Galachipa Upazila

Galachipa Upazila (patuakhali district) area 924.68 sq km, located in between 21°48' and 22°21' north latitudes and in between 90°15' and 90°37' east longitudes. It is bounded by patuakhali sadar, bauphal and dashmina upazilas on the north, bay of bengal and rangabali upazila on the south, Dashmina and char fasson upazilas on the east,' amtali and kalapara upazilas on the west.

Population Total 258515; male 127249, female 131266; Muslim 237277, Hindu 21201, Buddhist 19, Christian 16 and others 2. Indigenous community such as rakhain belongs to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: tentulia, Galachipa;' Rabnabad Channel is notable.

Administration Galachipa Thana was formed in 1873 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 12 92 133 25917 232598 280 62.7 (2001) 43.4
Municipality

Area (sq km)

Ward

Mahalla

Population

Density (per sq km)

Literacy rate (%)

3.39 (2001) 9 9 21200 5110 (2001) 71.5
Upazila Town

Area (sq km)

Mouza

Population

Density (per sq km)

Literacy rate (%)

5.13 (2001) 2 4717 109 (2001) 63.0
Union
Name of union and GO code Area (acre) Population Literacy rate (%)
Male Female
Amkhola 11 11673 13172 14006 44.9
Kalagachhia 75 6884 7696 8384 49.4
Gazalia 69 10759 5897 6699 49.4
Galachipa 67 11433 9490 9553 45.1
Golkhali 72 16730 15720 16449 45.6
Char Kajal 39 25159 12754 12518 30.4
Char Biswas 37 9408 10196 9959 41.0
Chiknikandi 50 12187 7484 8094 57.1
Dakua 55 8017 9689 9842 45.2
Panpatty 78 7185 7211 7683 40.3
Bakulbaria 22 12792 7141 7593 50.3
Ratandi Taltali 94 7396 9911 10174 49.1

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

Archaeological heritage and relics  Sutabaria Dayamayee Mandir (1208), Single Domed Gurinda Mosque at Ratandi (18th century).

Historical Events A group of people forcefully evicted from the Rakhine territory by the Burmese King was settled at Rangabali island of Galachipa upazila in 1784 and ever since they became permanent residents there.

War of Liberation The Pak army raided the villages Chikani Kandi and Dakua on 8 May 1971 and killed 29 villagers and sacked many houses. On 18 November ,three Pakistani soldiers were killed in a skirmish between the Pak army and the freedom fighters at village Panpatti. Two memorial monuments had been built in the upazila.

For details: see গলাচিপা উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৩।

Religious institutions Mosque 1001, temple 50, buddist temple 10, pagoda 1, tomb 3. Noted religious institutions: Single Domed Gurinda Mosque at Ratandi (18th century), Talukdar Bari Mosque at Bashbaria (20th century), Lamna Shikdar Bari Mosque, Sutabaria Dayamayee Mandir (1208), Kacharibari Mandir, Kalyankalas Kalibari Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 45.4%; male 47.2%, female 43.7%. Educational institutions: college 7, secondary school 53, primary school 230, satellite school 14, community school 9, madrasa 8. Noted educational institutions: Galachipa Degree College (1972), Galachipa Mahila College (1995), Patbunia Adarsha Technical College (1996), Ulania Hat School and College (1995), SM Sikandar Ali Chowdhury Degree College (1994), Chiknikandi Secondary School (1930), Galachipa Secondary School (1932), Patbunia Secondary School (1967), Kharijjama Secondary School (1966), Lamna Salehia Senior Fazil Madrasa (1935).

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 22, press club 1, theatre group 2, jatra party 1, cinema hall 6, playground 52.

Tourist spots Sunrise and sunset can enjoyed from Sonar Char of this upazila. Kalaraja, the capital of the queen Kamala of Chandradwip and Rabnabad Channel and Rangabali Channel are also notable.

Main sources of income Agriculture 68.18%, non-agricultural labourer 5.41%, industry 0.40%, commerce 11.53%, transport and communication 1.19%, service 4.22%, construction 1.23%, religious service 0.25%, rent and remittance 0.18% and others 7.41%.

Main crops Paddy, pulse, betel nut, peanut, chilli, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, mustard, kaun, boro paddy, sakshar-kora paddy.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, papaya.

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

Communication facilities Pucca road 130 km, semi-pucca road 120 km, mud road 1227 km; waterway 1900 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, saw mill, ice factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Weaving, goldsmith, blacksmith, tailoring, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 51, fair 1, most noted of which are Galachipa Bazar, Kalagachhia Hat, Ulania Hat, Baherchar Hat, Sutabaria Dayamayee Mela.

Main exports Paddy, fish, peanut, chilli, betel but.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 22.9% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 97.3%, tap 0.8%, and others 1.9%.

Sanitation 62.4% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 29.9% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 7.7% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 4, non-government health centre 1, family planning centre 10.

Natural disasters The devastating cyclones of 1584, 1960 and 1970 and the flood of 1876 caused huge loss of life and damages to settlements, livestock and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities asa, SCI, CODEC, brac, Urban, SAP-Bangladesh, BAOPA, CEP BARD, CHDP. [Sankar Lal Das]

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