Barisal Division
| Barisal Division বরিশাল বিভাগ |
|
|---|---|
| — Division — | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: 22°30′N 90°20′E / 22.5°N 90.333°ECoordinates: 22°30′N 90°20′E / 22.5°N 90.333°E | |
| Country |  Bangladesh |
| Established | 1797 (as Bakerganj District) |
| Capital | Barisal city |
| Area | |
| • Total | 13,644.85 km2 (5,268.31 sq mi) |
| Population (2011 census) | |
| • Total | 8,147,000 |
| • Density | 600/km2 (1,500/sq mi) |
| Time zone | BST (UTC+6) |
Barisal (Bengali: বরিশাল বিভাগ) is one of the seven administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Located in the south-central part of the country, it has an area of 13,644.85 km2 (5,268.31 sq mi), and a population of 8,147,000 at the 2011 Census (preliminary returns). It is bounded by Dhaka division on the north, the Bay of Bengal on the south, Chittagong division on the east and Khulna division on the west. The administrative capital, Barisal city, lies in the Ganges (Padma) River delta on an offshoot of the Arial Khan River (Kirtonkhola). Barisal division is criss-crossed by numerous rivers that earned her the nickname 'Dhan-Nodi-Kaal, Ei tine Barisal' (rice, river and canal built Barisal).
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early Middle Ages
In early times the Barisal region was composed of an amalgamation of marshlands formed by the merging of islands brought into existence and built up by alluvial soils washed down the great channels of the combined Brahmaputra-Ganges-Meghna river systems.
In the early 13th century, when Muhammad bin Tughluq completely conquered eastern Bengal, Hindu chieftains from northwest Bengal were dislodged from power and they dispersed over Barisal region and founded the kingdom of Bakla under the Chandra dwip Raj family (Bakla-Chandra dwip is the name used in their papers). Here Hindu chieftains reestablished themselves along the banks of the great rivers and forest islands, far from the reach of Turkish cavalry.
During the Mughal conquest in Bengal, Hindu society was concentrated to northern and western Barisal (known as Bakarganj). Barisal's southern portion was still covered by forests and laced with lagoons. The northwest was also the only part of Bakarganj where the Hindu population exceeded Muslims in early British censuses.
[edit] Mughal period
Barisal saw a second wave of immigration in the late 17th and early 18th centuries . This time, it was Muslim pioneers who assumed the leading role. Establishing Dhaka as the provincial Mughal capital of the region, in the early 17th century the Barisal region (known as Sarkar Bakla to Mughals) was more accessible to businessmen and developers than at any previous time. However, piracy in this region along the coasts and rivers of southeastern Bengal by Arakanese and renegade Portuguese seamen inhibited any sustained attempts by Mughal governors to push into the Barisal forests.
After 1666, when Mughal naval forces cleared the Meghna estuary of such external threats, the Barisal interior lay ripe for colonization. Land developers acquired grants of plots of land, taluq (তালুক), from provincial authorities. Abundant and easily obtainable by purchase from the late 17th century these grants tended to be regarded by their possessors taluqdar (তালুকদার). As taluqdars brought their taluqs into agricultural production, these men passed up the land revenue through a class of non-cultivating intermediaries, or zamindar (জমিদার). Zamindars typically resided in the provincial capital, where they had ready access to the chief provincial revenue officer, or dewan (দেওয়ান).
In a second pattern of land development, Muslim pirs or Qazi went directly into uncultivated regions, organized the local population for clearing the jungles, and only later, after having established themselves as local men of influence, entered into relations with the Mughal authorities. Relationships between the religious Muslim pirs and Mughal authorities was not always harmonious, since a pir’s natural ties of authority and patronage generally lay with the masses of peasants beneath him and not with the governors and bureaucrats. For example, in remote Jhalakati Thana in the eastern Bakarganj, an 18th-century pir named Saiyid Faqir wielded enormous influence with the cultivators of the all-Muslim village of Saiyidpur, named after the pir. But a difficulty arose, noted a 1906 village survey, because “the people of this part looked upon the Fakir as their guide and did not pay rent to the Nawab.” In this situation, one Lala Chet Singh, a captain in the employ of the governor, “succeeded in persuading the Fakir to leave the country.”
