Noakhali ( bn, নোয়াখালী, , New canal), historically known as Bhulua ( bn, ভুলুয়া), is a district in southeastern

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

, located in the

Chittagong Division Chittagong Division, officially known as Chattogram Division, is geographically the largest of the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. It covers the south-easternmost areas of the country, with a total area of and a population at the 2 ...

. It was established as district in 1821, and officially named Noakhali in 1868. Its headquarters lie in the town of

Maijdee Maijdee ( bn, মাইজদী) is a city and district headquarter of Noakhali District, located in south eastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative center and the main city of Noakhali District in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. It is al ...

, making Noakhali the only

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

of Bangladesh that isn't named after its town name.

Etymology and names

The name of Noakhali District comes from the town of Noakhali (নোয়াখালী), which was the former headquarters of the old district. It is a

compound Compound may refer to: Architecture and built environments * Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall ** Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive struct ...

of two words; ''Noa'' (meaning new in

Noakhailla Noakhailla (), also known by the exonym Noakhalian, is a dialect of Bengali, spoken by an estimated 7 million people, primarily in the Greater Noakhali region of Bangladesh as well as southern parts of Tripura in India. Outside of these regions, t ...

) and ''Khali'' (a diminutive of ''khal'' meaning canal). The history behind its naming is traced back to a canal that was dug in the 1660s in response to devastating floods which had affected the area's agricultural activities. The canal ran from the Dakatia through Ramganj, Sonaimuri and

Chowmuhani Chowmuhani ( bn, চৌমুহনী, Choumuhonī) is a city and municipal corporation in Noakhali District, located in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. It is the administrative centre and capital of the Begumganj Upazila Begumganj ( bn, ব� ...

, to divert water flow to the junction of the

Meghna River The Meghna River ( bn, মেঘনা নদী) is one of the major rivers in Bangladesh, one of the three that form the Ganges Delta, the largest delta on earth, which fans out to the Bay of Bengal. A part of the Surma-Meghna River System, ...

and

Feni River Feni River ( bn, ফেনী নদী ; ISO: ''Phēnī Nadī'' ) is a river in southeastern Bangladesh and Tripura state of India. It is a trans-boundary river with an ongoing dispute about water rights. The Feni River originates in South Tripu ...

. After its excavation, locals began calling it "Noakhali" (a new small canal) and a town with this name emerged around it in Sudharam. Prior to changing its name to Noakhali District in 1868, the district was formerly referred to as the District of Bhulua (). Former spellings by the

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

include "Bhullooah" and "Bulloah" though these were less consistent with the Bengali pronunciation and spelling. When the district was ruled by the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

, it was known by its

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

variant which was ''Bhalwa'' (). According to local Hindu mythology, the etymology of Bhulua is related to an incident experienced by Adi Sura's ninth son, Bishwambhar Sur, who had passed through the region during his travels. Sur rested in the area and had a dream in which he saw that

Varahi Varahi ( sa, वाराही, )) is also used as the name of the consort of Varaha, who is identified with Bhumi (the earth goddess). This consort is depicted in a human form., group=note is one of the Matrikas, a group of seven mother go ...

would make him the sovereign of this territory with the condition that Sur worships her. On a cloudy day in 1203 CE, Sur built an

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

for Varahi and sacrificed a goat. When the clouds moved away, Sur realized that he had sacrificed the goat to the west, which was not acceptable in Hinduism. As a result, he screamed ''bhul hua'' (it was wrong), from which the name Bhulua was said to have come from.

History

Bhullooah (The ancient name of Noakhali)

The Noakhali District was established in 1868 as a renaming of the Bhulua district, which the British founded on 29 March 1822. It headquarters was in the town of Noakhali until the town vanished in the river-bed in 1951, as a result of the

erosion. A new headquarters for the Noakhali District was then established at

. In 1964, the Sadar subdivision was divided into two sub-divisions; Noakhali Sadar and Lakshmipur though the Feni subdivision remained how it was. In 1984, the District of Noakhali was further divided into three districts for administrative convenience; Noakhali District, Lakshmipur and Feni.

Economy

The people of Noakhali play a vital role in Bangladesh's economy, especially in the remittance sector. Agriculture plays a vital role in the regional economy. 30% of the regional GDP comes from agriculture with 45% of the population employed in the sector . Employment in the fishing industry is also dominant in the poorer sectors of the population. Annually, 15%–20% of labor is involved in this sector (boating, fishing, drying, net and boat making and repairing, transporting fish from one location to other). Poorer communities are involved in crop production during the winter but in other periods they are involved in fishing, either working for themselves or selling their labour to the . Around 40% of the population works abroad playing a vital role in the national economy. The main sources of income dependent on non-agricultural labour 3.43%, industry 0.84%, commerce 14.74%, transport and communication 3.83%, service 16.11%, construction 1.49%, religious service 0.39%, rent and remittance 7.97% and others 10.58%.

Agriculture

The economy of Noakhali is predominately agricultural. Of the total 544,943 holdings of the district 65.37% of the holdings are farms that produce varieties of crops, namely: local and hybrid rice, wheat, vegetables, spices, cash crops, pulses, betel leaves, boro and Aman paddy, peanut, varieties of pulses, chili, sugarcane, potato, and others. Various fruits like mango, banana, jack fruit, papaya, litchi, palm coconut, and betel nut are grown. Fish of different varieties are found in the sea and rivers and paddy fields in the rainy season. Fishes like , koi, grass carp, silver carp, talapia, nilotica, and different species of local fishes have also been introduced for commercial pisciculture (fish farming) in ponds and water lands. Timber and forest trees are grown in this district including , mahogany, and bamboo.

