Rangamati District

Rangamati District[Kawkhali Upazila, Rangamati|], officially Rangamati Hill District, is a district in the south-eastern Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chattogram Division. The town of Rangamati is known as the capital of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. By area, Rangamati is the largest district of the country.

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Geography

Rangamati is located in the Chittagong Division. It is bordered by the Tripura state of India to the north, Bandarban District to the south, Mizoram State of India and Chin State of Myanmar to the east, and Khagrachari and Chittagong Districts to the west. Rangamati is the only district in Bangladesh with international borders with two countries: India and Myanmar.
The area of the district is 6,116 km² of which 1,292 km² is riverine and 4,825 km² is under forest vegetation.

History

Rangamati was a contesting ground for the kings of Tripura and Arakan. This region was ruled by the Mughal Empire after the Muslim conquest in 1566. In 1737, Sher Mosta Khan, a tribal leader, took refuge with the Mughals. Subsequently, the Chakma settlement began along with various other settlements of varying ethnicity. From 1760 to 1761, the area was leased to the East India Company.

Demography

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Rangamati Hill District had 153,482 households and a population of 647,586 with an average of 4.15 people per household. Among the population, 119,027 inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density was 106 people per km². The literacy rate was 71.41%, compared to the national average of 74.80%. The sex ratio of the district was at 106 males per 100 females. Approximately 47.56% of the population lived in urban areas.
According to the 2022 census, there were a total of 372,875 tribal people in the district. The populations of major ethnic minorities are Chakma 276,048, Marma 51,403, Tanchangya 27,975, Tripura 12,300, Khyang 1,670, and Pankhu 1,398.

Upazila	Bengali	Chakma	Marma	Tanchangya	Others
Bagaichhari Upazila	28.2 %	66.2%	0.08%	0.01%	5.51%
Barkal Upazila	29.0 %	69.3 %	0.88%	0.03%	0.79%
Belaichhari Upazila	15.9%	26.7%	8.97%	38.77%	9.66%
Juraichhari Upazila	4.65%	91.2%	0.28%	3.33%	0.54%
Kaptai Upazila	55.7%	2.25%	28.6%	12.42%	1.03%
Kawkhali Upazila	44.9%	25.9%	27.9%	1.02%	0.28%
Langadu Upazila	76.5%	23.1%	0.01%	0.01	0.38%
Naniarchar Upazila	18.3%	79.9 %	1.74%	0.01%	0.05%
Rajasthali Upazila	32.3 %	0.97%	36.6%	16.30%	13.83%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	52.3%	41.2%	1.89%	2.38%	2.23%

Upazila	Union	Bengali	Chakma	Marma	Tanchangya	Others
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Rangamati Paurashava	71,741	29,334	1,743	1,208	2,034
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Balukhali Union	598	5,684	138	522	1,021
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Bandukbhanga Union	93	7,043	8	1	15
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Jibtali Union	1,706	1,961	535	250	0
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Kutukchhari Union	279	6,310	14	5	42
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Magban Union	595	5,087	310	1,497	5
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Sapchhari Union	1,696	5,030	17	5	64
Baghaichhari Upazila	Baghaichhari Paurashava	13,319	2,223	3	0	99
Baghaichhari Upazila	Amtali Union	5,700	0	0	0	3
Baghaichhari Upazila	Baghaichhari Union	1,670	8,139	12	0	5
Baghaichhari Upazila	Bangaltali Union	2,118	8,684	7	0	7
Baghaichhari Upazila	Khedarmara Union	2,092	8,343	8	1	33
Baghaichhari Upazila	Marishya Union	1,189	4,746	2	0	11
Baghaichhari Upazila	Rupakari Union	515	4,284	1	0	5
Baghaichhari Upazila	Sajek Union	3,198	22,484	31	1	5,671
Baghaichhari Upazila	Saroatali Union	193	11,448	25	10	4
Langadu Upazila	Atarakchhara Union	5,995	7,148	2	2	24
Langadu Upazila	Bagachatar Union	13,248	1,347	1	0	47
Langadu Upazila	Bhasanyadam Union	6,582	908	0	0	2
Langadu Upazila	Gulshakhali Union	10382	986	0	0	260
Langadu Upazila	Kalapakujya Union	8625	0	0	0	0
Langadu Upazila	Langadu Union	6,226	9,595	6	2	5
Langadu Upazila	Mainimukh Union	18,100	904	4	0	5
Barkal Upazila	Aimachhara Union	1,376	6,137	6	4	16
Barkal Upazila	Bara Harina Union	362	5,426	4	0	178
Barkal Upazila	Barkal Union	2,497	4,428	221	4	116
Barkal Upazila	Bhushanchhara Union	6,829	9,985	186	5	41
Barkal Upazila	Subalong Union	3,428	8,486	19	5	48
Kaptai Upazila	Chandraghona Union	8,234	115	326	292	226
Kaptai Upazila	Chitmaram Union	1,323	125	3,441	407	142
Kaptai Upazila	Kaptai Union	11,663	831	715	1,561	142
Kaptai Upazila	Raikhali Union	6,382	126	8,244	1,154	18
Kaptai Upazila	Wagga Union	3,263	49	3,118	3,467	44
Belaichhari Upazila	Barathali Union	582	6	490	1,087	1,430
Belaichhari Upazila	Belaichhari Union	1,335	3,434	556	2,949	389
Belaichhari Upazila	Farua Union	1,326	983	1,012	7,016	1,048
Belaichhari Upazila	Kengrachhari Union	1,445	3,459	592	400	1
Jurachhari Upazila	Banjogichhara Union	326	4,945	13	4	9
Jurachhari Upazila	Dumdumya Union	234	6,678	33	594	126
Jurachhari Upazila	Jurachhari Union	563	8,761	9	13	23
Jurachhari Upazila	Maidang Union	128	4,164	20	287	2
Kawkhali Upazila	Betbunia Union	12,503	601	6,372	16	27
Kawkhali Upazila	Fatikchhari Union	11	3,278	2,497	2	44
Kawkhali Upazila	Ghagra Union	8,851	12,177	3,290	655	94
Kawkhali Upazila	Kalampati Union	8,394	1,132	6,318	4	44
Naniarchar Upazila	Burighat Union	6,154	6,893	759	0	24
Naniarchar Upazila	Ghilachhari Union	551	8,783	28	1	4
Naniarchar Upazila	Naniarchar Union	1,341	11,619	50	1	19
Naniarchar Upazila	Sabekkhyong Union	116	11,471	5	0	2
Rajasthali Upazila	Bangalhalia Union	6,070	133	4,161	274	310
Rajasthali Upazila	Gaindya Union	1,492	76	5,330	1,157	470
Rajasthali Upazila	Ghilachhari Union	1,447	60	722	3,111	3,051

