Hathazari Upazila

Hathazari Upazila (chittagong district) area 246.32 sq km, located in between 22°24' and 22°38' north latitudes and in between 91°41' and 91°54' east longitudes. It is bounded by fatikchhari upazila on the north, panchlaish and chandgaon thanas on the south, raozan upazila on the east, sitakunda upazila on the west.

Population Total 431748; male 215201, female 216547; Muslim 390058, Hindu 36212, Buddhist 4949, Christian 144 and others 385.

Water bodies Main river: halda;' Alaul Beel and Mohosinia Beel are notable.

Administration Hathazari Thana was formed in 1929 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
-	15	48	55	62648	369100	1753	68.9	63.5

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
9.37	1	62648	6686	68.9

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Uttar Madarsa 95	3037	10480	11575	68.5
Garduara 47	1282	4869	5418	65.9
Guman Mardan 53	2932	5745	6972	63.9
Chikandandi 17	2761	23530	24043	66.6
Chhibatali 11	1092	3582	4307	68.1
Dakshin Madarsha 23	2416	11126	11278	72.5
Dhalai 29	4870	17883	19145	58.7
Nangalmora77	462	3249	3845	67.8
Fatehpur 35	5668	22750	21179	64.2
Forhadabad 41	12387	13593	14868	59.6
Burir Char 10	946	11936	12710	69.1
Mirzapur 71	6451	20119	19933	50.0
Mekhal 65	2867	16000	14431	72.0
Shikarpur 89	1702	10950	11607	67.0
Hathazari 59	5962	39329	35236	60.3

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Alaul Mosque (1473-74), Fakir Mosque (1474-80), Wali Khan Mosque (1714-19), Hamja Khan Mosque (1682), Panchkari Chowdhury Bari, Lakshmi Saha Zamindar Bari.

Historical events The battle of Jalalabad is a unique and glorious chapter in the history of Bengal. On 18 April 1930 a battle was fought between the revolutionaries, led by mastarda surya sen and ananta singh, and the British forces at the Jalalabad Hill.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation the Pak army brutally killed 11 freedom fighters at a place near the Nazirhat Bus Stand. Freedom fighters of the upazila had carried out operations against Pak army at places like Chittagong University area, Madunaghat power station, Nazirhat bus stand and Katirahat. A mass grave and a mass killing site have been discovered at Nazirhat Bus Stand; a memorial monument has been built in front of the Chittagong University Arts Building.

For details: see হাটহাজারী উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ১০।

Religious institutions Mosque 401, temple 40, pagoda 15, sebaashram 5, tomb 20, sacred place 1. Noted religious institutions: Sultan Nasrat shah Mosque, Helal Shahi Mosque (fourteenth century), Hathazari Mosque, Mirzapur Jagannath ashram, Bhajan Kuthir, Brojodham Mandir, World Peace Pagoda.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 63.5%; male 65.0%, female 62.0%. Educational institutions: university 1, college 7, secondary school 52, primary school 153, kindergarten 19, orphanage 20, madrasa 17. Noted educational institutions: Chittagong University (1966), Nazirhat College (1949), Hathazari College (1968), Fatehabad College (1970), Quaish Burischar Sheikh Mohammed City Corporation Degree College (1975), Fatehabad Adarsha Multilateral High School (1894), Hathazari Parvati High School (1914), Fatehabad Mohakali Girls' High School (1915), Katirhat High School (1933), Nazirhat Collegiate High School (1954), Akbaria High School (1964), Chhipatoli Gawsia Muinia Alia Madrasa, Fatehabad High School.

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Hathazari Barta, 'Chhara Patrika; monthly:' Hathazari Kantha; defunct: Daily East Pakistan (1921), Juger Alo (1923), Srijanshil Sahitya (1988).

Cultural organisations Museum 1, club 122, theatre group 1, theatre stage 1, cinema hall 1, women's organisation 2.

Amusement centers Tea Garden at Udalia, Chittagong University Campus.'

Main sources of income Agriculture 16.77%, non-agricultural labourer 2.66%, industry 0.96%, commerce 17.44%, transport and communication 5.54%, service 23.80%, construction 1.91%, religious service 0.45%, rent and remittance 14.05%' and others 16.42%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 45.93%, landless 54.07%.

Main crops Paddy, potato, brinjal, tomato, nut, mustard, sweet potato, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Wheat, corn, arahar.

Main fruits Jackfruit, mango, litchi, banana, papaya.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 1, dairy 27, poultry 137,' cattle breeding centre 3, hatchery 206.

Communication facilities Pucca road 131 km, semi-pucca 140 km, mud road 541 km; railway 19 km; waterway 30 km.

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

Noted manufactories Biscuit factory 1, chemical industry 1, paper mill 1, garment 2, welding factory 3, flour mill 27, ice factory 18, rice mill 32, saw mill 25, spices mill 13, pickle industry 4.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, embroidery, cane work, bamboo work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 44, fairs 8, most noted of which are Hathazari Bazar, Aman Bazar; Nazirhat, Katir Hat, Sarkar Hat, Nandir Hat, Chowdhury Hat, Laliar Hat, Nozumiah Hat; Mandakini Mela (Forhabad), Mirzapur Baishakhi Mela, Chikondandy Surjokhola Mela, Rudro Mela, Chaitra Sankaranti Mela, Paus Sankranti Mela, Rathjatra Mela of Jagannath Dev.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 89.9% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Historical Jalalabad Hill, Rajbaijja Hillock, Nachoinnah Hillock.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 74.0%, tap 20.3% and others 5.7%.

Sanitation 80.8% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 17.5% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 1.7% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 1, upazila health complex 1, union health community centre 5, family' health welfare centre 8, maternity welfare centre 1, clinic 23.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are asa, CARE, Annesha, Uttaran. [Syed Sajahan]

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