Governance

Noakhali District consists of: 10 upazilas, 8 municipalities, 72 wards, 153 mahallas, 91 unions, 882 mouzas and 967 villages. The upazilas of Noakhali District are: #

Senbagh Upazila Senbagh ( bn, সেনবাগ), also spelt Senbag and Senbug, is an upazila of Noakhali District. It is named after its administrative centre, the municipality of Senbagh. Geography Senbagh is located at . It has 38,067 units of households an ...

Begumganj Upazila Begumganj ( bn, বেগমগঞ্জ, Begomgonj) is an upazila of the Noakhali District in Bangladesh's Chittagong Division. Begumganj Thana, now an upazila, was established in 1892. Geography Begumganj is located at . It has 118361 households ...

# Chatkhil Upazila # Companiganj Upazila #

Noakhali Sadar Upazila Noakhali Sadar ( bn, নোয়াখালি সদর) is an upazila of Noakhali District in the Division of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Noakhali Thana was established in 1861 and was converted into an upazila in 1984. The upazila takes its name f ...

Hatiya Upazila Hatiya ( bn, হাতিয়া) is an upazila (sub-district) of Noakhali District in Bangladesh's Chittagong Division. It encompasses several islands of Bangladesh, most notably Hatiya Island, Bhasan Char, Nijhum Dwip and Jahaijar Char, Jaha ...

Kabirhat Upazila Kabirhat ( bn, কবিরহাট, Kobirhat) is an upazila of the Noakhali District, located in Bangladesh's Chittagong Division. It is named after its administrative centre, the town of Kabirhat, and is the newest upazila of the district. His ...

Sonaimuri Upazila Sonaimuri (সোনাইমুড়ী) is a newly established upazila or sub-district in Noakhali District, Bangladesh. It consists of ten union councils or parishads - Ambarnagar, Amisha Para, Bazra, Deoti, Jayag, Nadana, Nateshwar, Sonaimu ...

# Suborno Char Upazila # Bhashan Char Upazila A municipality is usually an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government or jurisdiction. Noakhali district has eight municipalities (Paurashavas): Senbagh,

, Chatkhil, Basurhat, Hatiya, Kabirhat and Sonaimuri. Every municipality consists of nine wards.

Geography

Noakhali District is bordered by the

Cumilla Comilla (; bn, কুমিল্লা, Kumillā, ), officially spelled Cumilla, is the fifth largest city of Bangladesh and second largest in Chittagong division. It is the administrative centre of the Comilla District. The name Comilla was ...

district to the north, the

Meghna The Meghna River ( bn, মেঘনা নদী) is one of the major rivers in Bangladesh, one of the three that form the Ganges Delta, the largest delta on earth, which fans out to the Bay of Bengal. A part of the Surma-Meghna River System, ...

estuary and the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line between ...

to the south, Feni and

Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...

districts to the east and Lakshmipur and

Bhola Bhola ( bn, ভোলা) is a town and district headquarter of Bhola District in the division of Barishal, Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most ...

districts to the west. The district has an area of . The district represents an extensive flat, coastal and delta land, located on the tidal floodplain of the Meghna River delta, characterised by flat land and low relief. The area is influenced by diurnal tidal cycles; the tidal fluctuations vary depending on seasons, and are most pronounced during the monsoon season. On three sides of Noakhali an

alluvial plain An alluvial plain is a largely flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A floodplain is part of the process, being the sma ...

that is inundated annually and fertilised by

silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension with water. Silt usually has a floury feel when ...

deposits from the Meghna estuary. The swift currents that course down from the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

carry rich fertile silt. When it reaches the Bay of Bengal the silt settles along the coast gradually forming new land called the "chars". The district of Noakhali has actually gained more than of land in the past fifty years. In addition to the Meghna, the district is home to other rivers such as the

and Banmi as well as the Noakhali, Mahendra, Dakatia, Chandraganj canals.

Climate

Noakhali has a

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

climate and has significant rainfall in most months of the year, with a short dry season. In Noakhali, the average annual temperature is and the average annual rain fall is about . With an average temperature of , May is the warmest month. At on average, January is the coldest month of the year. The driest month is January with of precipitation. In July, the rainfall reaches its peak, with an average of .

Flora and fauna

Flora Noakhali is one of the coastal districts at the fringe of the Bay of Bengal with vast char land of recent origin in the south. Plantlife is confined generally to variations belonging to the lower Gangetic plane and of other districts in the southern region of the country. Except for the Government-sponsored

afforestation Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees (forestation) in an area where there was no previous tree cover. Many government and non-governmental organizations directly engage in afforestation programs to create forests a ...

