Chuadanga District
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Chuadanga (Bangla: চুয়াডাঙা; Chuađaņa), Chuadanga district or Chuadanga Zilla (চুয়াডাঙা জেলা) is the name of a Western district (zilla) of Bangladesh. It is a part of the Khulna administrative division that covers most districts in the south-west of the country.
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[edit] History
Records of the Greek historians and geographical formations show that this region was a part of the Kingdom of Gangaridhi and there was a city called Gangey here.
From the beginning of the British Empire, the people of Chuadanga participated in many uprisings and democratic movements, including the Wahabi Movement (1831), Faraizi Movement (1838-1847), Sepoy Revolt (1857), Indigo Rebellion (1859-1860), Khilafat Movement (1920), Swadeshi Movement (1906), Non-cooperation, Violation of Law and Satyagraha Movement (1920-1940) and Quit India Movement or August Revolt (1942) are notable.
Under British rule, Chuadanga was a sub-division within Nadia District. During partition, in 1947, excepting Krishnanagar thana (still under Nadia in West Bengal), the whole territory of Chuadanga sub-division was included in Kushtia District.
During the War of Liberation in 1971 early resistance was put up in Chuadanga. The first war command, the South Western Command of Bangladesh, was established here on 26 March 1971 that took a leading role in fighting back the occupational Pakistan army under the leadership of Major Abu Osman Chowdhury and Dr Ashab Ul Haq. Bangladesh Red Cross Society was also established here in that time. During the liberation war the government in exile declared Chuadanga to be the provisional capital of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. During the Bangladesh Liberation War more than one hundred documented direct encounters took place between the Pakistan Army and the freedom fighters (Mukti Bahini) in Chuadanga district. According to records Chuadanga was liberated from the hands of occupying Pakistan army on 07 December 1971, nine days before the invading army officially surrendered to the Mitro Bahini (allied forces of Mukti Bahini and Indian Army). Chuadanga had a glorious and leading role in the liberation war of Bangladesh.
Marks of the Liberation War genocide in the district include a spot behind the Chuadanga Central Hospital, three mass graves at places on the back of the Natudaha High School, at village Dhopakhali near the Jibannagar border and on the bank of GK Canal near Alamdanga Railway Station. Two memorial monuments stand today in memory of the war.
Chuadanga was separated from Kushtia and given the status of a district in 1984.
[edit] Geography
The district has an area of 1157.42 km². It shares domestic borders with the Kushtia District on the northeast, Meherpur on the northwest and Jhenaidaha on the south and southeast. On its southwest lies the Nadia District (in the state of West Bengal in India).
The main township of Chuadanga lies on the bank of River Mathabhanga. The annual average maximum temperature is 37.1 °C and the average for the minimum is 11.2 °C, while 1467 mm is received on average each year.
The entire Chuadanga region lies within the Ganges Delta, with rivers Mathabhanga,Bhairab , Kumar, Chitra, and Nabaganga flowing through the district.
[edit] Administration
The district consists of 4 municipalities, 36 wards, 93 mahallas, 4 upazilas, 31 union parishads, 421 mouzas and 514 villages.
The upazilas, which are also the municipalities, are:
- Chuadanga Centre or Shôdor (চুয়াডাঙা সদর);
- Alomđanga (আলমডাঙা);
- Damuŗhuda (দামুড়হুদা); and
- Jibonnôgor (জীবননগর).
The entire district has two representatives (Member of Parliament) to the (National Assembly) of Bangladesh. The Government appoints one Deputy Commissioner, DC, for the entire district.
[edit] Demographics
The population of the district was 987,382 during the 2001 national survey with 50.82% male and female 49.18% compositions.
By religion, Muslims form the majority with 96.73% of the population while Hindus form 2.96% and the remaining are mainly Christians, Buddhists and other minor sects.
[edit] Education
Average literacy rate is 25.2%, with a sizeable gap between male and female literacy rates at 30.5% and 19.6% respectively.
The different kinds of educational institutions are as follows:
- Colleges - 12
- High schools - 48
- Junior schools - 7
- Government Primary schools - 257
- Non-government Primary schools - 120
- Primary Training institute - 1
- Vocational Training institute 1
- Nursing institute 1
- Madrasas - 63
- Kindergarten schools - 3
Noted old educational institutions include the Victoria Jubilee Government High School (est. 1880), Alamdanga High School (est. 1914), Natudaha High School (est. 1906), Jibannagar Pilot High School (est. 1957) and Hazar Duari School.
[edit] Economy
Most of this small district is dedicated to agriculture. Occupational distributions clearly show this with agriculture employing 68% of the labour force, while only 12% are involved in commerce. Total cultivable land amounts to 894.20 square kilometres of which 57% is under some sort of irrigation.
Thirty-seven percent of the peasants are landless, 43% are small, 18%, intermediate and 2% are well-off; cultivable land per head is 1,100 m².
[edit] Transportation
The district is connected to the rest of the country by three highways and railway. There are 203 km of finished road, 211 km herring-bone and 132 km mud road. Total length of railway tracks is just over 50 km that connect the three railway stations inside the district with the country's railway network.
Besides these, traditional transportation modes such as bullock cart and boat are also in use.
[edit] See also
| Divisions and Districts of Bangladesh |  |
|---|---|
| Barisal Division: Barguna | Barisal | Bhola | Jhalkathi | Patuakhali | Pirojpur | |
| Chittagong Division: Bandarban | Brahmanbaria | Chandpur | Chittagong | Comilla | Cox's Bazar | Feni | Khagrachari | Lakshmipur | Noakhali | Rangamati | |
| Dhaka Division: Dhaka | Faridpur | Gazipur | Gopalganj | Jamalpur | Kishoreganj | Madaripur | Manikganj | Munshiganj | Mymensingh | Narayanganj | Narsingdi | Netrakona | Rajbari | Shariatpur | Sherpur | Tangail | |
| Khulna Division: Bagerhat | Chuadanga | Jessore | Jhenaidah | Khulna | Kushtia | Magura | Meherpur | Narail | Satkhira | |
| Rajshahi Division: Bogra | Dinajpur | Gaibandha | Jaipurhat | Kurigram | Lalmonirhat | Naogaon | Natore | Nawabganj | Nilphamari | Pabna | Panchagarh | Rajshahi | Rangpur | Sirajganj | Thakurgaon | |
| Sylhet Division: Habiganj | Moulvibazar | Sunamganj | Sylhet |
