Kawkhali Upazila (Rangamati District)

Kawkhali Upazila (rangamati district) area 339.29 sq km, located in between 22°29' and 22°44' north latitudes and in between 91°56' and 92°08' east longitudes. It is bounded by lakshmichhari and naniarchar upazilas on the north, rangunia and kaptai upazilas on the south, rangamati sadar upazila on the east, raozan and fatikchhari upazila on the west.

Population Total 48240; male 25588, female 22652; Muslim 17204, Hindu 1608, Buddhist 205, Christian 29199 and others 24. Indigenous communities such as chakma, marma, tripura and Tanchanga belong to this upazila.

Administration Kawkhali Thana was formed in 1976 and it was turned into an upazila in 1985.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	4	10	162	8551	39689	142	40.9	38.5

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
62.16	1	8551	138	40.9

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kalampati 76	14720	6053	5828	31.66
Ghagra 57	30080	10400	8776	42.42
Fatikchhari 38	19200	2215	2140	17.78
Betbunia 19	19840	6920	5908	46.94

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

History of the War of Liberation Direct encounters were held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Betbunia and Balukhali on 9 December 1971 in which two freedom fighters were killed. On 11 December, the freedom fighters attacked a military vehicle crossing a culvert at Betbunia on the Rangamati Chittagong Highway having killed two Pak army officers and the driver.

Marks of the War of Liberation Memorial sculpture 1 (Ghagra).

Religious institutions Mosque 32, temple 4.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 38.9%; male 46.7%, female 30%. Educational institutions: college 2, secondary school 12, technical educational institution 1, primary school 56, kindergarten 2, madrasa 3. Noted educational institutions: Kawkhali College (1999), Ghagra College (2001).

Cultural organisations Library 1.

Important installations Betbunia Satellite Earth Centre, Police Special Training School, Chakma Rajbari, Helipad, Kawkhali' hanging Bridge.

Main sources of income Agriculture 63.42%, non-agricultural labourer 8.27%, commerce 9.89%, transport and communication 3.20%, service 9.83%, construction 0.33%, religious service 0.32%, rent and remittance 1.39% and others 3.35%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 50.85%, landless 49.15%.

Main crops Paddy, ginger, turmeric, sesame, cotton, vegetables.

Main fruits Jackfruit, banana, pineapple.

Communication facilities Pucca road 73 km, mud road 197 km.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, weaving, bamboo work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Kawkhali and Ghagra bazars.

Main exports Sesame, cotton, ginger, turmeric, jackfruit, bamboo work, cane work.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 17.74% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 46.95%, tap 1.90%, pond 6.98% and others 44.17%.

Sanitation 17.73% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 60.60%' of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 21.67% of households do not have latrine facilities. Health centres Upazila health complex 1, hospital 1, satellite clinic 2, family planning centre 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are asa, proshika, CDS, CHCP, IDF, SAS, Hill Vission, Epsha. [Atikur Rahman]

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