Betagi Upazila HQ

 township, subdistrict, fourth-level administrative division, local government

Betagi Upazila (Barguna district) with an area of 167.75 sq km is bounded by Bakerganj on the north, Barguna sadar upazila on the south, Mirzaganj upazila on the east, Kathalia and Bamna upazilas on the west. Main rivers are Bishkhali and Gajaklia.

The location of Betagi town is 22.4150162N 90.1645057E. Betagi (Town) The town is now a municipality with an area of 7.71 sq km and population 8220; male 51.62%, female 48.38%. It has 9 wards and 9 mahallas. Literacy rate among the town people is 59.2%. There are 3 cyclone centres, 5 food godowns and one dakbungalow.

Betagi thana was established in 1920 and was turned into an upazila in 1983. The upazila consists of 7 union parishads, 59 mouzas and 75 villages.

Archaeological relics and monuments: Bibichini Shahi Mosque.

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census: Population 110926; male 49.95%, female 50.05%; Muslim 89.02%, Hindu 10.68%, Christian 0.25%, and others 0.05%.

Religious institutions Mosque 460, temple 130, church 1 and tomb 4.

Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 47.05%; male 52.8%, female 41.3%. Educational institutions: college 2, collegiate school 2, high school 19, government primary school 71, non-government primary school 65, madrasa 57 and vocational school 2.

Cultural organisations: Rural club 32, public library 1, literary group 2, women's organisation 2, cinema hall 2.

Main occupations: Agriculture 54.18%, fishing 1.82%, agricultural labourer 10.88%, wage labourer 3.82%, service 6.90%, commerce 10.85%, others 11.55%.

Land use: Cultivable land 14422.09 hectares, fallow land 2536.22 hectares; single crop 35%, double crop 50%, treble crop 15%.

Land control: Among the peasants 40% are landless, 25% small, 30% medium and 5% rich.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Dairy 15, poultry 17, hatchery 2.

Communication facilities- Roads: pucca 18 km, semi pucca 16 km and mud road 369 km, waterways 11 nautical mile.

Manufactures: Ice factory 5, saw mill 18, rice mill 50, workshop 1.

Cottage industries Bamboo and cane work 435, wood work 80, goldsmith 33, blacksmith 21, weaving 2 and tailoring 90.

NGO activities: Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, VOSD, Bahumukhi Samajkalyan Samiti, Manabkalyan Kendra and Sankalpa.

Health centres: Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 1 and union health and family welfare centre 7.