[edit] British rule
In 1797 the area was established as Bakerganj District but later renamed as Barisal District. The district was upgraded into a municipality in 1876.
[edit] Bangladesh
The Greater Barisal region (Barisal District along with five other neighbouring districts) was created as Barisal Division on 1 January 1993. [1]
[edit] Administrative Districts
The division is subdivided into six districts (zilas) and thence into 39 sub-districts (upazilas). Lower level administrative areas are 353 union parishads, 3,159 mouzas, 12 municipalities, 25 wards and 4,163 villages..
| Name | Capital | Area (km²) | Population 1991 Census |
Population 2001 Census |
Population 2011 Census (preliminary results) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barguna District | Barguna | 1,831.31 | 775,693 | 848,554 | 883,000 |
| Barisal District | Barisal | 2,790.51 | 2,207,426 | 2,355,967 | 2,291,000 |
| Bhola District | Bhola | 3,737.21 | 1,476,328 | 1,703,117 | 1,758,000 |
| Jhalokati District | Jhalokati | 758.06 | 666,139 | 694,231 | 596,000 |
| Patuakhali District | Patuakhali | 3,220.15 | 1,273,872 | 1,460,781 | 1,517,000 |
| Pirojpur District | Pirojpur | 1,307.61 | 1,063,185 | 1,111,068 | 1,103,000 |
| Total Division | Barisal | 13,644.85 | 7,462,643 | 8,173,718 | 8,147,000 |
[edit] Tourism
Kuakata beach is the main tourist spot in the division. It is one of the two sea beaches in South Asia where both sunrise and sunset at sea can be seen.
Durga Sagor is another beautiful Dighi where a number of migratory birds arrive every winter.
[edit] Economy
Barisal was once known as the "Crop house of Bengal" for its rich rice production. It is still an important rice producing area of the country. Since the middle ages, Barisal has acted as a trans-shipment center for rice, hides, and pulses[clarification needed] for the Bengal. Bakery, textile, and pharmaceutical products are the output of a few industrial installations. There is a medical college (Sher-e Bangla Medical College) affiliated with the National University. It also has a famous Cadet College - Barisal Cadet College (est. 1985) which has a number of record results on both HSC and SSC board exams. The present divisional commissioner of Barisal Division is Mohammad Haroon Chowdhury.
[edit] Education
Barisal division has one of the highest literacy rates of the country, just behind Dhaka division. One of the country's oldest educational institutions, Brojomohan College was established in 1889. The division contains Sher e Bangla Medical College and one science and technological university. Recently the government has passed a bill approving the building of the new Barisal University.
[edit] Universities
[edit] Government colleges
Thirteen government colleges: Brojomohun College, Sayed Hatem Ali Government College, Bhandaria GOV College
[edit] Private colleges
Eighteen private colleges: Barisal Institute of Information Technology (BIIT), Infra Polytechnic Institute, Dr. Arifur Rahman Commerce College, Ideal Polytechnic Institute
[edit] Medical college
One medical college: Sher-E-Bangla Medical college
[edit] Government high schools
Nineteen government high schools
[edit] Private high schools
852 government high schools
[edit] Polytechnic institutes
Four polytechnic institute:
- Barisal Polytechnic Institute
- Patuakhali Polytechnic Institute
- Barguna Polytechnic Institute
- Bhola Polytechnic Institute
- INFRA Ploytechnic Institute
[edit] Junior high schools
180 junior high schools
[edit] Law colleges
Three law colleges
[edit] Cadet colleges
One cadet college: Barisal Cadet College
[edit] Teacher training colleges
Four teacher's training colleges
[edit] Madrasas
1616 madrasas: Sagordi Islamia Kamil Madrash under the Islamic University Kustia
[edit] Primary schools
- Government: 2,583
- Non-government: 1,982
[edit] Transportation
Numerous rivers and canals force the inhabitants to use boats as the main medium of transportation. The main rivers are the Arial Khan, Bishkhali, Burishwar, Tentulia, Paira, Haringhata, Baleshwar, Kirtankhola, Katcha, and Agunmukha. It is linked by steamer with Dhaka (73 miles [117 km] to the north) and with Chittagong to the southeast. Road communication has improved significantly over last decades with the building of many bridges. The Barisal airport has regular service to Dhaka.
