Kachua Upazila, Chandpur

Coordinates: 23°21′N 90°53.5′E / 23.350°N 90.8917°E / 23.350; 90.8917
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Kachua
কচুয়া
Location of Kachua
Coordinates: 23°21′N 90°53.5′E / 23.350°N 90.8917°E / 23.350; 90.8917
Country Bangladesh
DivisionChittagong
DistrictChandpur
Thana25 January 1918
Upazila1983
Government
 • MP (Chandpur-1)Salim Mahmud
Area
 • Total235.81 km2 (91.05 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total382,139
 • Density1,600/km2 (4,200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+6 (BST)
Websitekachua.chandpur.gov.bd

Kachua (Bengali: কচুয়া) is an upazila (sub-district) of Chandpur District in Bangladesh, located in the Chittagong Division.[1] It is a part of the Greater Comilla region.

History[edit]

The Bakhtiyar Khan Mosque in Ujani was later the centre of the activities of Rashid Ahmad Gangohi's student Qari Ibrahim Ujani, who founded the Ujani Madrasa in 1901.

During the reign of the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah in 1705/1706 CE, the Faujdar (local governor) Bakhtiyar ibn Ilyas Khan built a mosque in Ujania which still stands today. The area was also settled by a wali known as Shah Niamat Shah, who was based on the banks of the Tarini Dighi. People from various places would travel to meet the Wali, and a haat bazaar later emerged known as Niamat Shaher Bazar (Niamat Shah's bazaar). It is presently known as Kachua Bazar after the establishment of Kachua Thana.[2]

A minaret of the Taltoli Jama Mosque, an example of Indo-Saracenic architecture in Kachua.

During the administration of the British East India Company, Kachua was a part of the Daudkandi Thana. A large portion of present-day Kachua was under the zamindari of the Munshibari family of Comilla. Abdul Hamid Munshi of this family established the glorious Taltoli Jama Mosque in the village of Taltoli in 1891.

By the time of Queen Victoria, Kachua was under the Hajiganj Thana. A separate thana was established with the name of Kachua on 25 January 1918 during the reign of George V. There are numerous theories behind the naming of Kachua. One theory suggests that it is of Hindustani origin. It was said that in 1905, the Hajiganj Thana was divided into two parts and survey work was carried out to determine its boundary/area. The survey was conducted under the leadership of a police officer. The survey work started from the southern boundary of Daudkandi Thana i.e. the northern end of present Kachua Upazila. At one stage of the survey, the police officer and other people came to the southern part of the village on the north side adjacent to Kachua Bazar and found some palm trees. They camped for a few days in a high place in this palm tree area which is now known as Dhulikachua village. A local villager by the name of Maulvi Ali Akmat asked how much of the survey work had been done and in reply, the officer said "Kuch Hua" meaning some things have happened. The name Kachua was said to have been derived from "Kuch Hua" according to this incident.[3]

During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, a brawl took place in Raghunathpur Bazar leading to the death of one Bengali freedom fighter and 14 civilians. Kachua Thana was upgraded to an upazila in 1983.[1]

Geography[edit]

A historic mosque in Patwari Bari, Gobindapur.

Kachua is located in between 23.15 and 23.28 degrees of North latitudes and 90.48 to 91.01 degrees of East longitudes. ( 23°21′00″N 90°53′30″E / 23.3500°N 90.8917°E / 23.3500; 90.8917 ). It has a total area of 235.81 km2.

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
YearPop. (000) ±%
1981 248—    
1991 293+18.1%
2001 331+13.0%
2011 382+15.4%
Source:
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics[4]
Religions in Kachua upazila (2011)[5]
Religion Percent
Islam
93.35%
Hinduism
6.64%
Other or not stated
0.01%

According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Kachua Upazila had 76,642 households and a population of 382,139. 98,415 (25.75%) were under 10 years of age. Kachua had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 53.77%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1114 females per 1000 males. 27,024 (7.07%) lived in urban areas.[5][6]

Administration[edit]

The Jamia Islamia Ibrahimia madrasa, founded in 1901.

Kachua Upazila is divided into Kachua Municipality and 12 union parishads: Ashrafpur, Bitara, Dakshin Gohat, Dakshin Kachua, Kadla, Karyia, Pashim Sahadebpur, Pathoir, Purba Sahadebpur, Sachar, Uttar Gohat, and Uttar Kachua. The union parishads are subdivided into 158 mauzas and 232 villages.

Kachua Municipality is subdivided into 9 wards and 20 mahallas.[4]

Notable people[edit]

Some famous residents of Kachua include:[7]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Habibunnabi Shariful Haque Shajee (2012). "Kachua Upazila (Chandpur District)". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  2. ^ ভাষা ও সংষ্কৃতি [Language and culture]. Kochuya Upazila (in Bengali).
  3. ^ কচুয়া উপজেলার পটভূমি [Background of Kachua Subdistrict]. Kochua Upazila (in Bengali).
  4. ^ a b "District Statistics 2011: Chandpur" (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Community Tables: Chandpur district" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. 2011.
  6. ^ "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Chandpur" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  7. ^ প্রখ্যাত ব্যক্তিত্ব [Eminent personalities]. Kachua Upazila, Chandpur.

Further reading[edit]