wards and 36 mahallas. It has an area of 12.61 sq km. The town has a
population of 74585; male 51.50%, female 48.50%; population density
per sq km 5915. Literacy rate among the town people is 60.7%. The
ancient name of Noakhali Sadar was Sudharam. In 1948 when the
upazila headquarters were extinct by the erosion of the Meghna
River, it was shifted 8 km to the north to its present place at
Maijdi. The town has five dakbungalows.
Administration Noakhali district, whose earlier name was Bhulua, was
established in 1821. It was named Noakhali in 1868. It consists of
six upazilas, 5 municipalities, 45 wards, 90 mahallas, 83 union
parishads, 909 mouzas and 978 villages. The upazilas are noakhali
sadar, begumganj, chatkhil, companiganj, hatiya and senbagh; the
municipalities are Begumganj (Chawmuhani), Companiganj (Bashurhat),
Noakhali Sadar, Chatkhil, Kabirhat (Sadar).
Archaeological heritage and relics Noakhali Public Library (1895),
Bajra Shahi Mosque (1153 AH, Chatkhil), Kali Statue (18th century)
at Sirajpur union of Companiganj upazila).
Historical events The ancient name of Noakhali was Bhulua. Once the
agricultural activities of the north-eastern region of Bhulua were
seriously affected by floodwater of the river Dakatia flowing from
the Tripura hills. To save the situation a canal was excavated in
1660 running from the Dakatia through Ramganj, Sonaimudi and
Chaumuhani to divert water flow to the junction of the rivers Meghna
and Feni. After excavating this long canal Bhulua was
renamed "Noakhali" after "Noa" (new) and "khal" (canal) in 1668.
The people of Noakhali actively took part in Jehad Movement in 1830
and Khilafat Movement in 1920. Mahatma Gandhi visited Noakhali
(Begumganj upazila) in 1946 to ease communal riots.
Noakhali district was seriously affected many times by natural
disasters like high tidal bore, tornado, flood, cyclone etc since
1790. In 1970 devastating tornado and tidal bore took lives of about
10 lakh people of the district. During the War of Liberation many
direct and guerilla encounters were held between the Pak army and
the freedom fighters. About 70 freedom fighters were killed in a
direct encounter with the Pak army on 15 June 1971 in front of
Sonapur Ahmadia School. Noakhali was liberated on 7 December 1971.
Marks of the War of Liberation Mass grave at a place adjacent to the
sluice gate of Companiganj; memorial monuments 4, at the premises of
Sonapur Ahmadia Model School, Maijdi Primary Training Institute,
Chaumuhani and Sonaimuri; three roads named after martyr freedom
fighters (Shaheed Nur Mohammad Road, Shaheed Major Mesbahuddin Road
and Shaheed Jasimuddin Road).
Population 2533394; male 49.58%, female 50.42%; Muslim 93.41%, Hindu
6.41% and others 0.18%.
Religious institutions Mosque 2704, temple 58, church 2, tomb 7 and
crematory 1.
Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 37.11%; male
42.9% and female 31.5%. Educational institutions: government college
8, non-government college 23, law college 1, primary training
institute 1, government high school 12, non-government high school
229, madrasa 137, government primary school 776, non-government
primary school 312, Ansar VDP training centre 1, agricultural
training institute 1, police training centre 1, vocational training
institute 1, textile training institute 1. Noted educational
institutions: Noakhali Zila School (1853), Arun Chandra High School
(1914), Brother Andre High School (1857), Ahmadia Model High School
(1906), Paura Kalyan High School (1940), Kabir Hat High School
(1938), Noakhali Government Girls' High School (1934), Noakhali
College (1963), Basur Hat A H C Government High School (1911), Bamni
High School (1914, Companiganj Upazila), Basur Hat Islamia Senior
Madrasa (1923), Bamni Asiria Senior Madrasa (1915), Begumganj
Government Pilot High School (1857), Bajra High School (1919).
Locally published newspapers and periodicals Jatiyo Nishan, Abayab,
Weekly Jatiyo Bangladesh, Noakhali Barta, Ajker Upama; extinct:
Noakhali Hitoishi (1922), Purba Bangabasi (1884), monthly Asha
(1901), Tanjin (1926), Desher Bani (1927), Chholtan (1924), Tripura
Noakhali Lakshmi (1342 BS), Noakhali Sammilani, Jatiyo Bangladesh,
Upakul Barta, Nayabarta.
Cultural organisations Club 90, cinema hall 8, public library 14,
town hall 1, auditorium 2, literary society 1, theatre group 5,
theatre stage 2, women's organisation 2, shilpakala academy 1,
shishu academy 1, community centre 3, playground 74.
Main occupations Agriculture 30.27%, agricultural labourer 16.99%,
wage labourer 2.86%, commerce 12.23%, service 19.39%, transport
2.46%, fishing 1.4% and others 14.4%.
Land use Total cultivable land 229385 hectares, fallow land 17136
hectares.
Land control Among the peasants 21% are landless, 41% marginal, 21%
small, 14% intermediate and 3% rich.
Value of land The market value of the land of the first grade is
approximately Tk. 5000 per 0.01 hectare.
Main crops Boro and Aman paddy, peanut, varieties of pulses, chilli,
sugarcane, potato, phelon.
Extinct or nearly extinct crops Linseed, sesame, jute, local
varieties of paddy, mug (pulse).
Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, papaya, coconut, banana, litchi, betel
nut, palm.
Fisheries, dairies and poultries Dairy 62, poultry 129, fishery 60,
hatchery 32, artificial breeding centre 1, government cattle rearing
centre 1.
Communication facilities Roads: pucca 804 km, semi pucca 485 km and
mud road 2274 km; waterways 30 nautical mile, ferry ghat 1; railways
28 km; rail station 7.
Traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage, bullock cart and
buffalo cart. These means of transport are either extinct or nearly
extinct.
Manufactories Jute mill, rice mill, flour mill, oil mill, chemical
industries, soap factory, printing press, bread and biscuit factory,
ice factory, welding, etc.
Cottage industries Weaving, bamboo and cane work, goldsmith,
blacksmith, potteries, wood work, brass and bronze work, tailoring,
mat work, etc.
Hats, bazars and fairs Total number of Hats and bazars are 268,
fairs 9.
Main exports Paddy, coconut, betel nut, mat, dry fish.
NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa,
CARE, nijera kari, Sagarika, Upama, NRDS, Bandan, Hope, etc.
Health centres Zila sadar hospital 1, TB clinic 1, mission hospital
1, police hospital 1, jail (prison) hospital 1, private hospital and
clinic 10, municipal health centre 1, upazila health complex 6,
health and family planning centre 75, satellite clinic 6 and
maternity and child welfare centre 1. [Jahanara Akhter Lipi]
------------------------------------
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