Mirsharai Upazila
Mirsharai Upazila is an upazila of Chittagong District in Chittagong Division, Bangladesh. It comprises two police stations and two municipalities.
History
Sultan Fakhruddin Mobarak Shah conquered Chittagong in 1340 AD and established Muslim rule in this region. During the reign of Sultans Hussain Shah and Nusrat Shah, Paragal Khan and Chhuti Khan were the rulers of this area. Subsequently, Nizam Shah, brother of emperor Sher Shah, was the ruler of this area. Nizampur Pargana is named after Nizam Shah and the whole area of Mirsharai came under the control of this pargana.From the beginning of the 16th century the region was very rich in Bangla literature. Most of the time between 1580 and 1666, the region was under the control of the Arakanese.
The place within the current Mirsharai thana where Buzurg Umed Khan, son of Subadar Shaista Khan, landed after crossing the Feni River was named as Buzurg Umedpur. With the conquest of Chittagong by Khan in 1666, the region came permanently under Mughal rule.
Towards the end of British rule in India, the Durgapur and Karerhat areas of Mirsharai were the centres of revolutionary activities of Chittagong. A fierce battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the Pak Army near the Fenafuni Bridge on the south of Mirsharai sadar, in which about 100 Pak soldiers were killed. The two sides also fought at places including Shuvapur Bridge, Hinguli Bridge, Aochi Mia Bridge and Mostan Nagar.
Geography
Mirsharai is located at. It has 79,545 households and a total area of 482.88 km2.Demographics
According to the 2022 Bangladeshi census, Mirsarai Upazila had 111,009 households and a population of 472,794. 9.66% of the population were under 5 years of age. Mirsarai had a literacy rate of 79.61%: 82.35% for males and 77.10% for females, and a sex ratio of 93.39 males for every 100 females. 90,260 lived in urban areas. Ethnic population was 3,660, of which Tripura were 2,264.As of the 2011 Census of Bangladesh, Mirsharai upazila had 79,545 households and a population of 398,716. 88,008 were under 10 years of age. Mirsharai had an average literacy rate of 55.08%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1128 females per 1000 males. 31,206 of the population lived in urban areas. Ethnic population was 2,266, of which Tripura were 2,242.
In the 1991 census in Bangladesh, Mirsharai had a population of 325712. Males constituted 49.97% of the population, and females 50.03%. This Upazila's eighteen up population is 160,496. Mirsharai has an average literacy rate of 37.2%, and the national average of 32.4% literate.
Administration
Mirsharai Upazila is divided into Baroiyarhat Municipality, Mirsharai Municipality, and 16 union parishads: Dhum, Durgapur, Haitkandi, Hinguli, Ichhakhali, Jorarganj, Katachhara, Khaiyachhara, Karerhat, Maghadia, Mayani, Mirsharai, Mithanala, Osmanpur, Saherkhali, and Wahedpur. The union parishads are subdivided into 113 mauzas and 208 villages.Baroiyarhat Municipality and Mirsharai Municipality are each subdivided into 9 wards.
Mahboob Rahman Ruhel was the last member of parliament, elected at 2024 national parliamentary election.
Education
There are four colleges in the upazila. They include Nizampur Government College, Baraiya Hat College, Mirsarai College, and Professor Kamal Uddin Chowdhury College. Nizampur Government College is the only government college in the Upzilla.According to Banglapedia, Abu Torab High School, founded in 1914, Mirsharai Government Model Pilot High School, Mithachhara High School, Sarkar Hat N. R. High School, and Zorwarganj Model Multilateral High School are notable secondary schools.
Upazila Parishad
;List of Upazila Chairman| Serial Number | Name of Upazila Chairman | Duration |
| 01 | Abu Taher | 1985-1986 |
| 02 | Abul Bashar Bhuiyan | 1986-1991 |
| 03 | Gias Uddin | 2009-2014 |
| 04 | Nurul Amin | 2014-2019 |
| 05 | Jasim Uddin | 2019-2024 |
| 06 | Anayet Hossain Nayon | 2024-2024 |