Rangunia Upazila

Rangunia Upazila (chittagong district) area 361.53 sq km, located in between 22°18' and 22°370' north latitudes and in between 91°58' and 92°08' east longitudes. It is bounded by kawkhali upazila (rangamati) on the north, chandanaish, patiya and boalkhali upazilas on the south, kaptai, rajasthali and bandarban sadar upazilas on the east, raozan and Kawkhali upazilas on the west.

Population Total 339004; male 168412, female 170592; Muslim 280359, Hindu 42626, Buddhist 15621, Christian 332 and others 66. Indigenous communities such as chakma and marma belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main river: karnafuli.

Administration Rangunia Thana was formed on 24 January 1962 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983. Municipality was formed on 4 July 2000.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	15	74	138	60385	278619	938	63.5 (2001)	47.1

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
21.68 (2001)	9	22	32641	1384(2001)	60.2

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
15.40 (2001)	2	27744	1496 (2001)	53.8

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Islampur 27	3214	11667	7377	42.5
Kodala 30	2413	9669	9296	35.4
Chandraghona Kadamtali 17	1940	15499	14722	57.0
Dakshin Rajanagar	3513	8930	8990	40.8
Padua 43	9698	17629	18039	38.4
Parua 51	4202	6966	7457	40.6
Pomara 60	3355	12256	13403	52.9
Betagi 15	2257	9788	10722	55.3
Mariamnagar 34	560	9059	9599	61.6
Rangunia 77	2401	6445	6909	59.8
Rajanagar 69	3512	9713	9459	37.4
Lalanagar 32	2495	6648	7897	46.1
Silok 94	2960	8487	9522	50.8
Sarapbhata 86	3209	12026	13318	47.6
Hosnabad 25	3207	7515	7356	51.2

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Remnants of the palace Shukbilash (18th century), Ranir Pukur (Raja Hat), Pagla Mama Dargah (19th century), Shahen Shah Dargah (Pomara), Dharma Chakra Vihara (1750), Jagadhatri Mandir, Sree Sree Ramakrishna Mandir (Santiniketan), Shiva Chaturdashi Mandir (Parua), Krishna Mandir (Majumdarkhil), Sagar Dighi (Rajanagar), Mahamuni Buddhist Monastery, Simaghar.

Historical events Chakma kings (Shukdev Roy, Sher Daulat Khan, Jan Bashk Khan, Tabbar Khan, Jabbar Khan, Dharam Baksh Khan, Rani Kalindi, Harish Chandra Rai and others) ruled this area since 1757. Chakma King Harish Chandra transferred his capital from Rajanagar of Rangunia to Rangamati in 1874.

War of Liberation In 1971 encounters were held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Ranirhat, Rojarhat and Rangunia. The Pak army conducted looting, burning, rapes and mass killing in various places of the upazila. Mass graves have been discovered at two places of the upazila, three memorial monuments (at Rangunia College, Rangunia Ideal Multilateral Pilot High School and Ichakhali) were established.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 359, temple 42, tomb 3, pagoda 41, sacred place 1. Noted religious institutions: Rajanagar Jami Mosque, Dharma Chakra Buddhist Vihara (Said Bari), Bedir Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 48.9%; male 48.7%, female 49.1%. Educational institutions: college 9, secondary school 41, primary school 148, madrasa 15. Noted educational institutions: Rangunia College (1963), Rangunia Ideal Multilateral Pilot High School (1915), Rangunia Khilmogal Rashik High School (1926), Rangunia Majumdarkhil High School (1927), Pomara High School (1928), Uttar Rangunia High School (1942), Kadamtali Government Primary School (1887), Uttar Padua Government Primary School (1902), Ghagra Shatgharia Government Primary School (1930), Rangunia Nurul Ulum Fazil Madrasa (1936).

Newspapers and periodicals Rangunia, Rupali Rangunia, Ashar Alo.

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 10, women's organisation 2, playground 30.

Tourists spots Remnants of the Chakma Rajbari (Shukbilash Padua), Mahamuni Buddhist Monastery, Tea garden (Agunia, Kodalia, Thandachhari).

Main sources of income Agriculture 39.71%, non-agricultural labourer 4.30%, industry 0.58%, commerce 16.24%, transport and communication 3.57%, service 12.31%, construction 1.03%, religious service 0.49%, rent and remittance 10.91% and others 10.86%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 41.19%, landless 58.81%; agricultural landowner: urban 38.21% and rural 41.81%.'

Main crops Paddy, tobacco, wheat, potato, onion, garlic, betel leaf, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Aus paddy, sesame, mustard, kaun.

Main fruits Mango, black berry, coconut, banana, litchi, papaya, hog plum, olive.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 45, dairy 7, poultry 65.

Communication facilities Pucca road 20 km, semi-pucca 5 km, mud road 22 km; waterway 24 km.

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

Noted manufactories Jute mill, carpet mill, saw mill, chemical industries, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, weaving, potteries, tailoring, bamboo work, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 22, fairs 8, most noted of which are Dhamaer Hat, Mughaler Hat, Roazar Hat, Shantir Hat, Mariam Nagar Hat, Chaitra Samkranti Mela (Rajanagar), Muharram Mela (Rangunia), Surya Brota Mela (Majumdarkhil Kadamtali), Rathjatra Mela and Bijoy Mela.

Main exports Betel leaf, papaya, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 96.5% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Lime stone has been detected in this upazila.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 80.5%, tap 17.0% and others 2.5%.

Sanitation 71.6% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 23.6% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 4.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 11, satellite clinic 2.

NGO activities Operationally important NGO is caritas. [Suniti Ranjan Barua]

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