Bandarban District


Bandarban District, officially Bandarban Hill District, is a district in South-Eastern Bangladesh, and a part of the Chittagong Division. It is one of the three hill districts of Bangladesh and a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the others being Rangamati District and Khagrachhari District. Bandarban district is not only the most remote district of the country, but also the least populous. There is an army contingent at Bandarban Cantonment.
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Demographics

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Bandarban District had 106,065 households and a population of 481,106 with an average 4.41 people per household. Among the population, 110,625 inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density was 107 people per km2. The literacy rate was 63.74%, compared to the national average of 74.80%. The sex ratio of the district was at 105 males for 100 females. Approximately, 40.41% of the population lived in urban areas.
As per the 2022 census, there were 283,123 Bengalis and 197,983 minorities people in the district. The population of major ethnic minorities living in the district besides the Bengalis, are: Marma: 84,170, Mro/Murong 51,448, Tripura 22,572, Tanchangya 14,889, Bom 11,854, Chakma 3,712, Khumi 3,287, Chak 2,662, Khyang 2,502.
UpazilaUnionBengaliMarmaMroTripuraOthers
Alikadam UpazilaAlikadam Union18,1616232,4731,370861
Alikadam UpazilaChaikkhyong Union13,2031,7352,150770264
Alikadam UpazilaKurukpata Union301738,9061,277649
Alikadam UpazilaNayapara Union7,0211,4161,63935862
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaBandarban Paurashava42,4537,2724009813,344
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaBandarban Union4,4652,803352762,593
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaJamchhari Union1,2244,493502933
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaKuhalong Union4,0556,5671022112,338
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaRajbila Union1,8903,65518110787
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaSualak Union7,5901,8281,931311,987
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaTankabati Union1,615104,744160143
Lama UpazilaLama Paurashava19,7172,6381517475
Lama UpazilaAziznagar Union11,68349217334516
Lama UpazilaFaitang Union12,1242,2165632315
Lama UpazilaFansiakhali Union31,5122,3951,2011,07922
Lama UpazilaGajalia Union4,4974,4532,8851,887156
Lama UpazilaLama Union7,0846051,6857396
Lama UpazilaRupasipara Union9,1882,5512,49227015
Lama UpazilaSarai Union10,6674692,1381,028561
Naikhongchhari UpazilaBaishari Union15,5331,13872233910
Naikhongchhari UpazilaDochhari Union7,4691671,601149262
Naikhongchhari UpazilaGhumdhum Union15,342133602,227
Naikhongchhari UpazilaNaikkhyongchhari Union21,558591651,183
Naikhongchhari UpazilaSonaichhari Union3,9392,6792115788
Rowangchhari UpazilaAlekkhyong Union6082,38707642,252
Rowangchhari UpazilaNowapatang Union1062,64505201,283
Rowangchhari UpazilaRowangchhari Union8104,19524023,276
Rowangchhari UpazilaTarachha Union1,3894,4891,683457453
Ruma UpazilaGalengya Union321,0674,379864269
Ruma UpazilaPaindu Union1363,564002,268
Ruma UpazilaRemakriprangsa Union476241,3591,2152,245
Ruma UpazilaRuma Union3,5915,4421,4198343,349
Thanchi UpazilaBalipara Union1,1832,9914591,182682
Thanchi UpazilaRemakri Union8502,7431,6452,089821
Thanchi UpazilaThanchi Union1,5542,4503,6631,435733
Thanchi UpazilaTindu Union1001,1611,2541,6301,165

Bengalis

According to the 2022 census, Bengalis are the largest ethnic group in Bandarban District.
They are largest ethnic group in Naikhongchhari Upazila, Lama Upazila, Alikadam Upazila and Bandarban Sadar Upazila.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Bengalis
Naikhongchhari Upazila63,84183.48%
Lama Upazila106,46876.22%
Alikadam Upazila38,68760.64%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila63,29256.97%
Ruma Upazila4,23513.02%
Thanchi Upazila3,68712.38%
Rowangchhari Upazila2,91310.51%

Marmas

According to the 2022 census, Marmas are the second largest ethnic group in Bandarban District.
They are the largest ethnic group in Rowangchhari Upazila, Thanchi Upazila and Ruma Upazila.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Marmas
Rowangchhari Upazila13,71649.48%
Thanchi Upazila9,34531.37%
Ruma Upazila10,09731.04%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila26,62823.97%
Lama Upazila15,81911.32%
Naikhongchhari Upazila4,7086.16%
Alikadam Upazila3,8576.05%