program for the coastal belt, there is no organized forestry in the district. However, all homesteads are usually covered by dense and lush green foliage of a wide variety of trees. Most of the trees grown in homestead forests are fruitbearing. Mangoes, although poor in quality, grow in abundance. Almond or badam (''Arachis hypogea'') are unusual. Other common trees are jack fruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), blackberry (''Syzygium cumini''), tamarind (''Tamarindus indica''), jalpai (''Elaeocarpus tectorius''), bel (''Aegle marmelos''), chalta (''Dillenia indica''), boroi, guava (''Psidiumguagava''), etc. Banana (''Banana musa sapientum'') is seen almost everywhere but the fruit quality is rather poor. Litchi (''Litchi chinensis''), kamranga (''Averrho karmbola''), ata, haritaki (''Terminalia chebula''), amloki (''Phyllanthus emblica''), gaab (''Dioaspyros precatorius''), etc. grow abundantly. The juice of the gaab fruit mixed with charcoal is used in colouring boats and stiffening fishing nets. Coconut (''Cocos nucifera'') is abundantly produced in Noakhali. Indigenous timber trees include Koroi, sheel koroi (''Albizia procera''), garjan (''Dipterocarpus turbinatus''), jarul (''Iegerstroemia speciosa''), shimul (''Bombax ceiba''), etc. However, various exotic trees like teak, mahogany (''Swietenia macrophylla''), sissu (''Dalbergia sissoo''), etc. have been produced as wayside trees as well as in farm forestry. Mandar (''Erythrina variegata''), a thorny tree mostly used as fuel and fencing, is seen in almost every household forest. Kadom (''Anthocephalus cadamba'') are very common and are preferred for manufacturing matchsticks. The fruit of shimul or karpas is used for stuffing mattresses and pillows and has a silky appearance. Newly introduced trees include eucalyptus and pine. Mango wood is not good as a timber, but owing to its abundance, it is much used. The wood of the tamarind and the kul is hard-grained and of good quality. The amaltas is used for house and rough furniture construction. Jarul is used for boat building and pillars of houses. The luxuriant growth of palms is the most characteristic feature of the vegetation. Betel nut palm or supari (''Areca catechu'') plantations are more and more abundant towards the north and the west of the district and grow almost lie forests. Coconuts are grown abundantly throughout the district. Toddy palms or tal (''Borassus flabellifer'') and date palms or khejur are also very common. Date palm is a valuable tree. The juice is extracted and made into gurr, the leaves are made into mat. Tal wood is used for posts of houses and other building purposes. Its leaves are used for making handmade mats and large hand fans. Betel nut and coconut are a good sources of household income. Shade trees include banyan or bot (''Ficus benghalensis''), pipal (''Ficus religiosa'') and nim (''Azadirachta indica'') and are seen commonly. There are several varieties of cane, a good deal of bamboo of different varieties, and thatching grass or chhan although their plantations are gradually but steadily decreasing. Use of bamboo is widespread for posts and fencing for houses, basket making and producing trays of various kinds. Bet is used for making baskets, binding and thatching. In the marshes are found sola (''Aeschynomene aspera'') and murta or mostak (''Schumannianthus dichotomus '') which is extensively used for making various types of mats famously known as ''shital pati'' and baskets. The forest department of the government of Bangladesh created mangrove forests in

Nijhum Dwip Nijhum Dwip ( bn, নিঝুম দ্বীপ, lit=Silent Island) is a small island under Hatiya, Bangladesh, Hatiya upazila. It is situated in Noakhali District in Bangladesh. Once it was called Char Osmani, Baluar Char, Golden Island A c ...

. The most common type of planted tree species on the island is keora, also known as kerfa, which has fast growing roots holding the sandy land. The tree occurs on newly accreted soil in moderately to strongly saline areas and is considered as a pioneer species in ecological succession. Fauna Owing to the absence of organized forest and other natural conditions, no large or medium-sized carnivores are seen in the district. However, the following mammals have still seen the district although their number is gradually decreasing: jackal (''Canis aureus''), fox (''Vulpes bengalensis''), large Indian civet or (''Viverra zibetha''), otter or uud (''Lutra lutra''), Irrawaddy, kath biral (''Callosciuruspy gerythrus''), Bengal mongoose or beji (''Herpestes edwards''), different kinds of rats and several species of bats. Buffalo is found in char and on Hatia island. The vast offshore areas and the emerging islands of the Noakhali district have become potential places for raising buffalo. Almost all varieties of birds that are seen throughout Bangladesh are also commonly seen in Noakhali. Raptors include: white-rumped vulture (''Gyps bengalensis''), lanner falcon or baj (''Falco biarmicus''), marsh harrier or (''Circus aeruginesus''), pariah cheel (''Milvus migyans lineatas''), several species of stork like pond heron or kani boga (''Ardeola greyii''), cattle egret or go boga (''Babulcus ibis'') and black bittern or kala boga (''Dupeter plovicollis''), crows (''Corvus splendens'') and kingfisher (''Alcedo atthis''), etc. Ducks are represented by a number of species including winter migrants like: greenleg goose (''Anser anser''), rajhans (''Anser indicus''), the pintail (''Anas acuta'') and some other domestic species. Water birds include: the little cormorant or pankawri (''Phalacrocorax niger''), waterhen or dahuk (''Amaurornis phonicurus''), kora (''Gallicrex cinarea''). Cuckoo or kokil (''Cuculus micropterus''), black-hooded oriole or halde pakhi (''Oriolus xanthornus''), kingcrow or finge (''Dicrurus adsimilis''), moyna (''Sturnus malabarica''), shalik (''Acridotheres tristis''), redvented bulbuli (''Pycnotus cafer''), tuntuni (''Orthotomus sutorious''), shayma (''Copsyehus malabaricus''), sparrow (''Passer domesticus''), flowerpecker (''Dicacum erythrochynchos''), babui (''Plocus phillippinus'') famous for their artistic nest building, and several species of pheasant quails (''Eudynamis scolopscea''), pigeons and doves are also present. Reptiles include snakes, lizards and tortoises. The snakes include varieties of cobra, and , all poisonous. The lizards include gecko, calotis, wall lizard and monitor lizard. There are amphibians like toads, frogs and tree frogs. There are many species of sea and fresh water fish available in the district. The list of the varieties is too long to include here. Although Noakhali is coastal district, most of the fish supply comes from ponds and tanks, canals and low-lying areas inundated by rain water, popular varieties include: the carp tribe (''Cyprinidoes''), ruhi (''Labeo rohita''), katla (''Catla catla''), mrigel (''Cirrhinus mrigala'') and kalabaush (''labeo calbasu''), airh (''Sperata aor''), pangas (''Pangasius pangasius''), tengra (''Mystus vittatus'') of several types, magur (''Clarias batrschus''), singi (''Saccobranchus fossilis'') and koi (''Mystus vittatus'') are considered to be delicious, shoul (''Channa striatus''), boal (''Wallago attu''), gozar (''Channa marulius''), chitol (''Chitala chitala''), foli (''Notopterus notopterus'') and pabda (''Ompok pabda'') are available in abundance. (''Tenualosa ilisha''), (''Awaous guamensis''), (''Lates calcarifer''), (''Labeo bata''), and fish are also available in abundance. Prawn, crayfish (''icha'') and crabs are also found. Tilapia, Muralla, Punti, Khoksha, Kajuli, Kakila, Khailsha, Bain and Chela are small fish like Mola, Kachki are found all over the district in abundance. Created mangrove forests in Nijhum Dwip are the habitat of about 5,000 cheetral or spotted deer. This island has been declared as a unique eco-tourist spot for its ideal natural setup with rich bio-diversification factors and its perennial mangrove forest with wild animals like spotted deer, wild boar and rhesus macaque and for the ideal habitat for fish resources.

