Noakhali District (), historically known as Bhulua (), is a

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 county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

in southeastern

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

, located in

Chattogram Division Chittagong Division (), officially Chattogram Division, is geographically the largest of the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. It covers the southeasternmost areas of the country, with a total area of and a population according to th ...

. It was established as a district in 1821, and officially named Noakhali in 1868. The district's administrative center is situated in Noakhali municipality, also referred to as Maijdee, within Noakhali Sadar Upazila. Notably, Noakhali is the only district in Bangladesh whose capital city does not share the district's 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 of two words; ''Noa'' (meaning new in

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

) and ''Khali'' (a diminutive of Bengali word ''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 () is a town and Paurashava, municipal corporation in Noakhali District, located in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. It is the administrative centre and capital of the Begumganj Upazila. Chowmuhani is an important businesses hub and tra ...

, to divert water flow to the junction of the

Meghna River The Meghna () 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, the Meghna is formed inside Banglade ...

and

Feni River The Feni ( ; ISO: ''Phēnī Nadī'' ) is a river in southeastern Bangladesh and Tripura state of India. It is a trans-boundary river that is the subject of an ongoing dispute about water rights between the two countries. The Feni River originates ...

. 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 that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

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 period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

, 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 (, IAST:) is one of the Matrikas, a group of seven mother goddesses in the Hindu religion who bears the head of a sow. In Nepal, she is called Barahi. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, she is venerated as Dandini. Varahi is more commonly v ...

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 religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

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

Noakhali is situated on relatively young alluvial deposits, therefore its human history dates from a more recent time than other parts of Bengal. It was in ancient days under the rule of Samatata, Pundra and Harikela Kingdom of ancient Bengal. In the early mediaeval period, the region was under the reign of

Khadga The Khadga dynasty () was a Buddhist dynasty which ruled the areas of Vanga and Samatata in ancient Bengal from 625 CE to 716 CE. Chronologically, the dynasty emerged as a powerful kingdom of Bengal between the fall of Gauda Kingdom and the ris ...

Chandra Chandra (), also known as Soma (), is the Hindu god of the Moon, and is associated with the night, plants and vegetation. He is one of the Navagraha (nine planets of Hinduism) and Dikpala (guardians of the directions). Etymology and other ...

, Sena and

Deva dynasty Deva Dynasty (c. 12th – 15th centuries) was a Bengali Hindu dynasty which originated in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent; the dynasty ruled over eastern Bengal after the Sena dynasty. The capital of the dynasty was Bikrampur in ...

. The

Bhulua Kingdom The Kingdom of Bhulua () was a medieval kingdom of Bengal and later a zamindari, covering the present-day Noakhali region of Bangladesh. According to local tradition the establishment of the kingdom dates from the thirteenth century, when Bishwa ...

was founded in the 13th century, and ruled over the region until the 16th century. After the invasion of Muslims in eastern Bengal, Bhulua became a vassal of the

Bengal Sultanate The Bengal Sultanate (Middle Bengali: , Classical Persian: ) was a Post-classical history, late medieval sultanate based in the Bengal region in the eastern South Asia between the 14th and 16th century. It was the dominant power of the Ganges- ...

, and was continually on the border between the Bengal Sultanate,

Tripura Tripura () is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a populat ...

and

Arakan Arakan ( or ; , ), formerly anglicised as Aracan, is the historical geographical name for the northeastern coastal region of the Bay of Bengal, covering present-day Bangladesh and Myanmar. The region was called "Arakan" for centuries. It is ...

