Barisal District

Barisal District, officially spelled Barishal District from April 2018,[4] is a district in south-central Bangladesh, formerly called Bakerganj district, established in 1797.[5] Its headquarters are in the city of Barisal, which is also the headquarters of Barisal Division.[6]

Barisal District
বরিশাল জেলা
District
Barishal District
From top: City skyline, Guthia Mosque, Durga Sagar lake, Oxford Mission Church, Brojomohun College, Bell's Park aka Bangabandhu Udyan, Kasba Mosque, Paddle steamer at Kirtonkhola River port, Satlar Bil, Manasa Mandir of Bijoy Gupta and Ulania Zamnindar Bari Mosque.
Location of Barisal District in Bangladesh
Location of Barisal District in Bangladesh
Expandable map of Barisal District
Coordinates: 22.80°N 90.37°E / 22.80; 90.37
Country Bangladesh
DivisionBarisal
Bakerganj District1797
SeatBarisal
Government
 • Deputy CommissionerS.M. Ajior Rahman
 • District Council ChairmanMd. Moidul Islam[1]
 • Chief Executive OfficerMd. Monik-har Rahman
Area
 • Total2,784.52 km2 (1,075.11 sq mi)
 Census 2011
Population
 (2022 census)[2]
 • Total2,570,450
 • Density920/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
DemonymsBorishailla
Time zoneUTC+06:00 (BST)
Postal code
8200
HDI (2018)0.672[3]
medium · 2nd of 21

History

Barisal District traces its origins to Bakerganj district which was established in 1797. It was placed in Barisal Division on 1 January 1993.[5]

Education

Notable educational institutions in Barisal include

Demographics
Historical population
YearPop.±% 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%
2022 2,570,450+0.92%
Sources:[2][7]

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Barisal District had 629,842 households and a population of 2,570,450, 30.2% of whom lived in urban areas. The population density was 923 people per km2. The literacy rate (age 7 and over) was 79.6%, compared to the national average of 74.7%.[2]

Religion
Religions in Barisal district (2011)[7]
Religion Percent
Muslims
 
 87.77%
Hindus
 
 11.69%
Christians
 
 0.53%
Other or not stated
 
 0.01%
Religion in present-day Barisal district[lower-alpha 1]
Religion Population (1941)[8]: 100–101  Percentage (1941) Population (2011)[7] Percentage (2011)
Islam 724,289 66.17% 2,040,088 87.77%
Hinduism 361,602 33.04% 271,706 11.69%
Christianity 8,536 0.78% 12,277 0.53%
Others [lower-alpha 2] 173 0.02% 289 0.01%
Total Population 1,094,600 100% 2,324,310 100%

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

Notable personalities

Notes
  1. Sadar subdivision of Bakerganj district without Nalchiti, Jhalokati and Rajapur thanas
  2. Including Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Ad-Dharmis, or not stated

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barishal District.
  1. barisal.gov.bd
  2. Population and Housing Census 2022: Preliminary Report. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. August 2022. pp. viii, 29, 38, 45. ISBN 978-984-35-2977-0.
  3. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  4. Mahadi Al Hasnat (2 April 2018). "Mixed reactions as govt changes English spellings of 5 district names". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  5. KAM Saiful Islam (2012). "Barisal District". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  6. About Barisal Archived 20 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine Local Government Engineering Department, Local Government Division, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives; retrieved 14 May 2014.
  7. "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Barisal" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  8. "Census of India, 1941 Volume VI Bengal Province" (PDF). Retrieved 13 August 2022.
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