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Kalapara Upazila HQ

Bangladesh / Barguna /
 township, invisible, subdistrict, fourth-level administrative division, local government

Kalapara Upazila (Patuakhali district) with an area of 483.27 sq km is bounded by Amtali upazila on the north, the bay of Bengal on the south, Rabnabad channel and Galachipa upazila on the east, Amtali upazila on the west. Main rivers are Andharmanik, Nilganj and Dhankhali.

The location of Kalapara town is 21.9834287N 90.2269846E. Kalapara (Town) consists of 9 wards and 24 mahallas. The area of the town 19.49 sq km. It has a population of 16330; male 55.18%, female 44.82%. The density of population is 838 per sq km. The literacy rate among the town people is 39.37%. The town has one dakbungalow.

Kalapara thana was established in 1906 and was turned into an upazila in 1983. It consists of 9 union parishads, 57 mouzas and 247 villages.

Archaeological heritage: Kuakata Buddhist Vihara, Kapradanga Buddhist Math (dilapidated), Mistripara Buddhist Vihara (dilapidated).

Historical events: The Rakhain tribe of Bangladesh first settled in this upazila. Due to the atrocities of the Burmese king, a section of the people belonging to the Buddhist Rakhain tribe of Arakan from Burma came to this upazila for living and settled at Khepupara and Kuakata. Tradition goes that the Rakhains on excavating wells traced fresh water in the area and thereby settled there. The Rakhain word 'kansai' means 'beach of fate'. The place was named as Kansai after this. The place was subsequently renamed as Kuakata (digging of well) after the wells dug out by the Rakhanis. It is said that two influential Rakhain chiefs used to reside on either side of a canal running north south through the upazila, Kalau Magh on the eastern bank and Khepu Magh on the western side. The habitation on eastern bank of the canal was named as Kalapara after the name of Kalau Magh and that on the western bank as Khepupara after Khepu Magh.

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census: Papulation 174921; male 50.89%, female 49.11%; Muslim 89.66%, Hindu 8.68%, Buddhist 1.5%, Christian 0.14%, others 0.02%; ethnic nationals: Rakhains 2625 (486 families).

Religious institutions: Mosque 275, temple 41, pagoda 4, Buddhist Vihara 8, church 2, mazar 1. Notable institutions: Kalapara Jame Masjid, Kuakata Buddhist Vihara, mazar of pir Bashiruddin at Kalapara.

Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 34.08%, male 39.07%, female 29.09%. Educational institution: college 2, high school 28, technical institute 2, madrasa 25, primary school (government) 78, primary school (non-government) 92. Noted institution: Mozaharuddin Bishwas College.

Cultural organisations: Fisherman co-operative society 11, women's association 1, public library 1, theatre stage1, cinema hall 4, community centre 14, playground 22.

Main occupations: Agriculture 45.63%, fishing 5.67%, commerce 10.01%, service 3.56%, agricultural labourer 18.89%, wage labourer 4.57%, others 11.67%.

Land use: Cultivable land 45328 hectares, fallow land 93 hectares; double crop 10.59%, triple crop land 3.19%. Cultivable land under irrigation 1.75%.

Land control: Among the peasants 41.53% are landless, 35.06% small peasant, 15.04% intermediate, 8.37% rich; cultivable land per head 0.259 hectare.

Fishing, dairy and poultry Shrimp 28, livestock 5, poultry 45, hatchery 1.

Communication facilities- Roads: Pucca 20 km, semi pucca 58 km and mud road 860 km.

Manufactories: Flour mill 6, rice mill 35, ice mill 25, saw mill 6.

Cottage industries: Goldsmith 25, blacksmith 50, wood work 12.

NGO activities: Operationally important NGOs are brac, caritas, asa, Urban, Solve, SIKODA, CODEC, Samkalpa.

Health centres: Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 1, family planning centre 9, private clinic 1.

Place of interest: Kuakata sea beach
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   21°58'54"N   90°13'19"E
This article was last modified 10 years ago