Barguna Sadar Upazila

Barguna Sadar Upazila (barguna district) area 454.38 sq km, located in between 21°58' and 22°15' north latitudes and in between 89°59' and 90°14' east longitudes. It is bounded by betagi, mirzaganj and patuakhali sadar upazila upazilas on the north, bay of bengal and amtali upazila on the south, Amtali upazila on the east, patharghata and bamna upazilas on the west.

Population Total 261343; male 128580, female 132763; Muslim 242900, Hindu 18293, Buddhist 91, Christian 34 and others 25.

Water bodies burishwar, bishkhali , Khagdon and Nalidon rivers and Patkata, Barguna, Junia, Lalbongola and Phuldhalua canals are notable.

Administration Barguna Thana was formed in 1904 and it was turned into an upazila in 1984. '

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	10	51	191	32235	229108	575	75.9	56.1

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
15.57	9	18	32235	2070	75.9

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Aylapatakata 17	7086	9808	9974	54.9
M.Baliatali 85	15495	13894	15050	55.0
Keorabunia 76	5855	8633	9122	54.1
Gaurichanna 66	6611	13705	13970	64.4
Dhalua 47	7421	12386	13314	56.0
Naltona 95	8435	9673	10032	54.3
Phuljhury 57	5244	6318	6887	58.9
Badarkhali 19	7616	12785	13416	55.9
Barguna 28	5594	10120	10479	58.7
Burir Char 38	8661	14561	14981	49.8

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation the Pak army killed more than one hundred prisoners in the prison cells of the Barguna district Jail and buried them in a mass grave on the west side of the Jail compound on 29 and 30 November 1971. The Pak army killed many people of the Barguna Town area; they also killed a number of freedom fighters prior to fleeing the area in December 1971. Freedom fighters did not have any direct encounter with Pak army in Barguna but they carried out operations in surrounding areas. Barguna was liberated on 3 December. There is a mass grave at a place near the District Jail.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 610, temple 6.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 58.6%; male 60.4%, female 57.0%. Educational institutions: college 7, MED college 1, BED college 1, PTI 1, vocational school 4, technical school and college 1, youth development centre 1, secondary school 52, primary school 233, madrasa 51. Most noted educational institution: Chhota Gaurichanna Secondary School (1926).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Dainik Dipanchal, Dainik Saikat; fortnightly: Barguna; Weekly: Barguna, Bargunar Kantha; Defunct: Dainik Ajker Kantha, Bargunar Kantha.

Cultural organisations Library 2, cinema hall 2.Main sources of income Agriculture 55.82%, non-agricultural labourer 6.21%, industry 0.6%, commerce 15.62%, transport and communication 2.61%, service 8.06%, construction 1.93%, religious service 0.27%, rent and remittance 0.29% and others 8.59%.

Main crops Paddy, ground-nut, khesari, mug, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sweet potato, tobacco, futi, water-melon, sesame, mustard.

Main fruits Jackfruit, banana, papaya, palm, pineapple.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 16, dairy 5, poultry 26, hatchery 4.

Communication facilities Roads: Pucca road 72 km, semi-pucca road 60 km, mud road 918 km; waterway 88 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, oil mill, saw mill, ice factory, bidi factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, embroidery, weaving, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Barguna Baishakhi Mela; Gaurichanna, Babuganj and Chandkhali bazars are notable.

Main exports Palm molasses, hilsa fish, dry shrimp.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 31.6% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.4%, tap 0.5% and others 5.1%.

Sanitation 73.2% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 24.4% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 2.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 1, upazila health centre 1, health and family welfare centre 10, clinic 1, satellite clinic 1, maternity and child clinic 1, community clinic 27.'

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, CARE, asa. [Safi Uddin Ahmed]

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