Rowangchhari রোয়াংছড়ি | |
|---|---|
 Debotakhum | |
.svg) | |
| Coordinates:22°10′N92°20′E / 22.167°N 92.333°E /22.167; 92.333 | |
| Country |  Bangladesh |
| Division | Chittagong |
| District | Bandarban |
| Government | |
| • Upazila Chairman | Chohaimong Marma |
| • MP (Bandarban) | Ushwe Sing |
| Area | |
• Total | 442.88 km2 (171.00 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 27,721 |
| • Density | 62.593/km2 (162.11/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+6 (BST) |
| Postal code | 4610[2] |
| Website | rowangchhari |
Rowangchhari (Bengali:রোয়াংছড়ি) is anupazila (sub-district) ofBandarban District in southeasternBangladesh, part of theChittagong Division.[3]
In the 16th century, theMarma people emigrated here from theKingdom of Mrauk U inArakan. Where the Rakhaing stream (known as achhara in Bengali) meets the Tarachha canal, the Marmas established a settlement known asRakhaing Wah, meaning the "Rakhaingriver mouth".Bengalis from the nearbyChittagong District later arrived in the area for trade and commercial purposes. Over time,Rakhaing Wah grew into ahaat bazaar and became known to Bengalis as Rowangchhari (Rowang is theChittagonian word forArakan andchhari refers to a small stream).[4]
During theBangladesh Liberation War of 1971, a brawl took place in Nowapatang Union leading to the death of T. N. Ali, a Bengali freedom fighter. Shamsul Islam ibn Amir Hamzah of Main Road and Dr S. A. Mahiuddin ibn Muhammad Abdur Rashid of Rowangchhari Bazar also fought in the war. There are also seven other individuals from Rowangchhari not mentioned in the official gazette that are said to have taken part. These are: Tarachha's Muhammad Ibrahim ibn Jalal Ahmad, Foraq Ahmad ibn Kala Mia, Qazi Muhammad Thanaullah ibn Qazi Ahmad Safa, Liaqat Ali ibn Faiz Ahmad and Muhammad Abdul Wadud ibn Siraj Ahmad, Rowangchhari Bazar's Abul Hasan Mir ibn Habibullah Mir, Abdul Aziz Chowdhury ibn Ashab Mia Chowdhury and Ejahan Mia ibn Dudu Mia.[5]
In 1976, Rowangchhari was established as athana. Its status was upgraded toupazila (sub-district) in 1983 as part of thePresident of BangladeshHussain Muhammad Ershad's decentralisation programme.[4]
Rowangchhari is located at22°10′00″N92°20′00″E / 22.1667°N 92.3333°E /22.1667; 92.3333. It has a total area of 442.88 km2.
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddhism | 67.58% | |||
| Christianity | 17.83% | |||
| Islam | 7.87% | |||
| Hinduism | 0.76% | |||
| Other or not stated | 5.97% | |||
As of the2022 Bangladeshi census, Rowangchhari upazila had a population of 27,721. The ethnic population was 24,808 (89.49%), of whichMarma were 13,716,Tanchangya 3,990,Tripura 2,143,Bom 1,882 andMru 1,685.[6]
Rowangchhari is an ethnically diverse sub-district of Bangladesh. It is home to theMarma people who speakArakanese, theBawm who speakBawm, theTanchangya who speakTanchangya, theMru who speakMru, theKhumi who speakKhumi Chin, theKhyang who speakShö and theBengalis who speak theChittagonian dialect of Bengali.[7]
Rowangchhari Upazila is divided into fourunion parishads: Alikhong, Nowapatang, Rowangchhari, and Tarachha. The union parishads are subdivided into 13 mauzas and 178 villages.[9]
| Name | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kya Shai Aung | 25/5/1985 | |
| Hla Thowai Hri Marma | 23/2/2009-16/4/2014 | |
| Kyaba Maung Marma | 17/4/2014 | |
| Mausang Marma | 30/3/2017-24/4/2019 | Panel chairman, first female |
| Chohaimong Marma | 9/5/2019-present |
There are 43 churches, 41 Buddhist temples, 5 Hindu temples and 12 mosques in Rowangchhari. There are twomadrasas in Rowangchhari; the North Chhaingya Nurani Madrasa and the West Chhaingya Nurani Madrasa. The mosques are:[10]
| Upazilas/thanas |  | |
|---|---|---|