. During this time, many Muslim pirs arrived in the region and the Bhulua kings employed Muslims in many administrative posts. After the collapse of the Sultanate, Bhulua was aligned with the

Baro-Bhuyan The ''Baro-Bhuyans'' (or ''Baro-Bhuyan Raj''; also ''Baro-Bhuians'' and ''Baro-Bhuiyans'') were confederacies of soldier-landowners in Assam and Bengal in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. The confederacies consisted of loosel ...

rulers. During their suppression of the Baro Bhuiyan insurgency, the Mughals under Sarhad Khan conquered Bhulua, bringing it under

. It became part of the Sarkar of

Sonargaon Sonargaon (; ; Literary translation, lit. ''Golden Hamlet (place), Hamlet'') is a historic city in central Bangladesh. It corresponds to the Sonargaon Upazila of Narayanganj District in Dhaka Division. Sonargaon is one of the old capitals of ...

. They successfully defended it against Magh raids, and ruled it until 1762 when the East India Company took control of Bengal. 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 Maijdee. In 1964 under the

Government of East Pakistan The Government of East Pakistan or formerly Government of East Bengal governed the province East Bengal (later East Pakistan, now Bangladesh) and was centered in its provincial capital Dhaka. The head of the province was the Governor, who was nom ...

, the Sadar subdivision was divided into two sub-divisions; Noakhali Sadar and

Lakshmipur Lakshmipur () is a city and headquarter of Lakshmipur District in the Chittagong Division, Bangladesh. Demographics According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Lakshmipur had 17,009 households and a population of 83,112. 18,345 (22.07%) were u ...

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,

and Feni.

Economy

The people of Noakhali play a vital role in Bangladesh's economy, especially in the remittance sector.

Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

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 or pisciculture involves commercial animal husbandry, breeding of fish, most often for food, in fish tanks or artificial pen (enclosure), enclosures such as fish ponds. It is a particular type of aquaculture, which is the controlled ...

(fish farming) in ponds and water lands. Timber and forest trees are grown in this district including , mahogany, and bamboo.

Governance—Administration

Noakhali District consists of nine upazilas, eight municipalities, 72 wards, 153 mahallas, 91 unions, 882 mouzas and 967 villages. The district's administrative headquarters are located in Noakhali Municipality encompassing Maijdee, which is the most populous municipality in the district, situated within Noakhali Sadar Upazila, the most populated upazila. Conversely, Kabirhat Upazila and its corresponding municipality have the lowest population. In terms of land area, Hatiya Upazila is the largest, while Chatkhil Upazila is the smallest.

Geography

Noakhali District is bordered by

Comilla District Comilla District, officially known as Cumilla District, () is a district located in southeastern Bangladesh. It lies about southeast of Dhaka. Comilla is bordered by Brahmanbaria District, Brahmanbaria and Narayanganj District, Narayanganj dis ...

to the north, the

Meghna The Meghna () 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, the Meghna is formed inside Bangladesh ...

estuary and the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...

to the south, Feni and

Chittagong Chittagong ( ), officially Chattogram, (, ) (, or ) is the second-largest city in Bangladesh. Home to the Port of Chittagong, it is the busiest port in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. The city is also the business capital of Bangladesh. It ...

districts to the east and

and

Bhola Bhola may refer to: *Bhola District, Barisal Division, Bangladesh **Bhola Sadar Upazila, sub-division of the district **Bhola Island, largest island of Bangladesh covering the district **Bhola (town), on the island *''Bholaa'', 2023 Indian action f ...

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

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 plain (an essentially flat landform) created by the deposition of sediment over a long period by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A ''floodplain'' is part of the process, bei ...

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 (chemistry), suspension with water. Silt usually ...

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 Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

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, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

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 in an area where there was no recent tree cover. There are three types of afforestation: natural Regeneration (biology), regeneration, agroforestry and Tree plantation, tree plan ...

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.

Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

es, although poor in quality, grow in abundance.

Almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree from the genus ''Prunus''. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus ''Amygdalus'', distinguished from the other subgenera ...

or badam (''Arachis hypogea'') are unusual. Other common trees are

jack fruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in diameter. A ...

(''Artocarpus heterophyllus''),

blackberry BlackBerry is a discontinued brand of handheld devices and related mobile services, originally developed and maintained by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM, later known as BlackBerry Limited) until 2016. The first BlackBerry device ...

