Langadu Upazila

Langadu Upazila (rangamati district) area 388.49 sq km, located in between 22°48' and 23°06' north latitudes and in between 92°05' and 92°19' east longitudes. It is bounded by baghaichhari and dighinala (khagrachhari) upazilas on the north, barkal upazila on the south and the east, rangamati sadar, naniarchar, mahalchhari and khagrachhari sadar upazilas on the west.

Population Total 81548; male 42226, female 39322; Muslim 59511, Hindu 1045, Buddhist 20708, Christian 244 and others 40. Indigenous communities such as chakma, tripura and Pangkhoa belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main river: Maini; kaptai lake occupies about one third area of the upazila.

Administration Langadu Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1909.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	7	25	138	11391	70157	210	52.1	42.9

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
79.33	1	11391	144	52.1

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Adrarak Chara 13	16315	5963	5563	40.3
Kalapakurjya 60	3001	3766	3864	41.9
Gulshakhali 54	28410	4958	4582	42.4
Bogachatar 40	17043	6879	6322	38.0
Bhasanya Adam 27	22887	4083	3747	37.4
Mayanimukh 81	5483	8800	7933	50.7
Langadu 67	35447	7777	7311	50.7

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

War of Liberation In 1971 the Pak army conducted mass killing and huge plundering in this upazila. The Pakistani soldiers set many houses on fire. Freedom fighters had direct encounters with the Pak army at Ambagan and Rangipara of the present Bogachatar union. Langadu was liberated on 6 December. There is a memorial monument in the upazila.

For details: see লংগদু উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৯।

Religious institutions Mosque 58, temple 7, church 4, pagoda 7. Noted religious institutions: Mayanimukh Central Jami Mosque, Rabeta Hospital Jami Mosque, Adrarak Chara Church.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 44.2%; male 49.2%, female 38.8%. Educational institutions: college 1, secondary school 21, primary school 72, community school 4, madrasa 10, orphanage 4. Noted educational institutions: Rabeta Model College (1995), Langadu Government High School, Langadu Girls' High School, Rabeta Model High School, Kattali High School, Gulshakhali High School, Mayanimukh Islamia Fazil Madrasa.

Cultural organisations Library 3, club 48, press club 1, eidgah 19, cinema hall 1, shilpakala academy 1, women organisation 10, playground 12.

Tourist spots Banasree Rest House (1900), Longadu Forest, Tin Tila Forest (1970), Dulchhari Jet Resort (2000), Ganthachhara' Baitus Sharaf Complex, Rest House of Rabeta Hospital.

Main sources of income Agriculture 69%, non-agricultural labourer 5.35%, commerce 9.27%, service 5.95%, construction 0.60%, religious service 0.30%, rent and remittance 1.18% and others 8.35%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 68.87%, landless 31.13%; agricultural landowner: urban 75.46% and rural 43.12%.

Main crops Paddy, maize, pulse, cotton, tobacco, potato, sugarcane.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Mustard, kaun.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, banana, coconut, pineapple, papaya.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 115, dairy 10, poultry 16.

Communication facilities Pucca road 25 km, semi-pucca road 52 km, mud road 196 km; waterway 52 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, textile mill, brick-field, food processing factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith 16, blacksmith 12, weaving 1632, wood work 117, bamboo and cane work 75.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 12, most noted of which are Bara Mayanimukh Bazar, Karallachhari Bazar, Boiragi Bazar, Kattali Hat and Bhaibon Chhara Hat.

Main exports Wood, jackfruit, pineapple, tobacco.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 16.8% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 26.9%, tap 0.5% and others 72.6%.

Sanitation 19.2% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 76.4% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 4.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 3, satellite clinic 2, upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 6, community clinic 7, veterinary hospital 1.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the devastating cyclone on 29 April 1991; it also caused heavy damages to settlements, livestock, crops and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are CCRDB. [Gautam Chandra Modak]

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