Noakhali District

Noakhali নোয়াখালী জিলা
District
Location of Noakhali in Bangladesh
Coordinates: 22.83°N 91.10°ECoordinates: 22.83°N 91.10°E
Country	Bangladesh
Division	Chittagong Division
Area
• Total	3,600.99 km2 (1,390.35 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	3,072,000
• Density	850/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Literacy rate
• Total	55.78%
Time zone	BST (UTC+6)
• Summer (DST)	BDST (UTC+7)
Website	Banglapedia Article

Noakhali (Bengali: নোয়াখালী জিলা)^[1] is a district in South-eastern Bangladesh. It is located in the Chittagong Division. The district has an area of 3600.99 km² and is bordered by Comilla district to the north, the Meghna estuary and the Bay of Bengal to the south, Feni and Chittagong districts to the east and Lakshmipur and Bhola district to the west. It has a population of 3,108,083. It is subdivided into nine Upazilas. The people of this district speaks in an informal Bangla dialect. Linguistically, it is connected to the districts of Feni and Laksmipur as well as some parts of the districts of Chandpur, Chittagong and Comilla. Indian nationals of Bilonia area of Tripura State also speaks in the same Noakhali dialect.
GEOGRAPHY
Noakhali District located in Chittagong Division, Bangladesh. It has a land area of 3600.99 km2, and is bounded by the Comilla district in the north, the Meghna estuary and the Bay of Bengal in the south, Feni and Chittagong districts in the east, Lakshmipur and the Bhola districts in the west. The district's annual average temperature ranges from a maximum of 34.3 °C to a minimum of 14.4 °C; its annual rainfall is 3302 mm. Its main rivers are the Bamni and Meghna.
HISTORY
The ancient name of Noakhali is Bhulua. In the 1660s, the agricultural activities of the north-eastern region of Bhulua were seriously affected by floodwater of the Dakatia River flowing from the Tripura hills. To salvage the situation, a canal was dug in 1660 that ran from the Dakatia through Ramganj, Sonaimuri and Chaumuhani to divert water flow to the junction of the rivers Meghna and Feni. After excavating this long canal, Bhulua was renamed "Noakhali" after "Noa" (new) and "khal" (canal) in 1668. The Noakhali district was created in 1821.[3] Since 1790, Noakhali district was seriously affected many times by natural disasters including high tidal bores, tornadoes, flooding, and cyclones. In 1970, a devastating tornado and tidal bore took the lives of about 3 lakh people of the district. During the War of Liberation many direct and guerilla encounters took place between the Pakistani Armed Forces and the independence fighters. About 70 independence fighters were killed in a direct encounter with the Pakistan army on 15 June 1971, in front of the Sonapur Ahmadia School. Noakhali was liberated on 7 December 1971. The swift currents that course down from the Himalayas, does not only bring river erosion but also opportunity: a rich bath of fertile silt that, when it reaches the Bay of Bengal, settles along the coast, gradually forming new land called "chars." The district of Noakhali has actually gained more than 28 square miles (73 km2) of land in the past 50 years. The Bangladeshi government is finishing up the largest phase of a decades-long effort to develop nearby chars as well as building a new dam to speed up the process of creating new land for settlers.
LANGUAGE
The people of Noakhali speak an informal Bengali dialect with its own distinctive accent.[citation needed]
NOTABLE PEOPLE
Abdul Hakim 17th century poet
Shamsher Gazi, First independent ruler of Bhulua ( area which covered present day Noakhali and part of Comilla) who defeated King of Tripara
Comrade Muzaffar Ahmed, Founder Member of All India Communist Party and later Secretary General of All India Communist Party.
Abdul Malek Ukil Former home Minister, Speaker of parliament and President of Bangladesh Awami League.
Abdur Rashid, a member of Bengal Civil Service and a Secretary to the Government of Pakistan
Nurul Haque, Central Awami League leader and Governor of Noakhali district
Professor Munir Chowdhury, a famous playwright and killed on 14 December 1971
Ali Ahmed, founder President of Noakhali District Chatra League, first elected General Secretary of Choumohoni College Student's Union and a language movement leader
Sergeant Zohurul Haque, an accused in the Agartala Conspiracy Case and killed in custody which led to the downfall of President Ayub Khan
Birsreshto Ruhul Amin, a valiant freedom fighter and died while fighting the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971
Barrister Abul Mansur, a freedom fighter
Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Former Vice President and Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Standing Committee Member of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
Major General Abul Manzur, (Bir Uttom), a famous freedom fighter and died in a military coup
General Moeen U Ahmed, Former Army Chief
Nurul Islam, President of Gonotranti Party and died mysteriously
Shrin Sarmin Chowdhury, Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament
Kamrul Ahsan, currently serving as High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Canada, was High Commissioner to Singapore and Consul General in Dubai,UAE
Azim, a romantic Actor throughout 60's, 70's and 80's
Rosy Afsari - a leading actress throughout 60's, 70's and 80's

Wbaydul Kader- Communication Minister & Standing Committee Member of Bangladesh Awami Leag
Justice Ali Asgor

Contents

• 1 Subdivisions
• 2 Religion
• 3 Places of interest
• 4 Prominent educational institutions in Noakhali
• 5 Schools in Noakhali District
• 6 Colleges, Polytechnics and Vocational Institutes
• 7 Hospitals
• 8 References

Subdivisions

The Nine upazilas in NOAKHALI district are:

1. Sadar Upazila (সদর উপজেলা)
2. Begumganj Upazila (বেগমগঞ্জ উপজেলা)
3. Kobirhat Upazila (কবিরহাট উপজেলা)
4. Chatkhil Upazila (চাটখিল উপজেলা)
5. Shenbag Upazila (সেনবাগ উপজেলা)
6. Sonaimuri Upazila (সোনাইমুড়ি উপজেলা)
7. Suborno Char Upazila (সুবর্ণ চর উপজেলা)
8. Hatia Upazila (হাতিয়া উপজেলা)
9. Companyganj Upazila (কোম্পানিগঞ্জ উপজেলা)

Religion

People from almost all religion and faith lives in Noakhali. Around 94.10% of the population are Muslims, while 5.90% are Hindus. Christians and Buddhists constitute 0.77% and 0.23% respectively of the local population.