Bengalis

According to the 2022 census, Bengalis are the second-largest ethnic group in Rangamati Hill District, nearly as numerous as Chakma people.
They are the largest ethnic group in Langadu Upazila, Kaptai Upazila, Rangamati Sadar Upazila and Kaukhali Upazila.

Upazila	Population	Percentage of Bengalis
Langadu Upazila	69,160	76.50%
Kaptai Upazila	30,867	55.71%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	76,718	52.33%
Kawkhali Upazila	29,763	44.88%
Rajasthali Upazila	9,009	32.33%
Barkal Upazila	14,393	28.96%
Bagaichhari Upazila	29,998	28.22%
Naniarchar Upazila	8,864	18.27%
Belaichhari Upazila	4,688	15.87%
Juraichhari Upazila	1,251	4.65%

[Image:Hilly Children-Rangamati-Biplob Rahman.jpg|thumb|200px|Indigenous children, Rangamati|right]

Chakmas

According to the 2022 census, Chakmas are the largest ethnic group in Rangamati District.
They are the largest ethnic group in Juraichhari Upazila, Naniarchar Upazila, Barkal Upazila and Bagaichhari Upazila.

Upazila	Population	Percentage of Chakmas
Juraichhari Upazila	24,548	91.15%
Naniarchar Upazila	38,766	79.89%
Barkal Upazila	34,462	69.33%
Bagaichhari Upazila	70,350	66.19%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	60,449	41.23%
Belaichhari Upazila	7,882	26.68%
Kawkhali Upazila	17,188	25.92%
Langadu Upazila	20,188	23.10%
Kaptai Upazila	1,246	2.25%
Rajasthali Upazila	269	0.97%

Marmas

According to the 2022 census, Marmas are the third-largest ethnic group in Rangamati District.
They are the largest ethnic group in Rajasthali Upazila and the second-largest in Kaptai Upazila and Kawkhali Upazila.

Upazila	Population	Percentage of Marmas
Rajasthali Upazila	10,213	36.65%
Kaptai Upazila	15,844	28.59%
Kawkhali Upazila	18,477	27.86%
Belaichhari Upazila	2,650	8.97%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	2,765	1.89%
Naniarchar Upazila	842	1.74%
Barkal Upazila	436	0.88%
Juraichhari Upazila	75	0.28%
Baghaichhari Upazila	89	0.08%
Langadu Upazila	12	0.01%

Tanchangyas

According to the 2022 census, Tanchangyas are the fourth-largest ethnic group in Rangamati District.
They are the largest ethnic group in Belaichhari Upazila.

Upazila	Population	Percentage of Tanchangya
Belaichhari Upazila	11,452	38.77%
Rajasthali Upazila	4,542	16.30%
Kaptai Upazila	6,881	12.42%
Juraichhari Upazila	858	3.33%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	3,488	2.38%
Kaukhali Upazila	677	1.02%
Others	<100	<1%

Tripuras

According to the 2022 census, Tripuras are the fifth-largest ethnic group in Rangamati District.

Upazila	Population	Percentage of Tripuras
Rajasthali Upazila	2,273	8.16%
Belaichhari Upazila	1,796	6.08%
Baghaichhari Upazila	5,457	5.13%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	2,206	1.50%
Others		<1%

Khyangs

According to the 2022 census, there are 1,670 kyang in Rangamati District.