Culture

Language

The official language of Noakhali is Bengali. It is used in education and all government affairs in the district. The main spoken language is

which is generally and officially considered as a dialect of Bengali. Noakhailla is also spoken in Feni, Lakshmipur, southern

Comilla Comilla (; bn, কুমিল্লা, Kumillā, ), officially spelled Cumilla, is the fifth largest city of Bangladesh and second largest in Chittagong division. It is the administrative centre of the Comilla District. The name Comilla was ...

Mirsharai Mirsharai ( bn, মীরসরাই) is a town and municipality in Chattogram District of Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. The town is the headquarter and urban centre of Mirsharai Upazila Mirsharai Upazila ( bn, মীরসরাই) is an ...

and Hajiganj, and is very much mutually intelligible with

Sandwip Sandwip ( bn, সন্দ্বীপ, Shondip) is an island located along the southeastern coast of Bangladesh in the Chattogram District. Along with the island of Urir Char, it is a part of the Sandwip Upazila. Description Sandwip is locate ...

i. Indian nationals also speak Noakhailla, and it is used as the

lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...

among the Indians in Gomati, Sipahijala and

South Tripura South Tripura ( bn, দক্ষিণ ত্রিপুরা জেলা) is an administrative district in the state of Tripura in northeastern India. History The district came into existence on 1 September 1970, when the entire state was ...

. These Indians belong to various tribes such as

Twipra The Twipra Kingdom (Sanskrit: Tripura, Anglicized: Tippera) was one of the largest historical kingdoms of the Tripuri people in Northeast India. Geography The present political areas which were part of the Twipra Kingdom are: * Barak Valley ...

, Chakma, Mog, Marma and

Reang Reang is a Tripuri clan of the Indian state of Mizoram and Tripura. The Reangs can be found all over the Tripura state in India. However, they may also be found in Assam and Mizoram. They speak the Kaubru language which is similar with Kokborok L ...

. The Noakhailla dialect does not have any recognised grammar recording. There is no formal use of the Noakhailla dialect in public, in courts, or in the legislature like the existent standard Bangla. It remains as the language of the people of the Greater Noakhali region of Bangladesh. The educated, elite, political and influential groups of Bangladesh bearing Noakhali homogeneity, or being intrinsically exposed to the socio-cultural phenomenon of Noakhali, usually prefer the standard form of Bangla for their wider communication. They keep this dialect as their private means of communication only with members of the indigenous community of Greater Noakhali. Other languages spoken by non-Bengali minorities include

Tripuri Tripuri refer to: *Tripuri people, an ethnic group in India and Bangladesh, also known as Tipra people **Tripuri language **Tripuri nationalism **Tripuri calendar **Tripuri culture **Tripuri cuisine **Tripuri dances **Tripuri dress **Tripuri games ...

and

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

and Bihari people respectively.

Literature

Bengali literature Bengali literature ( bn, বাংলা সাহিত্য, Bangla Sahityô) denotes the body of writings in the Bengali language and which covers Old Bengali, Middle- Bengali and Modern Bengali with the changes through the passage of time ...

in Noakhali dates back several centuries, with the

puthi A Puthi ( bn, পুঁথি, Nagari: , Perso-Arab: پوتھی), is a book or writing of poetic fairy tales and religious stories of Bengal and present-day East India, which were read by a senior "educated" person while others would listen. This ...

tradition being one of the principal genres and Muhammad Qasim of Jogdia being a prominent 18th-century poet. Shaykh Basania of Asadia composed the ''Chowdhurir Larai'', a ballad written in

dealing with a historic battle fought by Zamindar Raj Chandra Chowdhury of Babupur. The work inspired other authors such as Yaqub Ali, Balak Faqir, Muhammad Farid and Muhammad Yunus who wrote their own adaptations. In the 20th century, Mukarrim Billah Chowdhury wrote ''Noakhalir Itihas'', an important work relating to the history of Noakhali. In the medieval period, Noakhaillas were also writing in the

and

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

languages. Notable examples include Muhammad Habibur Rahman, Muhammad Musa, and the Persian-language poets Mawlana Nuri and Wazir Ali.

Architecture

The intense building of mosques that took place during the Sultanate era indicates the rapidity with which the locals converted to Islam. Today, mosques are present in every Muslim-inhabited village. Bengali mosques are normally covered with several small domes and curved brick roofs decorated with

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, a ...