Places of interest

• Nijhum Dweep - Nijhum Dweep is in the Southeast Side of Noakhali.
• Bazra Shahi Mosque - Bazra.

A spot of archaeological importance of Noakhali is the ‘Mosque of Bazra’. The village Bazra is situated 8 miles to the north of district town Maijdi by the side of Laksam-Noakhali railway branch line. Amir Sanaullah, the owner of Bazra jaigir started the construction of ‘Bazra’Shahi Mosque’ in the pattern of Tajmahal in the Hizri year 1134. The construction was completed in the Hizri year 1154. The ‘Bazra Shahi Mosque’ is a wonderful embodiment of Moghal architecture. In the year 1922, late Ali Ahmed, the reminder of Bazra, plastered the whole exterior of the mosque with piece of China clay, which greatly enhanced the beauty of the mosque. Two stones with foot-prints are found engraved on the wall of the mosque and hearsay about this is but a fiction.The ancient building of Bidyabhushan Bhattacharja situated at village Ghoshkamta, one mile to the east of Bazra, is another spot of architectural beauty in the area.

• Queen Lurther's Church - Sonapur.
• Gandhi Ashram - Joyag, Sonaimuri.

Prominent educational institutions in Noakhali

• Noakhali Science and Technology University
• Noakhali Medical College and Hospital: It is a government medical college.It admits 50 students per year and offers MBBS degree.
• Begumgonj Textile Engineering College, Noakhali
• Noakhali Zilla School(Estd-1850)[One of the oldest high school in Bangladesh. it is located in the heart of district headquarter Maijdee Court]
• Begumgonj Pilot School.(Estd-1853)oldest high school in Bangladesh.Chowmuhani.Begumgonj.

Schools in Noakhali District

• Nateshwar A K High School, Nateshwar, Begumgonj , Noakhali.
• Khilpara Multilateral High School, Khilpara, Chatkhil, Noakhali.
• Sompara High School
• Sompara Girl School
• Shohid Joynal Abedin Model High School,Char Jabbar,Subarna char.
• Jubilee Habib Ullah miyer hat High School.
• Char Aman Ullah High School.
• Char Hasan High School.
• Kabir hat high school.
• Begumganj Govt.Pilot High School
• Noakhali Zilla School
• Bazra M.L High School
• Technical High school
• Chaprashir Hat High School
• Arun Chandra High School
• Nateshwar A.K High School.
• Noakhali Government Girl's High School
• Harinarayanpur Union High School
• Poura Kalyan High SchoolAhamadia High School,
• SonapurBamni High School, Bamnia,Rampur,
• Brother Andre's School Sonapur
• Oter Hat High School
• Bhuiyar Hat High School
• Begum Hamida Girls High School
• Chaumuhani M M High School
• Al-Farooq Academy, Maijdee Court, Sadar, Noakhali, Bangladesh.
• Gonipur govt girls high schoolBasurhar Govt.
• AHC high school,
• Saptagaon Adarsha High School, Chatkhil
• Companigonj Ashadia High Girls School, Ashadia, and more.
• Chatkhil pachgoan gov high school.

1. Musapur high school (Musapur).
2. Naser high school.(musapur)

• Sultanpur Hanif Bhuiyan High School and College, Sultanpur.
• A K G sorkari adorsha high school.
• Babupur Jirtali Union High School.
• Razgonj Union High School.

*Chowdhuryhat B.Jaman High School

Colleges, Polytechnics and Vocational Institutes

• Sompara College
• Char Jabbar Degree College
• Noakhali Government University College,Noakhali.
• Chaumuhani Govt S.A. College, Chaumuhani, Noakhali.
• Sonaimuri Degree College, Sonaimuri,Noakhali.
• Khalilur Rahaman Degree College. Amisha Para,Noakhali.
• Noakhali Government Girls' College,Noakhali.
• Chatkhil Pachgoan Government College,Noakhali.
• Medical Assistant Training School,(MATS) Maijdee, Noakhali.
• Agriculture Training Institute(ATI), Begumganj,Noakhali.
• Noakhali Law College,Noakhali.
• Govt.Mujib College,Companiganj,Noakhali.
• Kabirhat Govt. College,Noakhali.
• Sonapur Degree College,Sonapur,Noakhali.

Hospitals

• Noakhali Medical College Hospital,Hospital Rd, Maijdee,
• Diabetic Association,Hospital Rd,Maijdee
• Goodhill Hospital,Hospital Rd,Maijdee
• City Hospital,Hospital Rd,Maijdee
• Prime Hospital,Hospital Rd,Maijdee
• Noakhali Hospital,Hospital Rd,Maijdee
• Royal Hospital,Sonapur,
• Modern Hospital,Maijdee Bazar,
• Green View Hospital,Maijdee Bazar,
• Woodland Hospital,Napiter Pool,Maijdee
• MAAWS Health Complex, Earpur, Senbag, Noakhali