Barisal Division (Bengali:বরিশাল বিভাগ,romanized: Borishal Bibhag;Bengali pronunciation:[boriʃalbibʱag]) is one of the eight administrativedivisions of Bangladesh. Located in the south-central part of the country, it has an area of 13,225 km2 (5,106 sq mi), and a population of 9,325,820 at the 2022 census. It is the least populous division in Bangladesh. It is bounded byDhaka Division on the north, theBay of Bengal on the south,Chittagong Division on the east andKhulna Division on the west. The administrative capital,Barisal city, lies in thePadma River delta on an offshoot of theArial Khan River. Barisal division is criss-crossed by numerous rivers that earned it the nicknameDhan-Nodi-Khal, Ei tin-e Borishal (rice, river and canal built Barisal).
Barisal Division is named after its headquarters, the city ofBarisal. The toponym Barisal is etymologically derived from thePerso-Arabic phrase "Bahr-e-Sawal," translating to "the ship of questions". This appellation is rooted in the interactions ofSemiticArab maritime traders, who, in their nautical endeavours, referred to their sea-bound merchant vessels as bahr, which has endured as a term in the lexicon of theBengali language to this day. The perilous and turbulent waters of Bengal's southern seacoast, notorious for their treacherous waves, presented a hazardous maritime route. As such, upon encountering this tempestuous stretch of coastline, the Arab traders would often be prompted to pose various queries (sawal) regarding the safety, conditions, and navigability of the route. Over time, this word was corrupted to the name Barisal.[6]
The modern Barisal division area was the part ofVanga andGangaridai empire in ancient times. The historic land of Vaṅga (Bôngô in Bengali), situated in present-day Barisal division.[7] After the fall ofGupta rule in Bengal, the region became a part ofGauda Kingdom in the 6th century. Later the region came under the rule ofKhadgas,Palas,Chandras andVarmans in the early mediaeval period. In ancient times, the region was known as the nameBangala from which probably the medieval name 'Bakla' derived.[8] According to the epigraphical records ofSena period, the modern Barisal was known asAnuttara Banga (southern Bengal), an ancient division ofBengal region. After the Sena Dynasty, Barisal was ruled byDeva kings in the 12th-13th century.[9][10]
In early times, the Barisal region was composed of an amalgamation of marshlands formed by the merging of islands brought into existence and built up by alluvial soils washed down the great channels of the combinedBrahmaputra-Ganges-Meghna river systems.
In the early 13th century,Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji led the Muslim conquest of Barisal, and soon laterMuhammad bin Tughluq completely conqueredeastern Bengal. TheHindu chieftains from northwest Bengal were dislodged from power and they dispersed over Barisal region and founded the kingdom of Bakla.[11]
During theMughal intervention in Bengal, Hindu society was concentrated to northern and western Barisal (known asBakarganj). Barisal's southern portion was still covered by forests and laced with lagoons. The northwest was also the only part of Bakarganj where the Hindu population exceededMuslims in early British censuses.[11]
Barisal saw a second wave of immigration in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This time, it was Muslim pioneers who assumed the leading role. EstablishingDhaka as the provincial Mughal capital of the region, in the early 17th century the Barisal region (known as Sarkar Bakla to Mughals) was more accessible to businessmen and developers than at any previous time. However, piracy in this region along the coasts and rivers of southeastern Bengal byArakanese and renegadePortuguese seamen inhibited any sustained attempts by Mughal governors to push into the Barisal forests.
After 1666, when Mughal naval forces cleared theMeghnaestuary of such external threats, the Barisal interior lay ripe for colonization. Land developers acquired grants of plots of land,taluq (তালুক), from provincial authorities. Abundant and easily obtainable by purchase from the late 17th century, these grants tended to be regarded by their possessorstaluqdar (তালুকদার). As taluqdars brought their taluqs intoagricultural production, these men passed up thelandrevenue through a class of non-cultivating intermediaries, or zamindar (জমিদার). Zamindars typically resided in the provincial capital, where they had ready access to the chief provincial revenue officer, or dewan (দেওয়ান).
In a second pattern of land development,Muslimpirs orQazi went directly into uncultivated regions, organized the local population for clearing the jungles, and only later, after having established themselves as local men of influence, entered into relations with the Mughal authorities. Relationships between Muslim pirs and Mughal authorities were not always harmonious, since a pir's natural ties of authority and patronage usually lay with the peasant masses beneath him rather than with the governors and bureaucrats. For example, in remoteJhalakati Thana in the eastern Bakarganj many of 18th-century pirs and Educationist, Islamic scholars came under the authority, among them named Saiyid Faqir and Faizus Ahmed Khan (A Persian business man and educationist, came for the business trade through Khyber pass and spread education among the Indian sub continent) from wielded enormous influence with the cultivators of the all-Muslim village of Saiyidpur, Hizla and Muladi named after the pirs. But a difficulty arose, noted a 1906 village survey of Pir Fakir of Saiyidpur village, because "the people of this part looked upon the Fakir as their guide and did not pay rent to theNawab." In this situation, one Lala Chet Singh, a captain in the employ of the governor, "succeeded in persuading the Fakir to leave the country."