Mrus

According to the 2022 census, Mru (Murong) are the third largest ethnic group in Bandarban District.
They are the second largest ethnic group in Alikadam Upazila, Thanchi Upazila and Ruma Upazila.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Mrus
Alikadam Upazila15,16823.77%
Thanchi Upazila7,02123.57%
Ruma Upazila7,15722.00%
Lama Upazila10,7817.72%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila7,2806.55%
Rowangchhari Upazila1,6856.08%
Naikhongchhari Upazila2,3563.08%

Tripura

According to the 2022 census, Tripuras are fourth largest ethnic group in Bandarban District.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Tripuras
Thanchi Upazila6,33621.27%
Ruma Upazila2,9138.95%
Rowangchhari Upazila2,1437.73%
Alikadam Upazila3,4525.41%
Lama Upazila5,7554.12%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila1,7711.59%
Naikhongchhari Upazila2020.26%

Tanchangyas

According to the 2022 census, Tanchangyas are the fifth largest ethnic group in Bandarban District.
They are the second largest ethnic group in Rowangchhari Upazila.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Tanchangyas
Rowangchhari Upazila3,99014.39%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila5,6055.05%
Naikhongchhari Upazila2,8813.77%
Alikadam Upazila1,9773.10%
Ruma Upazila2410.74%
Lama Upazila1830.13%
Thanchi Upazila120.04%

Boms

According to the 2022 census, there are 12,311 Bom in CHT. Among them, 11854 Boms live in Bandarban District, constituting 2.46% of district's population.
They are third largest ethnic groups in Ruma Upazila.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Boms
Ruma Upazila6,47019.89%
Rowangchhari Upazila1,8826.79%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila2,7482.47%
Thanchi Upazila6852.30%
Lama Upazila 560.04%
Alikadam Upazila 80.01%
Naikhongchhari Upazila50.01%

Chakmas

According to the 2022 census, there are 3,713 Chakma in Bandarban district.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Chakmas
Bandarban Sadar Upazila1,6641.50%
Alikadam Upazila5740.90%
Thanchi Upazila4881.64%
Lama Upazila3550.25%
Ruma Upazila3050.94%
Rowangchhari Upazila1910.69%
Naikhongchhari Upazila1350.18%

Khumi

According to the 2022 census, there are 3,287 Khumis in Bandarban district.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Khumis
Thanchi Upazila1,8296.14%
Ruma Upazila8902.74%
Rowangchhari Upazila4361.57%
Others<100

Chaks

According to the 2022 census, there are 2,662 Chaks in Bandarban district.
They are mainly concentrated in Naikhongchhari Upazila, constituting 3.05% of the upazila's population.

Khyangs

According to the 2022 census, there are 1,670 Khyangs in Bandarban district.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Khyangs
Bandarban Sadar Upazila1,3101.18%
Rowangchhari Upazila6522.35%
Thanchi Upazila3591.20%
Ruma Upazila1580.49%
Others<100

Religion

ReligionPopulation
Percentage Population Percentage
Tribal57,79394.50%N/AN/A
Islam 2,5954.24%253,75652.74%
Buddhism ------142,05729.53%
Hinduism 3690.60%16,5013.43%
Christianity 00.00%47,0549.78%
Others 3990.65%21,7384.52%
Total Population61,156100%481,106100%

