken and milk.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work; however, 88.0% dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.2%, tap 1.3% and others 3.5%.

Sanitation 82.7% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 16.1% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 1.2% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health centre 6, family welfare centre 9.

NGO activities asa, proshika. [Golam Kibria Bhuiyan]

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