(''Syzygium cumini''),

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this spe ...

(''Tamarindus indica''), jalpai (''Elaeocarpus tectorius''), bel (''Aegle marmelos''), chalta (''Dillenia indica''), boroi, guava (''Psidiumguagava''), etc.

Banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...

(''Banana musa sapientum'') is seen almost everywhere but the fruit quality is rather poor.

Litchi Lychee ( , ; ''Litchi chinensis''; ) is a monotypic taxon and the sole member in the genus ''Litchi'' in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. There are three distinct subspecies of lychee. The most common is the Indochinese lychee found in So ...

(''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. 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

. It is used in education and all government affairs in the district.

Noakhailla Noakhali or Noakhalian, endonym ''Noakhailla'' (), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken by an estimated 7 million people, primarily in the Greater Noakhali region of Bangladesh, as well as in southern parts of Tripura in India. ...

is the native language of the people of Noakhali.

is also spoken in Feni,

, southern

Comilla Comilla (), officially spelled Cumilla, is a metropolis on the banks of the Gomti River in eastern Bangladesh. Comilla was one of the cities of ancient Bengal. It was once the capital of Tripura kingdom. Comilla Airport is located in the Duli ...

Mirsharai Mirsarai () is a town and municipality in Chattogram District of Chattogram Division, Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by popu ...

and Hajiganj, and is very much mutually intelligible with

Sandwip Sandwip (, ) is an island located in the southeastern coast of Bangladesh in the Chittagong District. Along with the island of Urir Char and Bhasan Char, this is part of Sandwip Upazila. Description Sandwip is located in the north-east of the ...

i. Some Noakhailla People of Indian state of

also speak

, and along with

is used as the

lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication (LWC), is a Natural language, language systematically used to make co ...

among some Indian tribes in Gomati, Sipahijala and

South Tripura South Tripura 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 divided into three districts. Geography The district occupies an ...

. These Indians tribes are

Twipra The Twipra Kingdom (), anglicized as Tipperah, was one of the largest historical kingdoms of the Tripuri people in Northeast India. Legend A list of legendary Tripuri kings is given in the Rajmala chronicle, a 15th-century chronicle in Be ...

, Chakma, Mog, Marma and

Reang Reang also known as Bru is one of the Tripuri clan of the Northeast Indian state. The Reangs can be found all over the Tripura state in India. However, they may also be found in Assam and Mizoram. Their language is simar to Kokborok and the la ...

. Other languages spoken by non-Noakhailla minorities include Tripuri and

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

by the Tripuri and Bihari people respectively.

Literature

Noakhailla literature dates back several centuries, with the

puthi A puthi (, Arabic script, 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 was used as a med ...

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 the

Noakhailla language Noakhali or Noakhalian, endonym ''Noakhailla'' (), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by an estimated 7 million people, primarily in the Greater Noakhali region of Bangladesh, as well as in southern parts of Tripura in India. Outside of these regi ...

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 The Greater Noakhali district region predominantly includes the districts of Noakhali, Feni and Lakshmipur, although historically included the island of Sandwip in Bay of Bengal. The history of the undivided Noakhali district region begins with t ...

. In the medieval period, some local

Bengalis Bengalis ( ), also rendered as endonym and exonym, endonym Bangalee, are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the Bengal region of South Asia. The current population is divi ...

were also writing in the

and

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

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, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...

Ponds A pond is a small, still, land-based body of water formed by pooling inside a depression, either naturally or artificially. A pond is smaller than a lake and there are no official criteria distinguishing the two, although defining a pond t ...