Ponds A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...

are often located beside a mosque. Major archeological works in the district include the 18th-century mosques of Bajra and Ramadan Mia. The Rajganj Mia Bari in Begumganj is a prominent

zamindar A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...

palace in the district and was built by honorary magistrate Syed Sultan Alam Chowdhury. File:Noakhali BojraShahi MG 3908.jpg,

Bajra Shahi Mosque Bajra Shahi Mosque ( bn, বজরা শাহী মসজিদ, Bojra Shahi Mosjid, ar, شاهي مسجد بجرا) is an 18th-century mosque located in the Bazra Union under Sonaimuri Upazila of Noakhali District, Bangladesh. It has been des ...

File:Rajgonj Mia Bari.jpg, Rajganj Mia Bari File:Ramjan Mia Mosque 2.jpg,

Ramadan Miah Mosque Ramadan Miah Jame Mosque, or Ramzan Mia Jame Masjid ( bn, রমজান মিয়া জামে মসজিদ, ar, ), and more popularly known as Chowdhury Mosjid ( bn, চৌধুরী মসজিদ), is a mosque in the Noakhali ...

File:Diara Sharif of Shyampur.jpg, Dayra Sharif of Shyampur File:Miah Bari Jame Masjid, Nolua, Senbagh, Noakhali.jpg, Nolua Miah Bari Jame Masjid, Senbagh

Sports and games

Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

is the most popular sport in Noakhali, and players from this district form a part of the

East Zone The East Zone cricket team is a first-class cricket team that represents eastern India in the Duleep Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Inter Zonal. It is a composite team of five first-class Indian teams from eastern India competing in the Ranj ...

. Football is also a common sport and the multi-use

Shaheed Bulu Stadium Shaheed Bhulu Stadium ( Bangla:শহীদ ভুলু স্টেডিয়াম) is the district stadium of Noakhali, Bangladesh. The Stadium is situated near ''College Gate'' in Noakhali municipality. Stadium is used for national parade, ...

is known to have hosted the National Football Championship and

Bangladesh Premier League The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ প্রিমিয়ার লীগ) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league consisting of seven franchises. The BPL is one of the three professional cricket leagues in ...

. It is also the home grounds of the

Team BJMC Team Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (Team BJMC) was a sporting club in Bangladesh, which is mainly located in the city of Dhaka. The club was formerly known as East Pakistan IDC prior to 1971 and Bangladesh JIC from 1971 until 1978, from whic ...

(based in Dhaka) as well as Greater Noakhali's own football team,

NoFeL SC NoFel Sporting Club ( bn, নোফেল স্পোর্টিং ক্লাব) is a football team of Bangladesh, based on Noakhali District, Noakhali. The current name NoFeL is an acronym for Noakhali District, Noakhali Feni District, Fen ...

. Board and home games such as Dosh Fochish and its modern counterpart Ludu, as well as

Carrom Board Carrom is a tabletop game of Indian origin in which players flick discs, attempting to knock them to the corners of the board. The game is very popular in the Indian subcontinent, and is known by various names in different languages. In Sou ...

, Sur-Fulish, Khanamasi and

Chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

, are very popular in the region. Nowka Bais is a common traditional rowing competition during the monsoon season when rivers are filled up, and much of the land is under water. Fighting sports include

Kabaddi Kabaddi is a contact team sport. Played between two teams of seven players, the objective of the game is for a single player on offence, referred to as a "raider", to run into the opposing team's half of the court, touch out as many of their ...

, Latim and

Lathi khela Lathi khela ( bn, লাঠি খেলা) is a traditional Bengali martial art – a kind of stick fighting practised India and Bangladesh. A practitioner is known as a ''lathial''. Etymology The word ''lathi'' is the Bengali word meaning s ...

Demographics

According to the

2011 Bangladesh census In 2011, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, conducted a national census in Bangladesh, which provided a provisional estimate of the total population of the country as 142,319,000. The previous decennial census was the 2001 census. Data were reco ...

, Noakhali District had a population of 3,108,083, of which 1,485,169 were males and 1,622,914 females. Rural population was 2,611,383 (84.02%) while the urban population was 496,700 (15.98%). Noakhali district had a literacy rate of 51.29% for the population 7 years and above: 51.44% for males and 51.16% for females. The main town

has a population of 84,585 (male 51.50%, female 48.50%) with a population density of 5,915/km² (3,675/mi²). The tribal population generally consists of

s as parts of the district was formerly a feudal territory of the

Tripura Kingdom The Twipra Kingdom (Sanskrit: Tripura, Anglicized: Tippera) was one of the largest historical kingdoms of the Tripuri people in Northeast India. Geography The present political areas which were part of the Twipra Kingdom are: * Barak Valley ...

and is in close proximity to the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions. History Pre-indepen ...

Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east a ...

Religion

Islam is the predominant religion in the district with

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

minority.

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

and

buddhists Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

constitute 0.02% and 0.03% of the district population respectively. The district has 4,159 mosques, 497

eidgah Eidgah or Idgah, also Eid Gah or Id Gah ( fa, "site of Eid bservances; bn, ঈদগাহ; pnb, ; ur, ; hi, ईदगाह) is a term used in South Asian Islamic culture for the open-air enclosure usually outside the city (or at th ...

s, 239 temples, two Buddhist pagodas and two churches.

Education

The literacy rate of Noakhali district is 69.57% (male- 72.40% and female- 67.60%). School attendance rate is 74.40% for the five to 24 years age group. In Noakhali there are 1,243 Primary Schools (Government: 776, Non-government: 329, Community: 76, Satellite: 62), 289 High Schools, 161 Madrashas (Senior Madrasha: 30, Dakhil and Alim Madrasha: 131), five Technical Institutions (Youth Training Center: two, PTI: one Technical School and College: two, 35 Colleges (Government: eight, Private: 27), one Medical Assistant Training School (MATS), one Agricultural Training Institute, one Government Medical College, one Homeopathic Medical College, one Textile Engineering College and one Science and Technology University.

