Bandarban District (), officially Bandarban Hill District, is a district in South-Eastern Bangladesh, and a part of the Chittagong Division. It is one of the three hill districts of Bangladesh and a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the others being Rangamati District and Khagrachhari District. Bandarban district (4,479 km<sup>2</sup>) is not only the most remote district of the country, but also the least populous (population 388,000). There is an army contingent at Bandarban Cantonment.
Demographics
thumb|Largest ethnic group by unions in Bandarban District
{| class="wikitable"
|+Population by ethnicity in Unions of Bandarban District
! Upazila
! Union
! Bengali
! Marma
! Mro
! Tripura
! Others
|-
| rowspan=4 | Alikadam Upazila
|Alikadam Union
|style="background:green "|18,161
|623
|2,473
|1,370
|861
|-
|Chaikkhyong Union
|style="background:green "|13,203
|1,735
|2,150
|770
|264
|-
|Kurukpata Union
|301
|73
|style="background: brown "|8,906
|1,277
|649
|-
|Nayapara Union
|style="background:green "|7,021
|1,416
|1,639
|35
|862
|-
| rowspan=7 | Bandarban Sadar Upazila
|Bandarban Paurashava
|style="background:green "|42,453
|7,272
|400
|981
|3,344
|-
|Bandarban Union
|style="background:green "|4,465
|2,803
|35
|276
|2,593
|-
|Jamchhari Union
|1,224
|style="background: blue"|4,493
|50
|2
|933
|-
|Kuhalong Union
|4,055
|style="background: blue"|6,567
|102
|211
|2,338
|-
|Rajbila Union
|1,890
|style="background: blue "|3,655
|18
|110
|787
|-
|Sualak Union
|style="background:green "|7,590
|1,828
|1,931
|31
|1,987
|-
|Tankabati Union
|1,615
|10
|style="background:brown "|4,744
|160
|143
|-
| rowspan=8 | Lama Upazila
|Lama Paurashava
|style="background:green "|19,717
|2,638
|151
|74
|75
|-
|Aziznagar Union
|style="background:green "|11,683
|492
|173
|345
|16
|-
|Faitang Union
|style="background:green "|12,124
|2,216
|56
|323
|15
|-
|Fansiakhali Union
|style="background:green "|31,512
|2,395
|1,201
|1,079
|22
|-
|Gajalia Union
|style="background:green "|4,497
|4,453
|2,885
|1,887
|156
|-
|Lama Union
|style="background:green "|7,084
|605
|1,685
|739
|6
|-
|Rupasipara Union
|style="background:green "|9,188
|2,551
|2,492
|270
|15
|-
|Sarai Union
|style="background:green "|10,667
|469
|2,138
|1,028
|561
|-
| rowspan=5 | Naikhongchhari Upazila
| Baishari Union
|style="background: green "|15,533
|1,138
|722
|33
|910
|-
| Dochhari Union
|style="background: green"|7,469
|167
|1,601
|149
|262
|-
| Ghumdhum Union
|style="background: green"|15,342
|133
|6
|0
|2,227
|-
| Naikkhyongchhari Union
|style="background: green"|21,558
|591
|6
|5
|1,183
|-
| Sonaichhari Union
|style="background: green "|3,939
|2,679
|21
|15
|788
|-
| rowspan=4 | Rowangchhari Upazila
|Alekkhyong Union
|608
|style="background: blue "|2,387
|0
|764
|2,252
|-
|Nowapatang Union
|106
|style="background: blue"|2,645
|0
|520
|1,283
|-
|Rowangchhari Union
|810
|style="background: blue"|4,195
|2
|402
|3,276
|-
|Tarachha Union
|1,389
|style="background: blue"|4,489
|1,683
|457
|453
|-
| rowspan=4 | Ruma Upazila
|Galengya Union
|32
|1,067
|style="background: brown"|4,379
|864
|269
|-
|Paindu Union
|136
|style="background: blue"|3,564
|0
|0
|2,268
|-
|Remakriprangsa Union
|476
|24
|1,359
|1,215
|style="background: red"|2,245
|-
|Ruma Union
|3,591
|style="background: blue"|5,442
|1,419
|834
|3,349
|-
| rowspan=4 | Thanchi Upazila
|Balipara Union
|1,183
|style="background: blue"|2,991
|459
|1,182
|682
|-
|Remakri Union
|850
|style="background: blue "|2,743
|1,645
|2,089
|821
|-
|Thanchi Union
|1,554
|2,450
|style="background: brown "|3,663
|1,435
|733
|-
|Tindu Union
|100
|1,161
|1,254
|style="background: darkorange"|1,630
|1,165
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Largest ethnic group in Union and Municipality
! Ethnic group
! Union
! Municipality
|-
|Bengali
|17
|2
|-
|Marma
|11
|0
|-
|Mro
|4
|0
|-
|Tripura
|1
|0
|-
|Others
|1
|0
|-
|Total
|34
|2
|}
Bengalis
thumb|Minister [[A F M Khalid Hossain delivering a speech at the foundation stone unveiling ceremony of the Bandarban District Model Mosque and Islamic Cultural Center]]
According to the 2022 census, Bengalis are the largest ethnic group in Bandarban District (58.85%).
