Fatikchhari () is an

upazila An ''upazila'' ( pronounced: ), formerly called ''thana'', is an administrative division in Bangladesh, functioning as a sub-unit of a district. It can be seen as an analogous to a county or a borough of Western countries. Rural upazilas ...

Chittagong District Chittagong District (), ( Chatgaiya: Sitang/Chatga), officially Chattogram District, is a district located in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Division. Due to its geographical location, Chittagong is classified as a s ...

Chittagong Division Chittagong Division (), officially Chattogram Division, is geographically the largest of the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. It covers the southeasternmost areas of the country, with a total area of and a population according to th ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

. It is the largest upazila of Chittagong.

History

The Fatikchhari Jami al-Uloom Fazil Madrasa and the Jamia Arabia Nasirul Islam Madrasa were founded in 1904 and 1912 respectively, transforming Fatikchhari into an important site of spiritual activities in the country. During the British colonial period, a

thana Thana means " station" or "place" in South Asian countries. The word ''thana'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''sthana'' or "sthanak", meaning "place" or "stand", which was anglicized as ''thana'' by the British. * Thanas of Bangladesh, forme ...

was formed in Fatikchhari in 1918. In 1928, the Nanupur Sunnia Madrasa was established. During the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War (, ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalism, Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which res ...

, a training camp was founded in Fatikchhari by

Mustafizur Rahman Siddiqi Mustafizur Rahman Siddiqi (1 March 1925 – 6 February 1992) was a Bangladeshi entrepreneur, politician and diplomat. He set up a number of manufacturing and finance businesses during the 1960s. He played a prominent role in the Bangladesh Libe ...

Ziaur Rahman Ziaur Rahman (19 January 193630 May 1981) was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the sixth president of Bangladesh from 1977 until Assassination of Ziaur Rahman, his assassination in 1981. One of the leading figures of t ...

and Zonal Commander Mirza Abu Mansur in March 1971. Bengali freedom fighters around

Chittagong Chittagong ( ), officially Chattogram, (, ) (, or ) is the second-largest city in Bangladesh. Home to the Port of Chittagong, it is the busiest port in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. The city is also the business capital of Bangladesh. It ...

that used to go to India for training purposes would return through there and Fatikchhari alone was home to roughly 1,500 Bengali freedom fighters. Thus Fatikchhari was regarded as the ''gateway to freedom fighters''. Subsequently, the Abu Subhan School playground in Nanupur became a refugee camp. Mass graves were dug in Dantmara, Began Bazar, Darbar Sharif and Lelang Tea Garden.

Geography

It is one of the largest upazilas of Bangladesh. It is a fertile valley between the Sitakunda Hills and the Hills of the

Chittagong Hill Tracts The Chittagong Hill Tracts (), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, refers to the three hilly districts within the Chittagong Division in southeastern Bangladesh, bordering India and Myanmar (Burma) in the east: Kh ...

. These two hill ranges become one at the northernmost point of the upazila and they widen apart as they proceed southwards. There is no particular geographical place in the upazila called Fatikchhari, rather the entire upazila takes its name from one small all-season rivulet known as Fatikchhari Khal that originates in the Sitakundu Hills on the West and enters the Upazila at Bhujpur Union before joining the River

Halda Halda Watch Company is a Swedish manufacturer of high-end watches. It was founded in 1887 by Henning Hammarlund in Svängsta. History Halda was founded in 1887 by the factory owner Henning Hammarlund (1857-1922) in order to primarily prod ...

, the longest river in Fatikchhari Upazila that runs through the upazila along almost its entire length. Dhurung is its second longest river. There are some small rivers (khals) originating from the hills both on the eastern and western flanks, all being tributaries of the Halda flowing southwards to the sea. Among them are Gazaria, Fatikchhari, Baramasia, Mandakini, Balukhali etc. In between the two hill ranges, Fatikchhari consists of flat farmland annually affected by flash floods caused by heavy rainfall in the hilly catchment areas and the water being drained by several small rivers and the Halda. It is surrounded by

Tripura Tripura () is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a populat ...

