Fatikchhari Upazila

Fatikchhari Upazila (chittagong district) area 773.54 sq km, located in between 22°35' and 22°58' north latitudes and in between 91°38' and 91°57' east longitudes. It is bounded by tripura state of India on the north, hathazari and kawkhali (rangamati) upazilas on the south, ramgarh, manikchhari, lakshmichhari and raozan upazilas on the east, mirsharai and sitakunda upazilas on the west.

Population Total 526003; male 259730, female 266273; Muslim 463640, Hindu 50778, Buddhist 8083, Christian 135 and others 3367. Indigenous communities such as tripura, chakma, marma and Kheyang belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main river: Dhurung.

Administration Fatikchhari Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1918.

Upazila
Municipality Union Mouza Village Population Density (per sq km) Literacy rate (%)
Urban Rural Urban Rural
- 21 102 206 41994 484009 680 56.2 50.9
Upazila Town

Area
(sq km)

Mouza

Population

Density
(per sq km)

Literacy rate (%)

22.03 4 41994 1906 56.2
Union
Name of union and GO code Area (acre) Population Literacy rate (%)
Male Female
Abdullapur 11 529 2471 2846 54.2
Kanchannagar 52 14612 14368 14890 33.8
Khiram 55 - 5814 5547 49.7
Jafarnagar 47 1562 11340 8973 76.4
Dantmara 23 12367 23400 24126 42.9
Daulatpur 38 2871 19342 18464 61.5
Dharmapur 28 3719 14136 13190 64.7
Dhurung 33 - 10086 10934 55.7
Nanupur 61 12031 12516 13142 56.6
Narayanhat 66 14800 16347 17416 35.2
Paindanga 71 7209 13442 13498 47.7
Baktapur 14 1136 7917 7244 68.8
Bagan Bazar 13 47251 19773 20723 45.6
Bhujpur 19 13311 15415 15039 48.5
Rangamatia 76 - 9802 11172 56.7
Roushangiri 80 1723 5127 5838 59.7
Lelang 57 11062 11684 13394 51.4
Samitirhat 90 2601 9060 9954 65.7
Sundarpur 95 2599 9660 11117 54.1
Suabil 85 17810 15628 16022 41.6
Harwalchhari 42 14772 12402 12744 43.8

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Company Tila, Ahsan Ullah Gomasta Mosque, Courtpar Buddhist Vihara, Adullapur Buddhist Vihara, Kalibari Mandir (Nanupur).

War of Liberation In March 1971, M. R. Siddiqui, Major ziaur rahman, Zonal Commandar Mirza Abu Mansur, in collaboration with the local freedom fighters, established a training camp for the freedom fighters. The freedom fighters of Chittagong region used to go to India for training and come back through this upazila. For this reason, Fatikchhari is regarded as the gateway to freedom fighters. The playground of Abu Subhan School at village Nanupur of the upazila was a site of the refugee camp. About 1500 freedom fighters of the upazila took part in encounters with Pakistani soldiers during the war of liberation. Mass graves have been discovered at 4 places (Lelang Tea Garden, Darbar Sharif, Bagan Bazar, Dantmara) of the upazila.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 570, temple 50, pagoda 8, tomb 3.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 51.4%; male 52.8%, female 50.0%. Educational institutions: college 6, secondary school 44, primary school 217, madrasa 177. Noted educational institutions: Fatikchhari Degree College (1970), Fatikchhari Coronation Model High School (1912), Maizbhander Ahmadia Adarsha High School, Haithchakia High School (1926), Abdul Hadi Institution (1932), Lathifur Rahman High School (1933), Nanupur Abu Sobhan High School (1942), Dhurung Khulshi Lions High School (1943), Fatikchhari Jameul Ulum Fazil Madrasa (1904), Jamia Arabia Nachhirul Islam Madrasa (1912), Nanupur Sunniya Madrasa (1928).

Newspapers and periodicals Monthly: Fatikchhari Barta, Fatikchhari Sambad, Jibanbati, Daoatul Huq.

Cultural organisations Library 1, auditorium 1, park 1, cinema hall 1, community centre 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 35.88%, non-agricultural labourer 5.37%, industry 0.80%, commerce 13.37%, transport and communication 2.29%, service 14.44%, construction 0.92%, religious service 0.39%, rent and remittance 12.16% and others 14.38%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 46.12%, landless 53.88%; agricultural landowner: urban 44.77% and rural 46.25%.

Main crops Paddy, tea, rubber, potato, onion, garlic, pulse, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sugarcane, tobaco, watermelon.

Main fruits Mango, black berry, jackfruit, litchi, guava, lemon, banana, shaddock, plum, Indian gooseberry, olive, custard apple.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 20, poultry 298, hatchery 1.

Communication facilities Pucca road 87 km, semi-pucca road 137 km, mud road 1091 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin.

Cottage industries Blacksmith, potteries, wood work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 87, fairs 6, most noted of which are Bibir Hat, Mohammad Takir Hat, Mazir Hat, Kala Munshi Hat, Daulatmunshi Hat, Fatikchhari Bazar, Azadi Bazar, Maizbhandar Sharif Mela, Orosh Mela and Baishakhi Mela.

Main exports Tea, rubber.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 61.8% of the dwellings have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 85.0%, tap 3.2% and others 11.8%.

Sanitation 57.8% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 33.4% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 8.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health centre 10, family planning centre 7, charitable hospital 1.

NGO activities brac, asa, caritas. [Tilak Barua Rubel]

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