Barguna District

Barguna District (barisal division) area 1509.42 sq km, located in between 21°48' and 22°29' north latitudes and in between 89°52' and 90°22' east longitudes. It is bounded by jhalokati, barisal, pirojpur and patuakhali districts on the north, Patuakhali district and bay of bengal on the south, Patuakhali district on the east, Pirojpur and bagerhat districts on the west.

Population Total 804777; male 393706, female 411071; Muslim 741277, Hindu 63067, Buddhist 122, Christian 272 and others 39.

Water bodies bishkhali, Baleshwari, Burishwar, Payra, Andharmanik and Gajalia rivers are notable.

Administration Barguna Thana was established in the last part of the eighteenth century and it was upgraded into a Sub Division in 1969; it was turned into a district in 1984.

District
Area (sq km) Upazila Municipality Union Mouza Village Population Density (per sq km) Literacy rate (%)
Urban Rural
1509.42 5 4 35 238 493 103094 701683 533 57.6
Others Information of District
Name of upazila Area (sq km) Municipality Union Mouza Village Population Density (per sq km) Literacy rate (%)
Amtali 398.88 1 7 47 114 182798 458 52.8
Patharghata 387.36 1 7 42 66 163927 423 60.5
Barguna Sadar 454.38 1 10 51 191 261343 575 58.6
Bamna 101.05 - 4 39 49 79564 767 61.1
Betagi 167.75 1 7 59 73 117145 698 60.1

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. The Pak army set the entire eastern extremity of Betagi Bazar of Betagi upazila on fire causing heavy damages to properties in that area. Freedom fighters had an encounter with the Pak army Badnikhali Bazar of Bura Mazumdar union in which a number of Pakistani soldiers and razakars were killed; besides, the motor launch MV Munir, carrying the Pak army, was seriously damaged. There are mass graves at 3 places (near the District Jail, the Patharghata Launch Ghat, and the main district Jail) and 3 memorial plaques at Amtali; the foundation pillar of Sector 9 of the War of Liberation was established at Bamna.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 57.6%; male 59.2%, female 56.1%. Educational institutions: law college 1, college 25, MED college 1, non-government BED college 3, non-government vocational school 4, technical school and college 1, government PTI 1, government youth development centre 1, secondary school 162, primary school 727, madrasa 132.

Main sources of income Agriculture 62.67%, non-agricultural labourer 4.48%, industry 0.7%, commerce 13.38%, transport and communication 2.03%, service 6.72%, construction 1.46%, religious service 0.21%, rent and remittance 0.22% and others 8.13%.

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Dainik Dipanchal, Dainik Saikat Sangbad, fortnightly: Barguna; weekly: Barguna Kantha, Barguna Barta, Bhatiali, Payra Par, Weekly Barguna, Betagir Katha; defunct: Dainik Ajker Kantha; Bargunar Kantha.

Folkculture Jarigan, Sarigan, kavigan, kirtan, hoila, folktale and folk drama are notable.

Tourist spots Bibichini Shahi Mosque (betagi), Buddhist temple (Taltali) and Buddhist Academy. [Md Monir Hossain Kamal]

See also The upazilas under this district.

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Barguna District 2007; Cultural survey report of different Upazilas of Barguna District 2007.