Begumganj Upazila HQ

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

Begumganj Upazila (Noakhali district) with an area of 426.05 sq km, is bounded by Laksham upazila on the north, Noakhali sadar (old name Sudharam) upazila on the south, Senbagh upazila on the east and Lakshmipur sadar and Chatkhil upazilas on the west.

The location of the Begumganj town is 22.944103N 91.1001724E. Begumganj (Town) stands 9 km to the north of Noakhali Sadar. It is a municipal town; the area of the town is 19.1 sq km. The town has a population of 184525; population density per sq km 9661. Literacy rate among the town people is 56.3%. It is a noted trade centre. The town has two dakbungalows.

Begumganj thana, now an upazila, was established in 1892. It consists of 29 union parishads, 334 mouzas and 343 villages.

Archaeological heritage and relics Bajra Shahi Jami Mosque (1153 AH).

Historical events: It is said that Mughal Subedar of Bengal Shaista Khan visited Begumganj area with his wife (Begum) and Begumganj was named after the Begum of the Subadar. Mahatma Gandhi visited the area in 1946 to ease communal riot.

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census: Population 676168; male 49.2%, female 50.8%. Muslim 94.55%, Hindu 5.4% and others 0.05%. Population wise Begumganj is the biggest upazila in Bangladesh.

Religious institutions: Mosque 797, temple 4, Hindu sacred place 1, tomb 5 most noted of which are Bajra Shahi Mosque, Ghandi Ashram Trust.

Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 44.4%; male 50.4% and female 38.8%. Educational institutions: college 7, high school 62, madrasa 42, primary school 253. Noted educational institutions: Chaumuhani Saleh Ahmed College, Begumganj Government Pilot High School, Bajra High School (1919), Ghatla High School (1915), Begumganj Agricultural Institute, Begumganj Industrial School, Begumganj Textile Institute, Begumganj Vocational Training Institute, Youth Training Institute.

Cultural organisations: Club 3, cinema hall 2, library 10, theatre stage 2, auditorium 1, literary society and children organisation 3.

Main occupations Agriculture 23.13%, agricultural labourer 13.03%, wage labourer 2.5%, commerce 15.82%, service 26.71%, transport 3.13%, construction 1.01% and others 14.67%.

Land use: Total cultivable land 30587.62 hectares; single crop 71%, double crop 22.14% and treble crop 6.86%.

Land control: Among the peasants 9.61% are landless, 40.69% marginal, 42.79% small, 6.53% intermediate and .38% rich; cultivable land per head 0.6 hectare.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Dairy 2, poultry 17, government cattle rearing centre 1, artificial breeding centre 1.

Communication facilities- Roads: pucca 61 km and mud road 112 km; railways 21 km; railway station 3.

Manufactories: Jute mill 1, food industry 1, biscuit factory 14, rice mill 85, flour mill 7, oil mill 26, chemical industry 14, brick field 21, ice cream factory 10, printing press 43.

Cottage industries: Weaving, bamboo and cane works, goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, wood works, tailoring, dry fish production.

Mineral resources: natural gas (Begumganj).

NGO activities: Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, proshika, Ghandhi Ashram Trust (GAT).

Health centres: Hospital 1, upazila health complex 1, health and family welfare centre 4, family planning centre 18, maternity centre 1 and non-government health unit 5.