[edit] Religion
The religions in Barisal Division include Islam, Hindu, Christianity, and Buddhism.
[edit] Noted Barisailese
- Abdul Gaffar Choudhury, Bangladeshi author and rpo-Awami league columnist, perhaps best known for his lyric Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano—which has become the main song commemorating the Language Movement, the touchy music having been composed by Shaheed Altaf Mahmud.
- Abala Bose, social reformer and wife of Jagadish Chandra Bose
- A.K. Fazlul Huq, (Mayor of kolkata (1935, first Muslim mayor of kolkata), Prime Minister of undivided Bengal (1937–1943) and of East Bengal (1954), Home Minister of Pakistan (1955) and Governor of East Pakistan (1956–1958)
- Alhaj Syeda Jamila Saleh - Unsung Heroine, Philanthropist, Social Reformer, Founder of Women's School/College/Mosque/Madrasa
- Altaf Mahmud noted bengali film song composer and one of the martyred intelligentsia in 1971.
- Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri, physicist
- Anil Biswas (composer) noted Hindi and bengali film song composer
- Aroj Ali Matubbar, noted Astronomer and Philosopher.
- Aswini Kumar Dutta, social reformer and philanthropist
- Abul Hasnat Abdullah - Pioneer of Peace Treaty
- Jibanananda Das, famous Bengali poet.
- Kamini Roy, famous poetess and first woman graduate with honours in the subcontinent.
- Kadambini Ganguly, first female graduate and first female physician in the entire British empire
- Kusumkumari Das, poetess and mother of Jibanananda Das
- Mithun Chakraborty, famous actor.
- Mohiuddin Jahangir (Bir Shreshto) was a Captain in the Bangladesh Army during the 1971 Liberation War. The main gate of Dhaka Cantonment- "Shaheed Jahangir Gate" is named in his honour.
- Pannalal Ghosh renowned musician and flutist
- Partha Dasgupta, eminent economist.
- Parul Ghosh, Hindi and bengali film singer
- Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Minister of parliamentary affairs and information, India.
- Salman Khan, Founder of Khan Academy
- ShantiSudha Bose @ Kanak Dutta freedom fighter and vocal artist
- Sufia Kamal, poetess
- Sushmita Sen, famous actress.
- Shaheed Abdur Rob Serniabat - Great politician
- Surendra Nath Dutta - noted freedom fighter
- Swadesh Ranjan Dutta - poet and pioneer to small stories in bengali literature
- Tapan Raychaudhuri, noted historian.
- Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah Founder Editor of The Daily Ittefaq.
- Utpal Dutt (29 March 1929 – 19 August 1993), was an Indian actor, director and writer-playwright
- Rabi Ghosh - Famous noted actor.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.escholarship.org/editions/view?docId=ft067n99v9&chunk.id=s1.8.3&toc.depth=1&toc.id=ch08&brand=eschol
Golam mostafa(actor) Milan Farabi(famous writer,novelist).Noted novel valobasa villa,ak bitorkito romonir gopon diery Suborna Mostafa;noted actress Mosharraf karim; actor
[edit] Sources
Census figures for 1991, 2001 and 2011 are from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Population Census Wing. The 2011 Census figures are based on preliminary results.
[edit] External links
 |
Dhaka Division | |
||
| Khulna Division |  |
Chittagong Division | ||
 Barisal Division  |
||||
 |
||||
| Bay of Bengal |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