History of education system

The quality of the education system in this district is commendable. But it is necessary to look back at what the education system was like before. At the beginning of the Mughal and

British rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...

, the education system was generally dependent on ‘tol’ schools and maktabs. These taught Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit. However, the education system gradually improved and the Minor School was established. There was only one English high school in the year of 1857. There were 69 students. In the next four years, the number of students stood at 71. But in the year 1871, the students' number reach number at 596, as well as the number of government and aided schools reached 26. In the survey of 1872, there were 74.66% of the Muslim population but their literacy rate was only 20% of the total population at that time. However, the literacy rate of Muslims increased very significantly in the next decade. The total number of schools was 2775 in the year 1895. At that time, some changes in education policy closed many schools, so the number of schools dropped to 1330 in the year of 1898. The number of students in this district was more than 12,000 in the year. Let's talk about high schools. In Noakhali, there were only five English high schools in 1905. Among them were

Noakhali Zilla School Noakhali Zilla School ( bn, নোয়াখালী জিলা স্কুল) is a boy's high school located in the Maijdee town of Noakhali, Bangladesh. It is one of the oldest schools in the country. The school was established in 1850.(EI ...

, which was established in 1850 and was included as a Zilla School in 1853, Feni High School ( now

Feni Government Pilot High School Feni Government Pilot High School is a secondary school in the Feni District of Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the worl ...

) which was established in 1886, Lakshmipur High School (now Lakshmipur Adarsha Samad Government High School) which was established in 1889, Sandwip Kargil High School now Kargil Government High School (1902). Since then, educational institutes have increased a lot until 1950. In the year of 1914, there were 5 more high schools were established in this district. They are

Arun Chandra High School Arun Chandra High School is a secondary school in Noakhali District, Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a po ...

which was founded by the Bhulua Zamindar called Arun Chandra Singh Bahadur, Rajganj Union High School which was founded by Syed Sultan Alam Chowdhury and Rajgonj Banik family, Noakhali Ahmadiya High School, Begumganj High School and Khilpara High School which was situated at Ramganj Police Station. Noakhali Government Girls' High School was established in 1934 by Uma Devi. The number of high schools reached around 60 in the middle of the twentieth century. However, there was no other college besides

Feni Government College Feni Government College is a traditional higher education institute of Feni District of Bangladesh. It is one of the oldest educational institutions in southeastern Bengal. It is located in the heart of Feni City. History In 1918, various initia ...

, which was founded in 1922. So Chowmuhani College was established in 1943, laying the foundation by Dr. Magnad Saha. This college is now known as Chowmuhani Government S.A College. SA College was named after the heroic freedom fighter, Saleh Ahmed. On the other hand, Noakhali Government College was established in 1963, Noakhali Government Women's College in 1970,

Noakhali Science and Technology University Noakhali Science and Technology University ( bn, নোয়াখালী বিজ্ঞান ও প্রযুক্তি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়) (known as NSTU) is a public university in the coastal terrain Noakhali ...

in 2005 and Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College, Noakhali was established in 2008. From then till today the education system of this district has reached the threshold of improvement.

Educational institutions

NOAKHALI MEDICAL COLLEGE 2013-12-18 00-34

University *

Medical Colleges * Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College, Noakhali,

Colleges *

Begumgonj Textile Engineering College, Noakhali The Textile Engineering College, Noakhali ( bn, টেক্সটাইল ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিং কলেজ, নোয়াখালী}) is a textile technology learning institute situated in Noakhali, Bangladesh and i ...

* Chowmuhani Govt. S. A College,

* Noakhali Government College,

* Noakhali Govt. Women's College,

* Sonapur Degree College This picture is the campus of Noakhali textile engineering college

Schools * OMAR ALI HIGH SCHOOL,KULSREE, UPAZILA CHATKHIL *

Basurhat A. H. C. Government High School Basurhat A. H. C. Government High School is a secondary school located in Basurhat municipality, Companiganj Upazila, Noakhali District, Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South ...

, Companigonj * Begumganj Govt. Pilot High School,

* Begumganj Govt. Technical High School,

* Chatkhil Govt. Girls' High School, Chatkhil * Chatkhil P.G. Govt. High School, Chatkhil * Chilonia Union High School, Senbagh * Noakhali Govt. Girls' High School,

* Noakhali Medical Assistant Training School,

* Sonaimuri Model High School, Sonaimuri

Health

Noakhali district has one medical college, one general hospital (250 beds), eight Upazila health complexes (total 331 beds), 25 union sub-centers, 59 Union health and family welfare centers, one TB clinic, two school health clinics, one NGO clinic and three mother and children welfare clinics (Total 30 beds). There are 60 private hospitals and 115 diagnostic centers. 247 community clinics are now functioning. The activities of the Medical College Hospital is now in General Hospital. Coverage of households having access to safe drinking water is 90%, and coverage of households having access to sanitary latrines is 75%.

