Sandwip Upazila HQ

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

Sandwip Upazila (Chittagong district) with an area of 762.42 sq km, is bounded by Companiganj (Noakhali) upazila on the north, bay of Bengal on the south, Sitakunda and Mirsharai upazilas, and Sandwip Channel on the east, Noakhali sadar upazila, Hatiya Island and Meghna estuary on the west. Sandwip is an island of the Meghna estuary.

The location of Sandwip town is 22.4855986N 91.4611682E. Sandwip (Town) consists of 9 wards and 5 mahallas. The area of the town is 23.12 sq km. The town has a population of 41488; male 47.48% and female 52.52%; population density per sq km 1794. Literacy rate among the town people is 40.4%.

Sandwip upazila consists of 14 union parishads, 31 mouzas and 34 villages.

Religious institutions: Mosque 265, temple 72, most noted of which are Shahabanu Mosque, Sandwip Town Jami Mosque, Sandwip Town Bazar Mosque and Abdul Gani Chowdhury Mosque.

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census: Population 272179; male 49.68%, female 50.32%; Muslim 87.91%, Hindu 11.51% and others 0.58%.

Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 35.0%; male 40.8%; female 29.5%. Educational institutions: college 3, high school 26, madrasa 14, government primary school 103, non-government primary school 47.

Cultural organisations: Public library 2, cinema hall 1, community centre 13, rural club 17.

Main occupations: Agriculture 17.23%, fishing 2.65%, agricultural labourer 22.98%, wage labourer 5.48%, transport 2.11%, commerce 10.36%, service 20.32%, renting house 2.45% and others 16.42%.

Land use: Total cultivable land 15120.60 hectares, fallow land 8469.04 hectares; single crop 35%, double crop 45% and treble crop land 20%. Cultivable land under irrigation 85%.

Land control: Among the peasants, 58.96% are landless, 24.04% small and 17% intermediate.

Main crops Paddy, jute, potato, aubergine, patal, betel leaf, betel nut, coconut, peanut, palm, vegetables, sugarcane.

Fisheries: only three fisheries.

Communication facilities- Roads: pucca 10 km, semi pucca 19 km and mud road 587 km; waterways 22 nautical mile.

Manufactories: Rice mill 105, bidi factory 17, ice factory 4, hosiery 3 and printing press 2.

Cottage industries: Weaving 205, blacksmith 28, potteries 44, bamboo and cane work 378, wood work 178 and brass work 11.

NGO activities: Operationally important NGOs are asa, proshika, CARE, caritas.

Health centres: Upazila health complex 2, family planning centre 3 and private clinic 3.