They are largest ethnic group in Naikhongchhari Upazila (83.48%), Lama Upazila (76.22%), Alikadam Upazila (60.64%) and Bandarban Sadar Upazila (56.97%).
!Percentage (1941)
!Population (2022)
thumb|Largest religion by unions in Bandarban District
{| class="wikitable"
|+Population by religion in Union
! Upazila
! Union
! Muslim
! Buddhist
! Christian
! Hindu
! Others
|-
| rowspan=4 |Alikadam Upazila
|Alikadam Union
|style="background:green "|16,405
|3,436
|1,530
|616
|959
|-
|Chaikkhyong Union
|style="background:green "|11,732
|5,016
|1,049
|152
|17
|-
|Kurukpata Union
|243
|style="background: yellow "|7,492
|1,531
|12
|1,938
|-
|Nayapara Union
|style="background:green "|6,527
|3,541
|43
|456
|406
|-
| rowspan=7 | Bandarban Sadar Upazila
|Bandarban Paurashava
|style="background:green "|32,449
|12,315
|1,879
|7,673
|134
|-
|Bandarban Union
|4,099
|style="background: yellow"|4,743
|1,067
|249
|14
|-
|Jamchhari Union
|414
|style="background: yellow"|6,021
|44
|223
|0
|-
|Kuhalong Union
|3,650
|style="background: yellow"|9,116
|302
|196
|9
|-
|Rajbila Union
|1,825
|style="background: yellow "|4,481
|117
|37
|0
|-
|Sualak Union
|style="background:green "|7,268
|2,976
|1,390
|2,94
|1439
|-
|Tankabati Union
|1,142
|884
|1,674
|49
|style="background:red "|2,923
|-
| rowspan=8 | Lama Upazila
|Lama Paurashava
|style="background:green "|17,739
|3,078
|202
|1,615
|11
|-
|Aziznagar Union
|style="background:green "|11,438
|665
|371
|223
|12
|-
|Faitang Union
|style="background:green "|11,820
|2,349
|334
|215
|16
|-
|Fansiakhali Union
|style="background:green "|30,218
|2,746
|1,750
|814
|681
|-
|Gajalia Union
|4,321
|style="background: yellow"|6,155
|2,720
|78
|604
|-
|Lama Union
|style="background:green "|6,115
|2,213
|994
|735
|62
|-
|Rupasipara Union
|style="background:green "|8,285
|4,968
|439
|18
|806
|-
|Sarai Union
|style="background:green "|10,148
|1,699
|1,905
|379
|732
|-
| rowspan=5 | Naikhongchhari Upazila
| Baishari Union
|style="background: green "|14,931
|3,058
|180
|166
|1
|-
| Dochhari Union
|style="background: green"|7,419
|2,065
|154
|5
|4
|-
| Ghumdhum Union
|style="background: green"|13,530
|4,017
|3
|156
|1
|-
| Naikkhyongchhari Union
|style="background: green"|21,073
|2,039
|11
|211
|9
|-
| Sonaichhari Union
|style="background: green "|3,754
|3,662
|25
|1
|0
|-
| rowspan=4 | Rowangchhari Upazila
|Alekkhyong Union
|371
|style="background: yellow "|4,558
|1,006
|75
|0
|-
|Nowapatang Union
|83
|style="background: yellow"|3,687
|774
|10
|0
|-
|Rowangchhari Union
|426
|style="background: yellow"|5,859
|2,305
|94
|1
|-
|Tarachha Union
|1,301
|style="background: yellow"|4,629
|857
|31
|1,653
|-
| rowspan=4 | Ruma Upazila
|Galengya Union
|20
|1,528
|1,680
|8
|style="background:red"|3375
|-
|Paindu Union
|74
|style="background: yellow"|3,842
|2,050
|2
|0
|-
|Remakriprangsa Union
|60
|117
|style="background: blue"|3,882
|12
|1,248
|-
|Ruma Union
|2,247
|style="background:yellow"|6,484
|4,530
|534
|840
|-
| rowspan=4 | Thanchi Upazila
|Balipara Union
|810
|style="background: yellow "|3,783
|1,541
|244
|119
|-
|Remakri Union
|450
|style="background: yellow "|3,280
|2,940
|22
|1456
|-
|Thanchi Union
|1273
|style="background: yellow "|4,081
