Barisal Division

Map of Barisal Division

Barisal Division (Bengali: বরিশাল বিভাগ) is located in south-central Bangladesh, with an area of 13295.55 km², and is bounded by Dhaka division on the north, Bay of Bengal on the south, Chittagong division on the east and Khulna division on the west. The main Barisal city lies in the Ganges (Padma) River delta on an offshoot of the Arial Khan River (Kirtonkhola). Barisal division is criss-crossed by plenty of rivers that earned her the nickname 'Dhan-Nodi-Kaal, Ei tine Barisal' (rice, river and canal built Barisal).

History

Early Middle Ages

In early times 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 Mughal conquest in Bengal, Hindu society were concentrated to northern and western Barisal, (region was known as Bakarganj instead of Barisal). 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 census.

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 of Dhaka as the provincial Mughal capital of the region, in the early 17th century 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) . 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 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. relationship 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 pīr named Saiyid Faqir wielded enormous influence with the cultivators of the all-Muslim village of Saiyidpur, named after the pīr. 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.”

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.

Bangladesh

Greater Barisal region ( Barisal district along with some other neighbouring districts) together was declared Barisal division on 1 January 1993.

Geography

• Area: 13297 km².
• Population: 7,757,000 . male 50.67%, female 49.33%; Muslim 88.06%, Hindu 11.7%, Christian 0.18% and others 0.06%.

Administration

The division currently consists of six districts, 38 upazilas, 353 union parishads, 3159 mouzas, 12 municipalities, 25 wards and 4163 villages.

Districts

• Barguna,
• Barisal,
• Bhola,
• Jhalakathi,
• Patuakhali,
• Pirojpur.

Tourism

Sunrise at Kuakata sea beach, Barisal

Kuakata sea beach is the main tourist spot in the division. It is the 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 lot of guest birds comes in every winter season.

Economy

Barisal was once known as "Crop house of Bengal" for her rich rice production. It is still an important rice producing area of the country. Since middle age Barisal acted as a trans-shipment center for rice, hides, and pulses for the Bengal. Bakery, textile, Pharmaceutical products are output of a few industrial installation. 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 Mr. Mohammad Haroon Chowdhury.

Education

Brojomohun College,established in 1889

Barisal division has one of the highest literacy rates of the country just behind Dhaka division. One of the country's oldest educational institution, Brojomohun College was established in 1889. Sher e Bangla Medical College and one science and technological university is also built. Recently the government has passed a bill approving building of a new Barisal University.

University

• • 1. Patuakhali Science and Technology University,
  • 2. Barisal University (proposed: to begin in enroll students in 2011)

Government colleges

Thirteen government colleges: Brojomohun College, [[Sayed Hatem Ali Government College] [BHANDARIA GOB. COLLAGE]

Private colleges

Eighteen private colleges:

Sher-e-Bangla Medical Collegem Barisal

Medical college

One medical college: Sher-E-Bangla Medical college

Government high schools

Nineteen government high schools

Private high schools

852 government high schools

Polytechnic institutes

3 polytechnic institute: Barisal Polytechnic Institute, Patuakhali Polytechnic Institute, Barguna Polytechnic Institute (sanjib mondal)

Junior high schools

180 junior high schools

Law colleges

3 law colleges

Cadet colleges

1 Cadet college: Barisal Cadet College

Teacher's Training Colleges

4 teacher's training college

Madrasas

1616 madrasas

Primary schools

Government: 2,583, Non-government : 1,982.

Transportation

Numerous numbers of rivers and canals enforce the inhabitants to use boat as the main medium of transportation. Main rivers are Arial Khan, Bishkhali, Burishwar, Tentulia, Paira, Haringhata, Baleshwar, Kirtankhola, Katcha, Agunmukha. It is linked by steamer with Dhaka (73 miles [117 km] north) and with Chittagong to the southeast. Road communication has improved significantly over last decades with building many bridges. The Barisal Airport has regular flight service to Dhaka

Noted Barisailese

• Utpal Dutt (29 March 1929 – 19 August 1993), was an Indian actor, director and writer-playwright
• 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)
• 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.
• Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah Founder Editor of The Daily Ittefuq.
• Anil Biswas (composer) noted Hindi and bengali film song composer
• Altaf Mahmud noted bengali film song composer and one of the martyred intelligentsia in 1971.
• Jibanananda Das, famous Bengali poet.
• Aroj Ali Matubbar, noted Astronomer and Philosopher.
• Pannalal Ghosh renowned musician and flutist
• Parul Ghosh, Hindi and bengali film singer
• Utpal Dutta, actor
• Sufia Kamal, poetess
• Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri, physicist
• Abala Bose, social reformer and wife of Jagadish Chandra Bose
• Tapan Raychaudhuri, noted historian.
• Partha Dasgupta, eminent economist.
• Mithun Chakraborty, famous actor.
• Sushmita Sen, famous actress.
• Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Minister of parliamentary affairs and information, India.
• Kamini Roy, famous poetess and first woman graduate with honours in the subcontinent .
• Kusumkumari Das, poetess and mother of Jibanananda Das
• Kadambini Ganguly, first female graduate and first female physician in the entire British empire
• Aswini Kumar Dutta, social reformer and philanthropist

References

[G.K.Rabbane(Samrat)]