(India) to the north,

Hathazari Hathazari () is an upazila of Chattogram District in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. Geography Hathazari is located at . It has a total area of 246.32 km2. The main river is Halda River, Halda. It is surrounded by Fatikchhari Upazila on t ...

and Kawkhali Upazila (

Rangamati District Rangamati District (), officially Rangamati Hill District, is a district in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chattogram Division, and the town of Rangamati serves as the headquarters of the district. By area, Rangamati is the larg ...

) to the south, Ramgarh, Manikchhari, Lakshmichhari, and

Raozan Raozan Upazila () is an upazila of Chattogram District, in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. It was established in August,1947. Geography Raozan has 63,375 households and a total area of 246.58 km2. The two main rivers are Karnaphuli an ...

Upazilas on the east,

Mirsharai Mirsarai () is a town and municipality in Chattogram District of Chattogram Division, Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by popu ...

and

Sitakunda Sitakunda or Sitakunda Town () is an administrative centre and the sole municipality (''Paurashava'') of Sitakunda Upazila in Chattogram District, located in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. Sitakunda is famous for the Chandranath Temple and Hin ...

Upazilas on the west.

Demographics

As of the

2011 Census of Bangladesh In 2011, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics conducted a national census in Bangladesh, which provided a provisional estimate of the total population of the country as 142,319,000. The previous decennial census was the 2001 census. Data were r ...

, Fatikchhari upazila had 100,009 households and a population of 526,003. 126,792 (24.10%) were under 10 years of age. Fatikchhari had an average literacy rate of 51.35%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1025 females per 1000 males. 41,994 (7.98%) of the population lived in urban areas. Ethnic population was 11,919 (2.27%), of which

were 6,857 and Chakma 1,038. According to the

1991 Bangladesh census In 1991, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, conducted a national census in Bangladesh. They recorded data from all of the districts and upazilas and main cities in Bangladesh including statistical data on population size, households, sex and a ...

, Fatikchhari had a population of 388,013, in 65,861 households. Males constituted 50.1% of the population, and females 49.9%. The population aged 18 or over was 182,250. Fatikchhari had an average literacy rate of 32% (7+ years), against the national average of 32.4% literate. Around 88% of the population are

Bengali Muslims Bengali Muslims (; ) 'Mussalman'' also used in this work.are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising over 70% of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest et ...

with around 10% adhering to

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

and around 9,000 adherents to Buddhism. There are around 3,000 followers of ethnic religions. There are populations of

Tripuris The Tripuri people ( Kókborok: ''Tripuri dópha rok''), also known as Tripura, Tipra, Twipra, Tipperah, are a Tibeto-Burman-speaking ethnic group of Indian state of Tripura and Bangladesh. They are the descendants of the inhabitants of the Twip ...

, Chakmas and Mog but it is decreasing as more and more are migrating to the nearby semi-autonomous region of the

. There are also the

Manipuris The Meitei people, also known as Meetei people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." are a T ...

and Oriyas who were brought over by the British during the nineteenth century to work as tea garden labourers.

Facilities

The ''Fatikchhari Upazila'' also has 7 orphanages which take care of orphan children and educate them. These include: #Muniria Islamia Orphanage & Madrasa #Talimuddin Orphanage & Madrasa #Munafkhil Uloom Hafizia Orphanage & Madrasa #Chaumuhani Bazar Orphanage & Madrasa #Manirul Uloom Hafezia Orphanage & Madrasa #Mawlana Burhan ad-Din Shah Orphanage #Imam Ghazzali Orphanage and Madrasa

Economy

18 of Bangladesh's 163 tea gardens are in Fatikchhari Upazila. These are given below:- *Aasia Tea Garden *Andharmanik Tea Garden *Baramasia Tea Garden *Dantmara Tea Garden *Elahi-Noor Tea Garden *Haldavalley Tea Garden *Laiyacherra Tea Garden *Karnafuli Tea Garden *Maa Jaan Tea Garden *Mohammad Nagar Tea Garden *Naseha Tea Garden *Neptune Tea Garden *New Dantmara Tea Garden *Oodaleah Tea Garden *Panchabati Tea Garden *Ramgarh Tea Garden *Rangapani Tea Garden *MMH Tea Garden Fatikchhari is also home to many rubber gardens. The Dantmara Rubber Garden (4500 acre) is the largest rubber garden in Asia. The other rubber gardens are Tarakon Rubber Garden, Rangamatia Rubber Garden and Kanchannagar Rubber Garden. It also home to the Bhujpur Rubber Dam.