Transport

Noakhali district is connected by road,

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

and waterway. Airport The Bangladesh government has declared the constitution of an airport in

, which is

. Road Noakhali is well connected with the Bangladeshi capital city of

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

and the port city of Chittagong. By road the distance between Dhaka and Noakhali is . The distances from Chittagong and Comilla are and respectively. Buses are the most common form of transport and run to a wide range of destinations within and outside the district. A number of independent transport companies operate buses, trucks and other vehicles from different parts of Noakhali to Feni, Chandpur, Comilla, Dhaka and Chittagong. Trucks carry the majority of goods transported in the district. Rail Inter-City train the "Upakul Express" and Mail train "Noakhali Express" operate between Noakhali station and

Kamalapur Railway Station Kamalapur Railway Station, officially known as Dhaka Railway Station, is the central railway station in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. It is the largest station and the busiest infrastructure for transportation in the country that acts as a gatew ...

in Dhaka. The local train that operates between Noakhali station and Laksam Railway Junction of Comilla stops at seven railway stations in Noakhali District—Noakhali (Sonapur), Harinarayanpur, Maijdee Court, Maijdee, Chowmuhani, Bazra and Sonaimuri. Water transport The Southern part of the Noakhali District and Hatiya Upazila is well connected by water transport. Hatiya island is isolated from the mainland but is accessible from Noakhali by sea-truck, from Chittagong by steamer, and from Dhaka by launch.

Places of interest

Nijhum Dwip

(Char Osmani, Baluar Char, Golden Island ) is a small island under Hatiya upazila of Noakhali. A cluster of islands (mainly, Ballar Char, Kamlar Char, Char Osman and Char Muri) emerged in the early 1950s as alluvium in the shallow estuary of the Bay of Bengal on the south of Noakhali. These new sandbanks first drew the attention of a group of fishermen, who named it Baular Char. In 1974 the Forest Department began an aforestation program for twenty years on the north side of the island. Covering an area of , it has now developed into a deep forest with a variety of plant species. Among the trees Keora is often seen. Besides this Gewa, Kankra, Bain, Babul, Karamja, Pashur and many other species are in evidence. It was renamed 'Nijhum Dweep' by former Minister Amirul Islam Kalam in 1979 after observing its isolation and mild nature. During winter thousands of migratory birds flock to the island. The fishermen use the airy and sunny land as an ideal place for drying their catches from the sea. Sometimes they construct straw huts on the island as seasonal residences. On 8 April 2001 the government declared the of forest of the Jahajmara range including of forest land on Nijhum Dweep as a national park to protect the development of the biodiversity of the forest.

Musapur Closure

It is located on the bank of the Feni river, in Companygonj upazila. The Musapur Closure Dam, which was constructed at a cost of Tk 194 crore at Musapur under Companiganj Upazila of the district, has ushered in a new prospect to the people living around it. The dam was constructed applying workforce of around 6,000 labourers and is supposed to prevent salinity to about 1.30 lakh hectares of cropland under 14 upazilas in Noakhali, Comilla and Chandpur districts. However, a certain portion of the dam was washed away within three hours of its construction; later with the joint efforts of locals and the Water Development Board (WDB) here, the erosion could be prevented.

Notable residents

Moudud Ahmed Moudud Ahmed (24 May 1940 – 16 March 2021) was a Bangladeshi lawyer and politician. He was a standing committee member of Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Ahmed was elected as a Jatiya Sangsad member total five times from Noakhali-1 and Noakhali-5 ...

, former prime minister of Bangladesh, was member of 8th Parliament for the Noakhali-5 constituency. *

Moeen U Ahmed Moeen Uddin Ahmed is a former Bangladesh Army general and the 12th Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army from 15 June 2005 to 15 June 2009 with last one-year extension during the caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed. He has worke ...

, was the thirteenth chief of army staff of the Bangladesh Army from 15 June 2005 to 15 June 2009. He was born in Alipur village, Begumganj, Noakhali. * Muzaffar Ahmed, popularly known as "Kakababu", one of the founders of the

Communist Party of India Communist Party of India (CPI) is the oldest Marxist–Leninist communist party in India and one of the nine national parties in the country. The CPI was founded in modern-day Kanpur (formerly known as Cawnpore) on 26 December 1925. H ...

, was educated at Noakhali Zilla School. *

Kamrul Ahsan Kamrul Ahsan is a Bangladeshi diplomat. He is currently serving as his country's Ambassador to the Russian Federation. He is also concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Republic of Belarus and Kazakhstan. Before joining in h ...

, Currently serving as Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia, Secretary to the Government and former Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada and Singapore. * Harunur Rashid, chairman of "Globe Group of Companies" *

Mohammad Ruhul Amin Mohammad Ruhul Amin ( bn, মোহাম্মদ রুহুল আমিন; 1935–1971), was an engine room artificer in the Bangladesh Navy who was posthumously awarded the Bangladesh's highest bravery award, Bir Sreshtho, for his service ...

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy ( bn, বাংলাদেশ নৌবাহিনী, Bangladesh Nou Bahini) is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area, and the defence of imp ...

engine room artificer posthumously awarded the nation's highest bravery award for service during the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...

* Jharna Dhara Chowdhury, social activist and Secretary of the Gandhi Ashram Trust in Noakhali. Awarded the Ekushey Padak for social service (2015) and Padma Shri award (2013). *

Kabir Chowdhury Kabir Chowdhury (9 February 1923 – 13 December 2011) was a Bangladeshi academic, essayist, materialist, translator, cultural worker and civil society activist. Early life and education Chowdhury was born in Brahmanbaria of the then Tipperah d ...

, was an academic, essayist, materialist, translator, cultural worker, civil society activist in Bangladesh. *

Motaher Hussain Chowdhury Motaher Hossain Chowdhury ( bn, মোতাহের হোসেন চৌধুরী; 1903 – 1956) was a Bengali writer, thinker and educationist. He was born in Noakhali of Bengal Presidency, British India in 1903. He died in Chittagong, ...

