Barisal District, officially spelled Barishal District from April 2018, is a district in south-central Bangladesh, formerly called Bakerganj district, established in 1797. Its headquarters are in the city of Barisal, which is also the headquarters of Barisal Division.
History
Barisal District is a district in southern Bangladesh and is also the headquarter of Barisal Division.[5] 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
- Sher-e-Bangla Medical College,
- University of Barisal,
- Barisal Engineering College,
- Barisal Cadet College,
- Govt. B M College,
- Brajamohan school,Govt. Barisal College,
- Govt. Hatem Ali College,
- Govt. Woman’s College,
- Barisal Polytechnic Institute,
- Govt. Fazlul Huq College,
- Barisal Technical School and College,
- A. Karim Ideal College, and Ideal Cadet School & College,
- Patuakhali Science and Technology University (Barisal campus).
- Govt. Shere Bangla College, Wazirpur
- Govt. Gouronodi University College, Gauronodi
- Govt. Fazlul Haque College, Chakhar, Banaripara
- 16. Amrito Lal day College, Barishal
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 1,648,068 | — |
| 1981 | 1,965,950 | +2.55% |
| 1991 | 2,207,426 | +1.17% |
| 2001 | 2,355,967 | +0.65% |
| 2011 | 2,324,310 | −0.14% |
| Sources:[6] | ||
According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Barisal district had a population was 2,324,310, of which 1,137,210 were males and 1,187,100 females. Rural population was 1,805,294 (77.67%) while the urban population was 519,016 (22.33%). Barisal district had a literacy rate of 61.24% for the population 7 years and above: 61.88% for males and 60.63% for females.
Religion
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):
- Agailjhara Upazila
- Babuganj Upazila
- Bakerganj Upazila
- Banaripara Upazila
- Barisal Sadar Upazila
- Gournadi Upazila
- Hizla Upazila
- Mehendiganj Upazila
- Muladi Upazila
- Wazirpur Upazila
Notable personalities
- A. K. Fazlul Huq politician, Chief Minister of undivided Bengal & Governor of erstwhile East Pakistan
- Abdur Rahman Biswas, politician, President of Bangladesh
- Anil Biswas, music director composer of Bollywood.
- Aroj Ali Matubbor, Philosopher
- Mahanambrata Brahmachari, Hindu saint
- Kanai Chatterjee, Bengali Maoist leader
- Abdul Gaffar Choudhury, journalist, who wrote Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano to mark the Bengali Language Movement
- Altaf Mahmud, music director & lyrician, who composed Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano
- Jibanananda Das, Poet of Ruposi Bangla
- Kusumkumari Das, poet and mother of Jibanananda Das
- Aswini Kumar Dutta, Social Worker, Founder of BM College
- Brajamohan Dutta, Bengali philanthropist and social worker
- Mohiuddin Jahangir, officer in Sector 7 of the Muktibahini(1971). The highest recognition of bravery in Bangladesh, Bir Sreshtho.
- Shamsuddin Abul Kalam, Bangladeshi novelist
- Sufia Kamal, The Female Romantic poet of Bangladesh
- Mahapran Jogendra Nath Mandal, a Dalit and leader of the Namasudra community.
- Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah, founder editor of The Daily Ittefaq
- Hanif Sanket, Television host, writer, producer
- Mosharraf Karim, Famous Bangladeshi Actor From Gaurnadi Upazilla, TV actor
- Mohammad Abdul Jalil, Sector commander in the war of 1971
- Kamrul Islam Rabbi Cricketer
- Yeasin Khan Footballer
- Pran Ranjan Sengupta, Mathematician and Scientist
- Advocate Golam Sorrowar, Politician