Mehendigonj
মেহেন্দিগঞ্জ
Upazila
Masjid in Ulania Zamindar Bari
Masjid in Ulania Zamindar Bari
Location of Mehendigonj
Coordinates: 22°49.9′N 90°32′E / 22.8317°N 90.533°E / 22.8317; 90.533
Country Bangladesh
DivisionBarisal Division
DistrictBarisal District
Government
 • MPPankaj Nath[1]
Area
 • Total435.79 km2 (168.26 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total301,046
 • Density690/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+6 (BST)
WebsiteOfficial Map of the Mehendiganj Upazila

Mehendigonj (Bengali: মেহেন্দিগঞ্জ) is an Upazila of Barisal District in the Division of Barisal, Bangladesh.[2] Mehendigonj is popularly known as Patarhat (Bengali: পাতারহাট) by the local people.

Geography

Mehendigonj is located at 22°49′55″N 90°32′00″E / 22.8319°N 90.5333°E / 22.8319; 90.5333. It has 55,128 households and a total area of 435.79 km2. The river Meghna is surrounded by this small island causing erosion every year during the monsoon season. The popular towns such as Ulania, Kaliganj in the east are in serious danger. About 9,480 people composing 1,343 families have become homeless due to erosion. The rivers have expanded to cover 10,501 acres (42.50 km2) of land, 17 schools and colleges, 3 madrasas, 22 mosques and temples, 1,222 ponds, 18 kilometer roads, 42 business establishments, and 500 acres (2.0 km2) of betel nut groves.

Mehendigonj has a history of its own in education and culture, trade and commerce, agriculture and artistry. But the Meghna, the Tentulia and the Mashkata have become the 'fait accompli' of three lakh people of the upazila. The rivers have already swallowed most of the areas of several unions including Gubindapur, Jagalia, Darirchar-Khajuria, Bhashanchar and Andermanik.

There is a documentary titled Mehendigonj of Barisal at Estuary of Meghna based on river erosion directed by Fuad Chowdhury. The documentary portrays the severity of river erosion in monsoon season (July–September). Only in 2007, 12,000 acres (49 km2) of land was engulfed by the river Meghna, making around forty thousand people landless, especially affecting women's privacy and security. Hardly any initiative can be seen to rehabilitate these affected people and to stop the river erosion. Local people are helping each other with their limited resources. In the last 300 years, the feudal landlord (Jamidars) of Ulania of Mehendigonj built an estate of 100 buildings which are also under the threat of Meghna erosion.

Demographics

Religions in Mehendiganj upazila (2011)[3]
Religion Percent
Islam
 
 96.10%
Hinduism
 
 3.88%
Other or not stated
 
 0.02%

According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Mehendigonj had a population of 301,046. Males constituted 146,926 of the population, and females 154,120. Mehendigonj had an average literacy rate of 48.57% (7+ years), against the national average of 56.1%. 33,802 (11.23%) of the population lives in urban areas.[3]

Administration

Mehendigonj thana was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Mehendiganj Upazila is divided into Mehendiganj Municipality and 16 union parishads: Alimabad, Andharmanik, Bhasanchar, Bidyanandapur, Chandpur, Char Ekkaria, Char Gopalpur, Dakshin Ulania, Darichar Khajuria, Gobindapur, Jangalia, Joynagar, Lata, Mehendiganj, Sreepur, and Uttar Ulania. The union parishads are subdivided into 115 mauzas and 142 villages.[4][5]

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ↑ "List of 11th Parliament Members". Bangladesh Parliament.
  2. ↑ Ahsan Habib (2012). "Mehendiganj Upazila". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  3. 1 2 "Bangladesh Population & Housing Census 2011 for Barisal District (Zila Series)" (PDF). Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "District Statistics 2011: Barisal" (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  5. ↑ ইউনিয়নসমূহ [Unions]. Bangladesh National Portal (in Bengali).
  6. ↑ "Steps for protecting historical places from erosion demanded". Dhaka Tribune. 21 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Birthday Celebrations for Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury today at Bangla Academy". The Daily Observer. 12 December 2014.
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