Ramu Upazila HQ

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

Ramu Upazila (Cox's bazar district) with an area of 391.71 sq km, is bounded by Chakaria and Cox's bazar sadar upazilas on the north, Naikhongchhari and Ukhia upazilas on the south, Naikhongchhari upazila on the east, Cox's Bazar Sadar upazila and the bay of Bengal on the west. Main river is Bakkhali.

The location of Ramu town is 21.4293786N 92.1014779E. Upazila (Town) consists of four mouzas. The area of the town is 22.03 sq km. The town has a population of 30386; male 52.61%, female 47.39%; density of population per sq km is 1379. Literacy rate among town people is 34%.

Ramu thana was transformed into an upazila in 1983. It consists of 9 union parishads, 39 mouzas and 102 villages.

Archaeological heritage: Ramkot Buddhist Keyang, Lamarpara Buddhist Keyang.

Historical events: Tradition goes that Ramu was named after the royal Ramu dynasty of Arakan. At the time of the conquest of Chittagong by the Mughals (1666) a thirteen feet high bronze image of Buddha was found at Ramu. This is the biggest of the Buddha images hitherto discovered in Bangladesh.

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census: Population 167480; male 51.41%, female 48.59%; Muslim 91.26%, Hindu 4.44%, Buddhist 4.29%, Christian 0.01%; ethnic nationals: Rakhain 188 families and Marma 142 families (1.2% of the total population). Density of population per sq km is 428.

Religious institutions: Mosque 278, temple 15, Buddhist keyang and pagoda 20. Notable institutions: Jami Mosque at Ramu, Eidgah Bazar Mosque, Ramkot Hindu Temple, Ramkot Buddhist Keyang, Lamarpara Buddhist Keyang.

Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 21.3%; male 28.3%, female 14.3%. Educational institutions: college 1, high school 11, madrasa 5, government primary school 55, non-government primary school 22.

Cultural institutions: Rural club 14, public library 1, playground 16.

Main occupations: Agriculture 29.62%, forestry 3.66%, agricultural labourer 23.06%, wage labourer 9.59%, industry 1.04%, commerce 12.78%, service 4.55%, transport 2.45%, others 13.25%.

Land use: Cultivable land 11129 hectares, fallow land 3072 hectares; single crop 35%, double crop 45% and triple crop land 20%. The largest rubber garden of the country comprising an area of 844.19 hectares belongs to this upazila. Cultivable land under irrigation 80%.

Land control: Among the peasants, 66% are landless, 18% small peasant, 10% intermediate, 6% rich; cultivable land per head 0.066 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, potato, pulse, onion, garlic, ginger, betel, betel-nut, rubber, spices, vegetables.

Fishery and poultry Fishery 12, poultry 4, hatchery 10.

Communication facilities- Roads: pucca 32 km, semi pucca 25 km and mud road 637 km.

Manufactories: Rice mill 90, flour mill 52.

Cottage industries: Weaving 119, brass work 24, bamboo and cane work 555, wood work 233, tailoring 12, blacksmith 33, potteries 27.

Main exports Betel, betel-nut, coconut, banana, papaya, jackfruit, pineapple, shrimp fry, rubber.

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

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