Barisal District Explained

Barisal District
Native Name:বরিশাল জেলা
Native Name Lang:bn
Official Name:Barishal District
Type:District
Map Caption1:Expandable map of Barisal District
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Barisal District in Bangladesh
Coordinates:22.8°N 90.37°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Bangladesh
Subdivision Type1:Division
Subdivision Name1:Barisal
Established Title:Bakerganj District
Established Date:1797
Seat:Barisal
Leader Title:Deputy Commissioner
Leader Name:S.M. Ajior Rahman
Leader Title1:District Council Chairman
Leader Name1:Md. Moidul Islam[1]
Leader Title2:Chief Executive Officer
Leader Name2:Md. Monik-har Rahman
Area Total Km2:2,784.52
Population Total:2570446
Population As Of:2022
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Demonyms:Borishailla
Timezone1:BST
Utc Offset1:+06:00
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:8200
Blank Name Sec1:HDI (2018)
Blank Info Sec1:0.672[2]
· 2nd of 21

Barisal District, officially spelled Barishal District from April 2018,[3] is a district in south-central Bangladesh, formerly called Bakerganj district, established in 1797.[4] Its headquarters are in the city of Barisal, which is also the headquarters of Barisal Division.[5]

History

Barisal District traces its origins to Bakerganj district which was established in 1797. It was placed in Barisal Division on 1 January 1993.

Education

Notable educational institutions in Barisal include

Demographics

At the 2022 Census, Barisal District had 629,626 households and a population of 2,570,446. 475,192 (18.49%) were under 10 years of age. The population density was 923 people per km2. Barisal district had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 79.85%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1047 females per 1000 males. 30.23% of the population lived in urban areas.[6]

Religion

Religion in present-day Barisal district!Religion!Population (1941)[7] !Percentage (1941)!Population (2022)!Percentage (2022)
724,28966.17%2,283,65888.84%
361,60233.04%275,25810.71%
8,5360.78%11,1380.43%
Others 1730.02%3920.02%
Total Population1,094,600100%2,570,446100%

Islam is the predominant religion in the district with a large Hindu population. Historically, the Barisal region has seen one of the highest concentration of Hindus since the area had been part of the British Raj, through the rule of East Pakistan and subsequently after the independence of Bangladesh. However, since Partition Hindus have been fleeing the district in large numbers. Among the 10 upazilas of the district, the Agailjhara Upazila has the highest percentage share of Hindus at 42 per cent, while the Muladi Upazila has the lowest at just 1.8 per cent, according to the 2011 Bangladesh census.

Overall, minority populations have seen a steep drop in their share of the total population, as well as a fall in their absolute numbers in Barisal district. The trend is similar to other districts in the wider Barisal division.

Subdivisions

Barisal District is divided into the following Upazilas (formerly called Thanas):

  1. Agailjhara Upazila
  2. Babuganj Upazila
  3. Bakerganj Upazila
  4. Banaripara Upazila
  5. Barisal Sadar Upazila
  6. Gournadi Upazila
  7. Hizla Upazila
  8. Mehendiganj Upazila
  9. Muladi Upazila
  10. Wazirpur Upazila

Villages

Notable personalities

Notes and References

  1. barisal.gov.bd
  2. Web site: Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab. hdi.globaldatalab.org. en. 2020-03-18.
  3. News: Mahadi Al Hasnat . 2 April 2018 . Mixed reactions as govt changes English spellings of 5 district names . Dhaka Tribune . 8 April 2018.
  4. Book: KAM Saiful Islam. Barisal District. http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Barisal_District. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A Jamal. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. 2012 . Second.
  5. http://www.lged.gov.bd/DistrictLGED.aspx?DistrictID=5 About Barisal
  6. Book: Population and Housing Census 2022 National Report . . November 2023 . 1 .
  7. Web site: Census of India, 1941 Volume VI Bengal Province . 13 August 2022.