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 in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; ''zamindar'' is the ...

palace in the district and was built by honorary magistrate Syed Sultan Alam Chowdhury. File:Noakhali BojraShahi MG 3908.jpg, Bajra Shahi Mosque File:Rajgonj Mia Bari.jpg, Rajganj Mia Bari File:Ramjan Mia Mosque 2.jpg, Ramadan Miah Mosque 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 games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

is a popular sport in Noakhali, and players from this district form a part of the East Zone. Football is also a common sport and the multi-use Shaheed Bulu Stadium is known to have hosted the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

and the

Bangladesh Premier League Bangladesh Premier League (), also known as Dutch-Bangla Bank BPL for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in Bangladesh organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). It was formed in 2011 by the BCB, after the su ...

. It is also the home ground of Greater Noakhali's own football team, NoFeL SC. Board and home games such as Dosh Fochish and its modern counterpart Ludu, as well as Carrom Board, Sur-Fulish, Khanamasi and

Chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

, 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. It is one of the traditional games of South Asia. In this game, a raider enters the opposing half of the court to touch defenders and attempt to return within 30 ...

, Latim and

Lathi khela Lathi khela () is a traditional Bengali martial art – a kind of stick fighting practiced in Bangladesh. A practitioner is known as a ''lathial''. Lathi khela originated from the Bengal region in Indian subcontinent. Etymology The word '' la ...

Demographics

According to the

2022 Census of Bangladesh The 2022 Bangladeshi census () was a detailed enumeration of the Bangladeshi population constituting the sixth national census in the country. It was scheduled to be held in June 2022, was conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, and th ...

, Noakhali District had 776,070 households and a population of 3,625,442 with an average 4.62 people per household. Among the population, 823,404 (22.71%) inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density was 984 people per km². Noakhali District had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 75.52%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1094 females per 1,000 males. Approximately, 18.00% of the population lived in urban areas. The ethnic population was 1,004. Islam is the largest religion, with nearly 96% of the population. Hinduism is the largest minority religion, with over 4% of the population. In 2011, Muslims were 95.43% of the population while Hindus were 4.52%. There is a small population of 900 Catholics mainly in Noakhali Sadar upazila dating to the Portuguese influence over Bengal and some 800 Buddhists in Noakhali city along with Sonaimuri and Senbagh upazilas.

Education

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 Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

and

British rule The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or dire ...

, 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 2,775 in the year 1895. At that time, some changes in education policy closed many schools, so the number of schools dropped to 1,330 in the year of 1898. The number of students in this district was more than 12,000 in the year. In Noakhali, there were only five English high schools in 1905. Among them were Noakhali Zilla School, 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 (FGPHS, ) is a secondary school in Feni Sadar, Feni District Feni District () is a coastal Districts of Bangladesh, district situated in the south-east of Bangladesh, within Chittagong Division. One of Bangla ...

) which was established in 1886, Lakshmipur High School (now

Lakshmipur Adarsha Samad Government High School Lakshmipur Adarsha Samad Government High School () is a boy's high school located in Lakshmipur, Bangladesh. It is one of the oldest schools in the country. The school was established in 1887. by the summit of local advocates and authorised by the ...

) which was established in 1889, Sandwip Kargil High School now Kargil Government High School (1902). Since then, educational institutes 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 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, 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 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 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 * Noakhali Science and Technology University Medical Colleges * Noakhali Medical College,

Colleges * Begumgonj Textile Engineering College, Noakhali,

* Chowmuhani Govt. S. A College,

* Noakhali Government College, Maijdee * Noakhali Govt. Women's College, Maijdee * Sonapur Degree College This picture is the campus of Noakhali textile engineering college

This picture is the campus of Noakhali textile engineering college

Schools * Arun Chandra High School, Maijdee * Basurhat A. H. C. Government High School, Companigonj * Begumganj Govt. Pilot High School,

* Chatkhil P.G. Govt. High School, Chatkhil * Chilonia Union High School, Senbagh * Noakhali Govt. Girls' High School, Maijdee * Noakhali Medical Assistant Training School, Maijdee * Noakhali Zilla School, Maijdee * 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 using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

and waterway. Airport The Bangladesh government has declared the constitution of an airport in Noakhali Sadar Upazila, which is Maijdee. Road Noakhali is well connected with the Bangladeshi capital city of

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

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

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

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 then 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 the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Ahmed was elected as a Jatiya Sangsad member five times from the Noakhali-1 and Noak ...

