Bauphal Upazila

Bauphal Upazila (patuakhali district) area 487.10 sq km, located in between 22°19' and 22°36' north latitudes and in between 90°25' and 90°40' east longitudes. It is bounded by bakerganj and bhola sadar upazilas on the north, dashmina and galachipa upazilas on the south, Bhola Sadar, burhanuddin and lalmohan upazilas on the east, patuakhali sadar and Bakerganj upazilas on the west.

Population Total 304284; male 144545, female 159739; Muslim 279685, Hindu 24570, Buddhist 3, Christian 20 and others 6.

Water bodies Main rivers: tentulia and Kalaiya.

Administration Bauphal Thana was formed in 1874 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983.'

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	14	134	140	16916	287368	625	62.2 (2001)	56.4

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
-	9	10	11435	-	75.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
7.85 (2001)	2	5481	1869 (2001)	56.9

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Adabaria 10	6723	8340	9319	55.1
Kanakdia 65	6941	8824	10695	65.2
Kanchipara 47	7642	7675	8761	63.4
Kalaiya 53	14424	12247	12876	51.9
Kalisuri 59	7357	10643	11606	70.1
Keshabpur 71	10949	13290	14428	55.2
Daspara 35	4810	9296	9756	51.6
Dhulia 41	8759	8326	8515	64.5
Noamala 83	6721	8690	9870	42.6
Nazirpur 89	14781	13935	14937	47.6
Baga 11	8960	10637	11922	57.5
Bauphal 29	8230	9978	11116	51.0
Madanpura 77	5702	7798	9026	55.5
Surjyamani 95	6400	9213	11130	63.0

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Kuthibari of Ghaseti Begum (Shaula, 1757), Pakdal Mian-bari Mosque, Bauphal Central Kalibari Mandir (1875), Kachari (revenue office) of Rajendra Mahendra Babu, Kachari of Som at Daspara, Tomb of Syed Arefin at Kalisuri, Asram (monastery) of Mahendra Pagla at Bauphal, Dargah of Tamir at Kalaiya, Mithapukur (Daspara), Kanai Balai Dighi, Kamala Rani Dighi, Tomb of Sultan Fakir (Bauphal), Dol Samudra Dighi, Black hole at Sikdarbari of Madanpura, Rajapur wall, Nurainpur Rajbari.

War of Liberation The resistance of the freedom fighters against the Pak army in different places of the upazila is now part of the glorious history of the war of liberation. The freedom fighters were organized at Kanchipara of the upazila, under M. A Mazid Bachhu Miah and conducted armed resistance against the Pak army. On 25 May 1971 a gun boat carrying Pak army from Patuakhali was forced to retreat as a result of resistance by the freedom fighters. The freedom fighters, in collaboration with the general people, conducted many direct encounters and guerrilla attacks against the Pak army. On 5 June 1971 the freedom fighters, under Pancham Ali, attacked the razakar camp at Kalisuri Bandar and killed a number of razakars. The freedom fighters attacked a motor launch carrying Pakistani soldiers at Kalisuri Bandar and killed a number of them and some razakars. During the War of Liberation the Pak army killed 35 persons at Madanpura and Dhulia; they also set many houses on fire.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 750, temple 160, tomb 2, dargah 1, asram 1, Hindu sacred place 1. Noted religious institutions: Tomb and Mosque of Syed Arefin at Kalisuri, Tomb of Mawlana Elahi at village Shaula, Rajbari Temple at Kachua.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 57.1%; male 59.5%, female 55.1%. Educational institutions: science and technology university 1, college 10, polytechnic institute 1, nursing institute, secondary school 59, primary school 122, madrasa 72. Noted educational institutions: Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Bauphal Degree College (1966), Kanchipara Mohammad Abdur Rashid Miah Degree College (1995), Keshabpur College (1972), Madhabpur Diploma College (2005), Engineer Faruk Talukdar Mahila College (1997), Bauphal Secondary School (1885), Bauphal High School (1919), Birpasha Secondary School (1921), Kanchipara Secondary School (1928), Dhulia Secondary School (1938), Baga Union Secondary School (1950), Bharipasha Secondary School (1950), Obaidia Senior Madrasa (1930).

Newspapers and periodicals Fortnightly: Tentulia (defunct).

Cultural organisations Club 37, library 1, women's organisation 30, sports association 20, artist group 2, press club 1, theatre group 1, music school 1, cinema hall 3, community centre 8.

Noted tourist spots Capital of Chandradeep Kingdom (Bakla-Kachua), transferred capital (Rajnagar), Kazi Bari, paternal home stead of ak fazlul huq (Beelbilas), Kamala Rani Dighi, Kuthibari of Ghaseti Begum (on the bank of the river Tentulia) and Kanai Balai Dighi (Kanchipara).

Main sources of income Agriculture 48.52%, non-agricultural labourer 5.56%, industry 1.11%, commerce 14.46%, transport and communication 1.79%, service 11.94%, construction 3.16%, religious service 0.21%, rent and remittance 0.32% and others 12.93%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, potato, pulses, gram, chilli, oil seed, peanut, betel leaf, coriander, vegetables.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, coconut, papaya, betel nut, lemon.

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

Communication facilities Pucca road 2289 km, semi-pucca road 46 km, mud road 1009 km; waterway 675 km; bridges 290; culverts 415.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin.

Noted manufactories Jute mill, ice factory, rice mill, saw mill, brick field, welding factory.

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

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 44, fairs 4, most noted of which are Kalaiya Hat, Kalisuri Hat, Baga Hat, Baherchar Hat, Kanakdia Hat, Narayanpur Hat, Bilbilas Hat, Bauphal Bazar, Adabaria Hat, Mominpur Hat, Dhulia Bazar, Kanai-Balai Dighir Parer Mela at Kanchipara.

Main exports Paddy, rice, pulses, chilli, leather, potteries, fish.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 36.2% dwellings have access to electricity.

Natural resources Fish and forest resources.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 97.4%, tap 0.1% and others 2.5%.

Sanitation 70.0% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 28.5% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 1.5% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centers Upazila health complex 1, hospital 1, satellite clinic 4, family welfare center 18, shishu sadan 4, veterinary hospital 1.

Natural Disasters The devastating cyclones of 1584 and 1822, and the flood of 1876 caused huge loss of life and damage to settlements, livestock and properties.

NGO activities asa, brac, CARE, RDS, DANIDA. [Rabindranath Das]

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