In 1797, the area was established asBakerganj District but later renamed as Barisal District and Pir of Hizla-Muladi, Faizus Ahmed Khan stayed back and settled in Muladi-Hizla village.
In 1948, a part of Bakerganj District area was renamed asBarisal and other wasPatuakhali District as one of five districts ofKhulna Division.
The Greater Barisal region (Barisal District along with five other neighbouring districts) was created as Barisal Division on 1 January 1993.[12]
Barisal is known as the "Granary of Bengal" for its rice production. It is still an important rice-producing area of the country. Since the Middle Ages, Barisal has acted as a trans-shipment center for hides, rice, dried beans, dried peas, lentils, chickpeas, and otherlegumes for Bengal. Bakery, textile, and pharmaceutical products are the output of a few industrial installations. There areSher-e Bangla Medical College (affiliated with the National University) andB. M. College (an educational institution of Barisal Division established in 1889). Barisal is also a river port once connecting Calcutta-Barisal-Dhaka and many other routes. Today Barisal River port is the most important hub of steamer and motor launch service of Southern Bangladesh.
Kuakata beach is the main tourist spot in the division.[citation needed] It is a sea beach from which one can watch the sun both rise and set over the ocean.[13]
Durga Sagar is a man-made pond where a number of migratory birds arrive every winter.
Guthia Mosque is a mosque complex built over a land area of 5.7 hectares (14 acres), comparing to the 3.36 ha (8.30 acres) land area of the national mosqueBaitul Mukarram.
Char Kukri-Mukri Wildlife Sanctuary (Bengali:চর কুকরি মুকরি বন্যপ্রানী সংরক্ষণ অভয়ারন্য) is a wildlife sanctuary in southernChar Fasson Upazila ofBangladesh, located onChar Kukri Mukri island in theBay of Bengal in the south of the country.
The division is subdivided into six districts (zilas) and then into 42 sub-districts (upazilas; Rangabali in Patuakhali and Taltoli in Barguna being the most recent). Lower level administrative areas are 353union parishads, 3,159mouzas, 12municipalities, 25wards and 4,163 villages.
| Name | Capital | Area (km2) | Population 1991 Census | Population 2001 Census | Population 2011 Census | Population 2022 Census |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barisal District | Barisal | 2,784.52 | 2,207,426 | 2,355,967 | 2,324,310 | 2,570,446 |
| Barguna District | Barguna | 1,831.31 | 775,693 | 848,554 | 892,781 | 1,010,531 |
| Bhola District | Bhola | 3,403.48 | 1,476,328 | 1,703,117 | 1,776,795 | 1,932,518 |
| Jhalokati District | Jhalokati | 706.76 | 666,139 | 694,231 | 682,669 | 661,160 |
| Patuakhali District | Patuakhali | 3,221.31 | 1,273,872 | 1,460,781 | 1,535,854 | 1,727,254 |
| Pirojpur District | Pirojpur | 1,277.80 | 1,063,185 | 1,111,068 | 1,113,257 | 1,198,195 |
| Total Districts | 6 | 13,255.20 | 7,462,643 | 8,173,718 | 8,325,666 | 9,100,104 |
Numerous rivers and canals force the inhabitants to use boats as the main medium of transportation. The main rivers are the Arial Khan, Bishkhali, Burishwar, Tentulia, Paira, Haringhata, Baleshwar, Kirtankhola, Katcha, and Agunmukha. It is linked by steamers withDhaka (117 km or 73 mi to the north) and withChittagong to the southeast. Road communication has improved significantly over last decades with the building of many bridges. The Barisal airport has regular service to Dhaka.
Barisal Division has the highest literacy rate (age 7 and over) of any division in the country, 65.7% as of the2011 Bangladesh census.[14]
There are three public universities in the division:
There are also three private universities:
There are 258 colleges in the division. They include:
The division also contains specialized tertiary educational institutions: Two medical schools:
The Division also have four government polytechnic institutes & many private Polytechnic institutes;[19]
Three government textile colleges;
One Public Engineering college;
One military/Cadet college;
Three law colleges;
Four teacher training colleges;
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muslims | 91.56% | |||
| Hindus | 8.24% | |||
| Christians | 0.13% | |||
| Others | 0.06% | |||
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Census figures for 1991, 2001 and 2011 are from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Population Census Wing. The 2011 Census figures are based on preliminary results.
Places adjacent to Barisal Division | ||||||||||||||||
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| Barisal Division |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Chittagong Division | ||
| Dhaka Division | ||
| Khulna Division | ||
| Mymensingh Division | ||
| Rajshahi Division | ||
| Rangpur Division | ||
| Sylhet Division | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
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