Administration

Bibir Hat Fatikchhari is a town and Paurashava, municipality in Chittagong District in the Chittagong division, division of Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is the administrative headquarters and urban centre of Fatikchhari Upazila. References

Chittagong D ...

is the administrative centre of the Fatikchhari Upazila, not

Fatikchhari Fatikchhari is a town and municipality in Chittagong District in the division of Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is the administrative headquarters and urban centre of Fatikchhari Upazila Fatikchhari () is an upazila of Chittagong District in Chitta ...

. The old Fatikchhari Thana is divided into two Thanas (Police Stations) with Bhujpur created as a new thana in 2008 with its seat near Kazir Hat. Fatikchhari Upazila is divided into Fatikchhari Municipality, Nazirhat Municipality, and 18

union parishad Union council (), also known as union parishad, rural council, rural union and simply union, is the smallest rural administrative and local government unit in Bangladesh, with zila parishads (district councils) being the largest rural authori ...

s: Abdullapur, Bagan Bazar, Bhujpur, Bokhtapur, Dantmara, Dharmapur, Harualchari, Jafathagar, Kanchannagor, Khiram,

Lelang The Lelang Commandery was a commandery of the Han dynasty established after it had conquered Wiman Joseon in 108 BC and lasted until Goguryeo conquered it in 313. The Lelang Commandery extended the rule of the Four Commanderies of Han as far ...

, Nanupur, Narayanhat, Paindong, Roshangiri, Samitirhat, Suabil, and Sunderpur. The union parishads are subdivided into 102 mauzas and 206 villages.

Education

According to Banglapedia, Fatikchhari Coronation Model High School, founded in 1912; Maizbhander Ahmadia High School; Haidchakia High School, founded in 1926; Nanpur Abu Sobahan High School, founded in 1942; and Dhurung Khulshi Lion's High School, founded in 1943, are notable secondary school and Zamidar Abdul Bari Chowdhury (Abc) School There are five colleges in the upazila. They include Fatikchhari Degree College, founded in 1970. Another Primary School Founded in 1926, Anwar Ali Primary School and now it is a Registered Government Primary School. Its Haji Anwar Ali Sowdagor Bari Familiar Haji Anwar Ali Sowdagor Family Inferior. Other schools include Dantmara A.B.Z Sikder High School and Fatikchhari Girls Pilot High School. The madrasa education system includes two fazil madrasas and one kamil madrasa.

Al-Jamiah Al-Islamiah Obaidia Nanupur Jamia Islamia Obaidia Nanupur (), popularly known as Nanupur Madrasah (), is a famous Qawmi Jamiah. The Jamiah was established by Shah Sultan Ahmad Nanupuri in 1958. It is situated at Nanupur, Fatikchhari, Bangladesh. There are 5000 students at ...

Al-Jamiatul Islamiah Azizul Uloom Babunagar Al-Jāmiʿah al-Islāmiyyah ʿAzīz al-ʿUlūm Bābūnagar (), better known simply as Babunagar Madrasah (), is one of the well-known Qawmi madrasahs in Chittagong. Established in 1924, situated at Babunagar, Fatikchhari, there are at present abo ...

and

Al Jamiatul Arabia Nasirul Islam Al Jamiatul Arabia Nasirul Islam, commonly known as Nazirhat Bara Madrasa, is a Qawmi madrasa located in Nazirhat, Fatikchhari Upazila, in the Chittagong District of Bangladesh. It was established in 1912 by Sufi Azizur Rahman and two associate ...

are prominent

Deobandi The Deobandi movement or Deobandism is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam that adheres to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It was formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the nam ...

institutions in Fatikchhari.

Notable people

* Syed Ahmad Ullah (1826-1906), founder of the Maizbhandari Sufi order *

Jamal Nazrul Islam Jamal Nazrul Islam FRAS (24 February 1939 – 16 March 2013) was a Bangladeshi mathematical physicist and cosmologist. He was a professor at University of Chittagong, served as a member of the advisory board at Shahjalal University of Scienc ...

