Chandina Upazila


Chandina Upazila (comilla district) with an area of 202.98 sq km, is bounded by daudkandi, muradnagar and debidwar upazilas on the north, barura and kachua upazilas on the south, burichang and barura upazilas on the east, Daudkandi and Kachua upazilas on the west. Main river is Kalichari. Ghogra Beel is notable.

Chandina (Town) consists of Chandina, Maharang, Belashahar and part of Rarir Char. The town is now a municipality with an area of 4.27 sq km and population 35601; male 50.63%, female 49.37%. It has 9 words and 19 mahallas. Literacy rate among the town people is 38.7 %. It has five dakbungalows.

Administration Chandina thana was turned into an upazila in 1983. The upazila consists of one municipality, 12 union parishads, 126 mouzas and 232 villages.

Archaeological heritage and relics Raj Kachary (revenue office) and Kali Mandir.

Historical events On 11 December 1971, in a direct encounter between the Pak army and the freedom fighters nearly 1400 members of Pak army surrendered to the freedom fighters. In another direct encounter at Kat-tala on 12 December seven members of the Pak army were killed and so were three freedom fighters

Marks of War of Liberation Mass killing site 2, Puira Bridge east of Chandina High School and the northwest side of the Chandina Hospital; mass grave 3, Shashan Ghat (crematorium) at Kashimpur, Baroi Para at Mohichail and Barabari at Konghai.

Population 269878; male 50.18%, female 49.82%; Muslim 91.53%, Hindu 8.35%, Christian 0.03%, Buddhist 0.03% and others 0.06%.

Religious institutions Mosque 375, temple 18, tomb 1,

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 27.7%; male 34.3%, female 21.1%. Educational institutions: college 6, high school 36, junior high school 2, madrasa 96, government primary school 86, non-government primary school 20, satellite school 10, low cost school 9, maktab 175 and orphanage 4. Noted educational institutions: Chandina Pilot High School (1916), Bishwas Government Primary School (1916), Bakarhat Government Primary School (1939), Chandina Model Government Primary School (1940), West Belashahor Government Primary School (1935), Madhaiya Government Primary School (1930).

Cultural organisations Club 52, public library 3, cinema hall 1, theatre stage 1.

Main occupations Agriculture 50.45%, agricultural labourer 21.07%, commerce 9.3%, service 5.95%, transport 2.95%, wage labourer 2.34% and others 7.84%.

Land use Total land 20202.35 hectares, cultivable land 15831.65 hectares, fallow land 4370.70 hectares, khas land 704.69 hectares; single crop 10%, double crop 61%, treble crop 29%.

Land control Among the peasants 22.17% are landless, 30.12% marginal, 37.35% small, 31.78% intermediate and 1.76% rich; cultivable land per head 0.06 hectare.

Value of land The market value of the land of the first grade is 50000 Taka per 0.01 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, brinjal, chilly, mustard seed, betel leaf and cucumber.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Linseed, sesame, jute, kaun, sugarcane, onion, garlic, sweet potato and tobacco.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, papaya and litchi.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Fishery 2, dairy 16, poultry 107 and hatchery 5.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 41 km, semi pucca 1.5 km, mud road 398 km.

Traditional transport Palanquin (extinct), bullock cart (nearly extinct) and boat.

Manufactories Textile mill 1, flour mill 2 and cold storage 3.

Cottage industries Weaving 200, bamboo work 28, blacksmith 9, wood work 15, potteries 9, goldsmith 30, tailoring 41.

Hats, bazars and fairs Total number of hats and bazars are 29, most noted of which are Chandina, Madhaiya, Nababpur and Badarpur Hat; fairs 6, noted of which are Pihar, Madhayamtala and Madhaiya Mela.

Main exports Khaddar cloth, betel leaf, flour, potato and cucumber.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, grameen bank, proshika, Pages, Samabaya, Disha, nijera kari, Grameen Karma Bikash and Mahila Shilpa Uddakta Unnayan Karmasuchi.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, sub health centre 1, family planning centre 12.