Faridpur Division ফরিদপুর বিভাগ | |
|---|---|
 Proposed Padma Division in Bangladesh | |
| Coordinates:Pe:GNS-enwiki23°36′N89°50′E / 23.60°N 89.84°E /23.60; 89.84 | |
| Country |  Bangladesh |
| Capital | Faridpur |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,913.44 km2 (2,669.29 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 7,235,343 |
| • Density | 1,046.56/km2 (2,710.58/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+6 (BST) |
Faridpur Division (Bengali:ফরিদপুর বিভাগ), is a proposedadministrative division withinBangladesh for the southern parts of the existingDhaka Division, comprisingFaridpur,Gopalganj,Madaripur,Rajbari, andShariatpur districts ofDhaka Division.[1][2] The headquarters of the division is proposed to be inFaridpur. This division was proposed to named after its affiliated riverPadma but in 2024, the Public Administration Reform Commission decided to create this division asFaridpur Division.[3]
The proposed Faridpur division was once underGangaridai andVanga Kingdom of ancientBengal with its capital atKotalipara in present dayGopalganj district ofBangladesh.[4] Later, it was ruled by localHindurajas andMuslimsultans until theMughal conquest of Bengal in the 16th century, after which many nobles and merchants from North India settled in the area. In 1582 in the reign ofEmperor Akbar, the province of Bengal was formed into 33sarkars or financial sub-divisions, and Faridpur area appears to have been included within the sarkar of Muhammad Abud and was known as Fatehabad.
In 1765, the British took over the financial administration of Faridpur, together with the rest of Bengal. The greater portion of Faridpur was then comprised withinDhaka District. In 1811, Faridpur was separated from Dacca collectorate. The district was initially known asFatehabad.[5]Under British rule in 1860, the district was named as Faridpur after 12th-century Sufi saint,Shah Sheikh Fariduddin.[6][7] In 1984, with the decentralization program of the Bangladesh government, Faridpur district was reorganized into five separate districts:Rajbari,Gopalgonj,Madaripur,Shariatpur andFaridpur.
On 6 May 2017,Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain announced that the new division would be renamed as Padma Division after thePadma River, which flows northeast of the proposed division.[8][9] The name "Padma" was controversial and many were opposed to the name, who demanded it be changed to "Faridpur".[10][11] The proposal was postponed on 27 November 2022.[12] On 17 December 2024, the Public Administration Reform Commission recommended the creation of the Cumilla and Faridpur divisions.[13][14][15]
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The division was proposed to be subdivided into five districts (zilas) and thence into 30 sub-districts (upazilas).
| Name | Capital | Area (km2) | Population 1991 Census | Population 2001 Census | Population 2011 Census |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faridpur District | Faridpur | 2,052.68 | 1,505,686 | 1,756,470 | 1,912,969 |
| Gopalganj District | Gopalganj | 1,468.74 | 1,060,791 | 1,165,273 | 1,172,415 |
| Madaripur District | Madaripur | 1,125.69 | 1,069,176 | 1,146,349 | 1,165,952 |
| Rajbari District | Rajbari | 1,092.28 | 835,173 | 951,906 | 1,049,778 |
| Shariatpur District | Shariatpur | 1,174.05 | 953,021 | 1,082,300 | 1,155,824 |
| Total | 5 | 6,913.44 | 5,423,847 | 6,102,298 | 6,456,938 |
The division would have a population of 7,235,343. 6,386,595 (88.27%) areMuslims, 829,732 (11.47%)Hindus.[16]
Places adjacent to Faridpur Division | |
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