, a Bengali writer, was born in Noakhali. Special work: ''Songskriti Kotha''. * Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury, educator and a martyr of the Bangladesh War of Independence, was born in Khalishpur village in what is now Begumganj Upazila. * Munier Choudhury, Bangladeshi educator, playwright, literary critic and political dissident. He was a victim of the mass killing of Bengali intellectuals in 1971 *

Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury (born 6 October 1966) is the current and the first female Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad since April 2013. At 46 years of age, she became the youngest to assume the office. She was also the Chairperson of the Executive Co ...

-Current & First lady speaker of the Bangladesh parliament. *

Zahurul Haq Zahurul Haq (9 February 1935 – 15 February 1969) was a Pakistan Air Force sergeant. He was one of the 35 persons accused in the Agartala Conspiracy Case in 1969. He was killed in custody and his death led to increase in 1969 uprising in East ...

, a sergeant in the Pakistan Air Force, whose arrest in the

Agartala Conspiracy Case The Agartala Conspiracy Case was a sedition case in Pakistan during the rule of Ayub Khan against Awami League, brought by the government of Pakistan in 1968 against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the then leader of the Awami League and East Pakistan ...

and 1969 death in custody led to mass protests, graduated from

. * MA Hashem, is the founder and chairman of Partex Group. *

Belal Shafiul Huq Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Haq (born 1 December 1958) is a retired Bangladesh army general and the chief of staff of the Bangladesh Army, in office from 25 June 2015 to 25 June 2018. Before his tenure as chief of staff he served as the principal ...

, was a four-star rank army general and the Former (17th) chief of army staff of the Bangladesh Army, in office since 25 June 2015 to 2019. * Annisul Huq, was an entrepreneur, TV show host and the former mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation. He was born in Kabirhat, Noakhali. *

Tabarak Husain Tabarak Husain (April 6, 1924 – April 29, 2018) was a former Bangladeshi career diplomat. He was foreign secretary of Bangladesh from 1975 to 1978. He also held the position of chairman of Sadharan Bima Corporation and Grameen Bank. Early life ...

, career foreign service officer, former foreign secretary of Bangladesh and former Bangladesh ambassador to United States. *

Muhammad Ishaq Mawlana Muhammad Ishaq ( bn, মুহাম্মদ ইসহাক) was an Islamic scholar and Sufi from Bengal. Biography Ishaq was born in the year 1883 CE, in Feni. He received his primary religious education from the local religious ins ...

, Bangladeshi historian. *

Abul Kashem Mohammad Abul Kashem (known as Principal Abul Kashem, 28 June 1920 – 11 March 1991) is generally considered as a pioneer and the architect of the historic Language Movement of Bangladesh. He was also a politician, author and an eminent educa ...

, pioneer and the architect of the historic Language Movement of Bangladesh. *

Serajul Alam Khan Serajul Alam Khan (also known as "Dada" and "Dadabhai"; born January 6, 1941) is a Bangladeshi political analyst, philosopher and writer. He is one of the founders of Swadhin Bangla Biplobi Parishad (English: Independent Bengal Revolutionary C ...

, is a political theorist and founder of "Sadhin Bangla Nucleus" a secret organisation, which theorised the creation of Bangladesh. *

A. B. M. Musa A B M Musa (28 February 19319 April 2014) was a Bangladesh, Bengali journalist. He was the chief editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). He was awarded Ekushey Padak for journalism in 1999 by the Government of Bangladesh. Education Musa wa ...

, awarded the

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak ( bn, একুশে পদক; lit. "Twentyfirst Award") is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contribut ...

for journalism in 1999, attended Noakhali Zilla School. *

Obaidul Quader {{Infobox officeholder , name = Obaidul Quader , native_name = ওবায়দুল কাদের , native_name_lang = Bn , image = Obaidul Quader MP (cropped).jpg , caption = , pri ...

, Present general secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League and Minister of Road Transport and Bridges Ministry, was born in Bara Rajapur village *

Abdus Salam Mohammad Abdus Salam Salam adopted the forename "Mohammad" in 1974 in response to the anti-Ahmadiyya decrees in Pakistan, similarly he grew his beard. (; ; 29 January 192621 November 1996) was a Punjabi Pakistani theoretical physicist and a ...

, (1910-1977) former editor of the Pakistan Observer, later the Bangladesh Observer. Ekushey Padak winning journalist * Abdus Shakur, was a former Secretary to the Government and a leading litterateur and musicologist. *

Abdul Malek Ukil Abdul Malek Ukil ( bn, আব্দুল মালেক উকিল; 1 October 192417 October 1987) was the President of Bangladesh Awami League, Speaker of Parliament, Home Minister, Health Minister, a member of Parliament for many years and a ...

, a drafter of the Constitution of Bangladesh, member of parliament, Minister of Health, and Minister of Home Affairs, was born in Rajarampur village, Noakhali Sadar Upazila. *

M. A. Hashem M. A. Hashem (30 August 1943 – 24 December 2020) was a Bangladeshi businessman and the founding chairman of Partex Group. He served as member of Parliament from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Early life MA Hashem was born on 30 August 19 ...

, was a Bangladeshi businessman and the founding chairman of

Partex Group Partex Group is one of the largest family-run conglomerates in Bangladesh, consisting of over 70 factories. The industries under this conglomerate include foods and beverages, steel, real estate, furniture, agribusiness, plastics, etc. History ...

. He served as member of Parliament from the

Bangladesh Nationalist Party The Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল, Bangladesh Jātīyotābādī Dol; BNP) is a centre-right to right-wing nationalist, political party in Bangladesh and one of the major ...

References

{{Authority control Districts of Bangladesh Districts of Bangladesh established before 1971 Districts of Chittagong Division