, former prime minister of Bangladesh, was member of 8th Parliament for the

Noakhali-5 Noakhali-5 is a constituency represented in the Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) of Bangladesh. Since 6 August 2024, the constituency has remained vacant. Boundaries The constituency encompasses Companiganj Upazila, Noakhali, Companiganj Up ...

constituency. *

Moeen U Ahmed Moeen Uddin Ahmed (born 21 January 1953) is a former Bangladeshi four star general and the 12th Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army, Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army from 15 June 2005 to 15 June 2009. He has worked in High Commi ...

, 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 The Communist Party of India (CPI) is a political party in India. The CPI considers the Foundation of the Communist Party of India, December 26, 1925 Cawnpore (Kanpur) conference as its foundation date. Between 1946 and 1951, the CPI led m ...

, was educated at Noakhali Zilla School. * Kamrul Ahsan, Currently serving as Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia, Secretary to the Government and former Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada and Singapore. *

Mohammad Ruhul Amin Mohammad Ruhul Amin Bir Sreshtho, BS (; June 5, 1935 – 10 December 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 and bravery during th ...

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy () is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for the defence of Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area from any external threat, the security of sea ports and exclusive economic zones of Ban ...

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

Bangladesh War of Independence The Bangladesh Liberation War (, ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalism, Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which res ...

* 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 Tippera ...

, was an academic, essayist, materialist, translator, cultural worker, civil society activist in Bangladesh * Motaher Hussain Chowdhury, 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 a Bangladeshi politician who served as the first female speaker of the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad since April 2013 until September 2024. At 46, she became the youngest person to assume that office ...

, First lady speaker of the Bangladesh parliament. * Zahurul Haq, 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 (general), Ayub Khan against Awami League, brought by the government of Pakistan in 1968 against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the then leader of the Awami Lea ...

and 1969 death in custody led to mass protests, graduated from Noakhali Zilla School. * Belal Shafiul Huq, 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, career foreign service officer, former foreign secretary of Bangladesh and former Bangladesh ambassador to United States. * Muhammad Ishaq, Bangladeshi historian * Abul Kashem, pioneer and the architect of the historic Language Movement * Serajul Alam Khan, is a political theorist and founder of "Sadhin Bangla Nucleus" a secret organisation, which theorised the creation of Bangladesh * A. B. M. Musa, awarded the

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak () is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of martyrs of the Bengali language movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and e ...

for journalism in 1999, attended Noakhali Zilla School. *

Obaidul Quader Obaidul Quader (born 1 February 1952) is a Bangladeshi politician. He has served as the General Secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League since October 2016. Quader was previously the Minister of Road Transport and Bridges from 2011–2024 and ...

, Former 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 Pakistani theoretical physicist. He shared the 1 ...

(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 (; 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 lawyer of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He was ...

, 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, was a Bangladeshi businessman and the founding chairman of

Partex Group Partex Group is a family-run conglomerate in Bangladesh, consisting of over 70 factories. The industries under this conglomerate include foods and beverages, steel, real estate, furniture, agribusiness, and plastics. History It started in 19 ...

. He served as member of Parliament as part of the

Bangladesh Nationalist Party The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (), popularly abbreviated as BNP (), is a major List of political parties in Bangladesh, political party in Bangladesh. It was founded on 1 September 1978 by President of Bangladesh, President Ziaur Rahman, wit ...

. * Wahiduddin Mahmud, an adviser of the

interim government of Bangladesh An interim government led by Muhammad Yunus was formed on 8 August 2024 in Bangladesh, following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 5 August 2024 amid nationwide student and public protests against the government. Following the ...

Notes

References

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