Moheshkhali () 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 ...
of
Cox's Bazar District
Cox's Bazar District () is a district in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh.
It is named after Cox's Bazar town. It is located south of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the names ''Panowa'' ("yellow flower") and ''Palongkee''. T ...
in
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 ...
,
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 ...
.
The government's ambitious project to transform Maheshkhali Island in the Bay of Bengal into a thriving energy hub aims to establish power plants and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal by 2027. This endeavor is driven by the objective of strengthening the country's economy and achieving self-reliance in the power and fuel sector. As a result of this initiative, the country's energy crisis will improve significantly, and the socio-economic landscape of the region will become more sustainable.
To support this transformation, the government is constructing substantial oil storage infrastructure at Kalamarchara in Maheshkhali as part of the Single Point Mooring (SPM) project. This pipeline system will not only save time but also reduce expenses by approximately TK 800 crore annually. The Maheshkhali terminal will be equipped with six storage tanks, three for diesel and three for crude oil, allowing for storage capacities of approximately 115,000 tonnes of crude oil and 75,000 tonnes of diesel. This strategic storage capability will further bolster the country's energy security and reinforce its position as a robust energy hub in the region. According to the Maheshkhali Upazila Nirbahi, the Single Point Mooring (SPM) project holds paramount importance to the prime minister. The successful execution of this project is expected to generate employment opportunities for the local population, leading to the eradication of unemployment in this region.
Geography
Moheshkhali is located at . It has 58,177 households and total area 362.18 km
2.
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 ...
, Maheshkhali upazila had 58,177 households and a population of 321,218. 94,186 (29.32%) were under 10 years of age. Maheshkhali had an average literacy rate of 30.78%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 939 females per 1000 males. 27,321 (8.51%) of the population lived in urban areas.
Ethnic population is 1,403 (0.44%).
As of 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 ...
, Moheshkhali has a population of 219520. Males constitute are 53.13% of the population, and females 46.87%. This Upazila's eighteen up population is 90892. Maheshkhali has an average literacy rate of, and the national average of literate.
Administration
Moheshkhali Upazila is divided into Moheshkhali Municipality and eight
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:
Bara Maheshkhali,
Chota Moheshkhali,
Dhalghata,
Hoanak,
Kalarmarchhara,
Kutubjom,
Matarbari, and
Saflapur. The union parishads are subdivided into 25 mauzas and 151 villages.
is subdivided into 9 wards and 28
mahalla
is an Arabic word variously translated as district, Quarter (country subdivision), quarter, Ward (country subdivision), ward, or neighborhood in many parts of the Arab world, the Balkans, Western Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and nearby nations.
...
s.
Notable residents
*
Badiul Alam, Vice Chancellor of University of Chittagong (2006–2009), was born in Nalbila village in 1949.
*
Alamgir Mohammad Mahfuzullah Farid
Alamgir Mohammad Mahfuzullah Farid is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician and the former Member of Parliament from Cox's Bazar-2.
Career
Farid was elected to parliament in 1996 from Cox's Bazar-2 as a candidate of Bangladesh Nationalist ...
, MP
*
Md. Ishak, MP
*
Jahirul Islam, MP
*
Salimullah Khan
Salimullah Khan (, ; born 18 August 1958) is a Bangladeshi writer, academic, teacher and public intellectual. Khan explores national and international politics and culture using Marxist and Lacanian theories. Informed and influenced by Ahmed S ...
, academic, essayist, and critic, grew up in Moheshkhali.
*
Asheq Ullah Rafiq, MP
See also
*
Upazilas of Bangladesh
An ''upazila'' ( pronounced: ), formerly called ''thana'', is an administrative division in Bangladesh, functioning as a sub-unit of a districts of Bangladesh, district. It can be seen as an analogous to a county or a borough of Western count ...
*
Districts of Bangladesh
The divisions of Bangladesh, divisions of Bangladesh are further divided into districts or (). The headquarters of a district is called the district seat (). There are 64 districts in Bangladesh. The districts are further subdivided into 495 s ...
*
Divisions of Bangladesh
Divisions are the first-level administrative divisions in Bangladesh. As of 2024, there are eight divisions of Bangladesh, each named after the major city within its jurisdiction that also serves as the administrative seat of that division. Eac ...
References
{{Upazilas of Chittagong Division
Upazilas of Cox's Bazar District