(1939–2013), Bangladeshi mathematical physicist and cosmologist. *

Abdur Rahman Abdelrahman or Abd al-Rahman or Abdul Rahman or Abdurrahman or Abdrrahman ( or occasionally ; DMG ''ʿAbd ar-Raḥman'') is a male Arabic Muslim given name, and in modern usage, surname. It is built from the Arabic words '' Abd'', ''al-'' and '' ...

(1920-2015), founding director of

Islamic Research Center Bangladesh Islamic Research Center Bangladesh, popularly known as ''Bashundhara Islamic Research Center'', is a higher Islamic research institution situated at Bashundhara, Dhaka. Faqihul Millat Mufti Abdur Rahman was the principal founder of the instituti ...

Gulamur Rahman Gulamur Rahman Maizbhandari (; 1865–1937), also known by his sobriquet Baba Bhandari (), was a Bengalis, Bengali Sufis, Sufi preacher who succeeded his uncle, Syed Ahmad Ullah, as the head of the Maizbhandari, Maizbhandari Sufi Order, the fi ...

(1865-1937), 2nd leader of the Maizbhandari Sufi order * Harun Babunagari (1902-1986), founder of

Jamal Uddin Ahmad Jamal Uddin Ahmad (1 March 1932 – 3 January 2015) was a Bangladeshi politician and accountant. He served as the deputy prime minister of Bangladesh from 1977 until 1982. He also served as the president of the South Asian Federation of Account ...

(1929-2016), accountant and former Deputy Prime Minister of Bangladesh *

Junaid Babunagari Muḥammad Junaid, popularly known as Junaid Babunagari (; 8 October 1953 – 19 August 2021), was a Bangladeshi Deobandi Islamic scholar, educator, writer, researcher, Islamic speaker and spiritual figure. He was the Amir of Hefazat-e-Islam Ban ...

(1953-2021),

Islamic scholar and former Amir of

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh () is a Deobandi Islamist advocacy group consisting mostly of religious teachers (''Ulama'') and students in Bangladesh. The group is mainly based on qawmi madrasas in Bangladesh. In 2013, they submitted a 13-point ch ...

Muhammad Enamul Haq Muhammad Enamul Haque (20 September 1902 – 16 February 1982) was a Bangladeshi researcher, litterateur and educationist. Early life and education Haque was born on 20 September 1902 in Bakhtpur, Fatikchhari Upazila, Chittagong District, Beng ...

(1902-1982), Bangladeshi litterateur, researcher and educationist *

Muhibbullah Babunagari Muhibbullah Babunagari (born 15 February 1934) is a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar. He is the current and 3rd amir of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, rector of Al-Jamiatul Islamiah Azizul Uloom Babunagar. He also held leading positions in Islami Oikya J ...

(b. 1935), chancellor of

* Nurul Alam Chowdhury (1945-2019), diplomat and politician * Nurul Islam Jihadi (b. 1948),

Islamic scholar and Amir of

* Shah Sultan Ahmad Nanupuri (1914–1997), founding principal of

Sufi Azizur Rahman Ṣūfī ʿAzīzur Raḥmān (; 1862–1922) was a Muslim theologian, teacher and reformer. After being influenced by Abdul Wahid Bengali in his student life, he became associated with the spread of the Deobandi movement into Bengal. In 1896, he ...

(1862-1922), founder of

Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Al-Jāmiʿah al-Ahliyyah Dār al-ʿUlūm Muʿīn al-Islām (), popularly known as the Hāṭhazārī Madrasah () or the Great Madrasah (), is a Qawmi institution of Hathazari, located in Bangladesh's Chittagong District. Established in 1901, it ...

* Subrata Barua (b. 1946), Bengali writer * Syed Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari (b. 1959), founder of the

Bangladesh Tarikat Federation The Bangladesh Tarikat Federation (; BTF) is a Sufi political party in Bangladesh founded by Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary, Syed Najibul Bashar of the Maizbhandaria tariqah and some Pir-Mashaikh of Bangladesh. Formation The Bangladesh Tarika ...

Jamir Uddin Nanupuri Jamir Uddin Nanupuri (1936 – 5 February 2011) was a Bangladeshi Sufi-oriented Islamic scholar who served as the third Director-General of Jamia Islamia Obaidia Nanupur and was active in traditional waz mahfils. He was the spiritual successor ...

, sufi

References

External links

Official Web Portal of Fatikchhari Upazila
{{Upazilas of Chittagong Division