|2,636
|195
|1650
|-
|Tindu Union
|89
|1,470
|style="background: blue "|3,139
|2
|610
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Largest Religion in Union and Municipality
! Religion
! Union
! Municipality
|-
|Muslim
|15
|2
|-
|Buddhist
|15
|0
|-
|Christian
|2
|0
|-
|Tribal Religion
|2
|0
|-
|Total
|34
|2
|}
Islam
According to 2022 census, Islam is the largest religion in Bandarban District(52.74%).
{| class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers static-row-header-text defaultleft col2right hover-highlight"
! Upazila
! Population
! Percentage of Islam In the aftermath, four people were arrested.
Tourism
The India – Myanmar Sabroom – Cox's Bazar railway link has been proposed to connect Sabroom – Khargachari – Rangamati – Bandarban – Satkania – Cox's Bazar and another rail link connecting Bandarban to Tuipang, India.
Bandarban lies, by bus, eight hours away from Dhaka, two hours from Chittagong and three hours from Cox's Bazar. It is also possible to get there by a six-hour bus ride from Rangamati. The Buddha Dhatu Jadi, the Buddhist temple in Bangladesh, located in Balaghata, 4 km from the town. This place attracts many tourists every year. This Theravada Buddhist temple is made completely in the style of South-East Asia and houses the second largest statue of the Buddha in Bangladesh. The waterfall named Shoilo Propat at Milanchari is another place tourists like to visit. The numerous Buddhist temples, known as kyang in local tongue, and bhihars in the town include the highly notable the Rajvihar (royal vihar) at Jadipara and the Ujanipara Bhihar. Bawm villages around Chimbuk, and Mru villages a little further off, are also lie within a day's journey from the town. Debotakhum, Prantik Lake, Jibannagar and Kyachlong Lake are some more places of interest. Boat ride on the river Shangu is one of the main attractions here for tourists.
Notable persons
- Jafar Iqbal
- Bir Bahadur Ushwaye Sing
- UK Ching
- Nathan Bom
- Maung Shwe Prue Chowdhury
- Aung Shwe Prue Chowdhury
- Saching Prue Jerry
- Ma Mya Ching
- Mong Prue Sain
Notes
References
See also
- Upazilas of Bangladesh
- Districts of Bangladesh
- Divisions of Bangladesh
- Upazila
- Thana
Further reading
- Lonely Planet Bangladesh (Lonely Planet Bangladesh) by Richard Plunkett, et al.
- Identity Politics in Central Asia and the Muslim World (Library of International Relations *Vol. 13) by Willem van Schendel (Editor), Erik J. Zurcher (Editor)
- Deforestation, Environment, and Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis by Dhirendra K. Vajpeyi (Editor)
- Minorities, Peoples And Self-determination: Essays in Honour of Patrick Thornberry by Nazila Ghanea (Editor)
- Brauns, Claus-Dieter, "The Mrus: Peaceful Hillfolk of Bangladesh", National Geographic Magazine, February 1973, Vol 143, No 1
External links
- Bandarban District mapped on OpenStreetMap, retrieved 29 December 2021.
- Chittagong Hill Tracts mapped on OpenStreetMap, retrieved 29 December 2021. (inset are its three districts: Khagrachari, Rangamaai, and Bandarban)
- Indigenous People of Bangladesh (archived 2008)
- Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (archived 2006)