The religious composition of the population in 2022 was 52.74% Muslim, 29.53% Buddhist, 9.78% Christian, 3.43% Hindu and 4.52% others. Religious institutions is Mosque 2,070, Buddhist 1500, Hindu temple 194 and Church 2.
UpazilaUnionMuslimBuddhistChristianHinduOthers
Alikadam UpazilaAlikadam Union16,4053,4361,530616959
Alikadam UpazilaChaikkhyong Union11,7325,0161,04915217
Alikadam UpazilaKurukpata Union2437,4921,531121,938
Alikadam UpazilaNayapara Union6,5273,54143456406
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaBandarban Paurashava32,44912,3151,8797,673134
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaBandarban Union4,0994,7431,06724914
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaJamchhari Union4146,021442230
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaKuhalong Union3,6509,1163021969
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaRajbila Union1,8254,481117370
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaSualak Union7,2682,9761,3902,941439
Bandarban Sadar UpazilaTankabati Union1,1428841,674492,923
Lama UpazilaLama Paurashava17,7393,0782021,61511
Lama UpazilaAziznagar Union11,43866537122312
Lama UpazilaFaitang Union11,8202,34933421516
Lama UpazilaFansiakhali Union30,2182,7461,750814681
Lama UpazilaGajalia Union4,3216,1552,72078604
Lama UpazilaLama Union6,1152,21399473562
Lama UpazilaRupasipara Union8,2854,96843918806
Lama UpazilaSarai Union10,1481,6991,905379732
Naikhongchhari UpazilaBaishari Union14,9313,0581801661
Naikhongchhari UpazilaDochhari Union7,4192,06515454
Naikhongchhari UpazilaGhumdhum Union13,5304,01731561
Naikhongchhari UpazilaNaikkhyongchhari Union21,0732,039112119
Naikhongchhari UpazilaSonaichhari Union3,7543,6622510
Rowangchhari UpazilaAlekkhyong Union3714,5581,006750
Rowangchhari UpazilaNowapatang Union833,687774100
Rowangchhari UpazilaRowangchhari Union4265,8592,305941
Rowangchhari UpazilaTarachha Union1,3014,629857311,653
Ruma UpazilaGalengya Union201,5281,68083375
Ruma UpazilaPaindu Union743,8422,05020
Ruma UpazilaRemakriprangsa Union601173,882121,248
Ruma UpazilaRuma Union2,2476,4844,530534840
Thanchi UpazilaBalipara Union8103,7831,541244119
Thanchi UpazilaRemakri Union4503,2802,940221456
Thanchi UpazilaThanchi Union12734,0812,6361951650
Thanchi UpazilaTindu Union891,4703,1392610

Islam

According to 2022 census, Islam is the largest religion in Bandarban District.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Islam
Naikhongchhari Upazila60,70979.38%
Lama Upazila100,08871.65%
Alikadam Upazila34,90854.71%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila50,84745.77%
Thanchi Upazila2,6228.80%
Rowangchhari Upazila2,1817.87%
Ruma Upazila2,4017.38%

Buddhism

According to 2022 census, Buddhism is the second largest in Bandarban District.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Buddhism
Rowangchhari Upazila18,73467.58%
Thanchi Upazila12,61442.34%
Ruma Upazila11,97136.80%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila40,53636.49%
Alikadam Upazila19,48530.54%
Naikhongchhari Upazila14,84119.41%
Lama Upazila23,87617.09%

Christianity

According to 2022 census, Christianity is third largest religion in Bandarban district.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Christianity
Ruma Upazila12,14237.32%
Thanchi Upazila10,25634.43%
Rowangchhari Upazila4,94217.83%
Alikadam Upazila4,1536.51%
Lama Upazila8,7156.24%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila6,4735.83%
Naikhongchhari Upazila3730.49%

Hinduism

According to 2022 census, Hinduism is the fourth largest in Bandarban district.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage of Hinduism
Bandarban Sadar Upazila8,7217.85%
Alikadam Upazila1,9343.03%
Lama Upazila4,0782.92%
Ruma Upazila5561.71%
Thanchi Upazila4631.55%
Rowangchhari Upazila2100.76%
Naikhongchhari Upazila5390.70%

Subdistricts

Tourism

The India – Myanmar Sabroom – Cox's Bazar railway link has been proposed to connect Sabroom – Khargachari – Rangamati – Bandarban – Satkania – Cox's Bazar and another rail link connecting Bandarban to Tuipang, India.
Bandarban lies, by bus, eight hours away from Dhaka, two hours from Chittagong and three hours from Cox's Bazar. It is also possible to get there by a six-hour bus ride from Rangamati. The Buddha Dhatu Jadi, the Buddhist temple in Bangladesh, located in Balaghata, 4 km from the town. This place attracts many tourists every year. This Theravada Buddhist temple is made completely in the style of South-East Asia and houses the second largest statue of the Buddha in Bangladesh. The waterfall named Shoilo Propat at Milanchari is another place tourists like to visit. The numerous Buddhist temples, known as kyang in local tongue, and bhihars in the town include the highly notable the Rajvihar at Jadipara and the Ujanipara Bhihar. Bawm villages around Chimbuk, and Mru villages a little further off, are also lie within a day's journey from the town. Debotakhum, Prantik Lake, Jibannagar and Kyachlong Lake are some more places of interest. Boat ride on the river Shangu is one of the main attractions here for tourists.

Notable persons