Upazila	Population	Percentage of Khyangs
Rajasthali Upazila	1,420	5.09%
Kaptai Upazila	177	0.32%
Others	<100

Phankos

According to the 2022 census, there are 1,398 Phankos in Rangamati District.

Upazila	Population	Percentage of Phankos
Belaichhari Upazila	498	1.69%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	228	0.15%
Barkal Upazila	208	0.42%
Kaptai Upazila	143	0.26%
Baghaichhari Upazila	117	0.11%
Juraichhari Upazila	116	0.43%
Others	<100

Religion

Rangamati is the only Buddhist majority district of Bangladesh. But two municipalities of Rangamati district, both Rangamati and Baghaichhari, have a Muslim majority. Moreover, Langadu Upazila has a Muslim majority, and Kaptai Upazila has a Muslim plurality. Rangamati Sadar Upazila has a Buddhist plurality, and others have a Buddhist majority.

Religion	Population	Percentage	Population	Percentage
Tribal	102,275	93.21%	N/A	N/A
Islam	3,963	3.62%	234,834	36.26%
Hinduism	2,584	2.35%	33,112	5.11%
Christianity	60	0.06%	8,547	1.32%
Buddhism	565	0.51%	370,793	57.26%
Others	279	0.25%	300	0.05%
Total Population	109,726	100%	647,586	100%

As per the 1991 census, the religious institutions in the district include 1230 pagodas, 1059 mosques, 65 temples, and 16 churches. Genderwise, males constituted 53.59% and females constituted 46.41% of the population.

Upazila	Muslim	Buddhist	Christian	Hindu	Others
Bagaichhari Upazila	24.74 %	67.99%	0.57%	6.67%	0.03%
Barkal Upazila	22.74 %	75.81 %	0.55%	0.87%	0.02%
Belaichhari Upazila	10.62%	78.21%	9.60%	1.24%	0.32%
Juraichhari Upazila	3.26%	95.60%	0.52%	0.63%	0.00%
Kaptai Upazila	47.37%	45.35%	1.02%	6.23%	0.03%
Kawkhali Upazila	40.05%	56.76%	0.08%	3.09%	0.01%
Langadu Upazila	74.62 %	23.74%	0.40%	1.23%	0.01%
Naniarchar Upazila	14.85%	83.18 %	0.08%	1.87%	0.03%
Rajasthali Upazila	21.92 %	58.48%	10.83%	8.77%	0.00%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	40.69%	48.50%	0.45%	10.29%	0.08%

Upazila	Union	Muslim	Buddhist	Others
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Rangamati Paurashava	55,277	36,362	14,430
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Balukhali Union	512	6,422	1,039
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Bandukbhanga Union	31	7,119	11
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Jibtali Union	1,524	2,805	123
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Kutukchhari Union	128	6,389	133
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Magban Union	565	6,913	16
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Sapchhari Union	1,608	5,090	114
Baghaichhari Upazila	Baghaichhari Paurashava	12,436	2,445	763
Baghaichhari Upazila	Amtali Union	5,642	51	10
Baghaichhari Upazila	Baghaichhari Union	1,621	8,176	28
Baghaichhari Upazila	Bangaltali Union	441	10,051	283
Baghaichhari Upazila	Khedarmara Union	1,469	8,487	520
Baghaichhari Upazila	Marishya Union	1,185	4,753	9
Baghaichhari Upazila	Rupakari Union	470	4,310	22
Baghaichhari Upazila	Sajek Union	2,895	22,460	5,808
Baghaichhari Upazila	Saroatali Union	129	11,532	15
Barkal Upazila	Aimachhara Union	1,095	6,386	58
Barkal Upazila	Bara Harina Union	120	5,560	190
Barkal Upazila	Barkal Union	1,890	5,181	195
Barkal Upazila	Bhushanchhara Union	5,716	11,213	117
Barkal Upazila	Subalong Union	2,484	9,345	157
Belaichhari Upazila	Barathali Union	336	1,731	1,528
Belaichhari Upazila	Belaichhari Union	926	7,124	613
Belaichhari Upazila	Farua Union	503	9,735	1,147
Belaichhari Upazila	Kengrachhari Union	1,362	4,514	11
Jurachhari Upazila	Banjogichhara Union	251	5,011	35
Jurachhari Upazila	Dumdumya Union	164	7,351	150
Jurachhari Upazila	Jurachhari Union	351	8,899	119
Jurachhari Upazila	Maidang Union	111	4,486	4
Kaptai Upazila	Chandraghona Union	6,909	988	1,296
Kaptai Upazila	Chitmaram Union	1172	4,065	201
Kaptai Upazila	Kaptai Union	10,340	3,237	1,335
Kaptai Upazila	Raikhali Union	5,490	9,771	663
Kaptai Upazila	Wagga Union	2,333	7,069	539
Kawkhali Upazila	Betbunia Union	10,939	7,619	961
Kawkhali Upazila	Fatikchhari Union	2	5,793	36
Kawkhali Upazila	Ghagra Union	7,708	16,655	704
Kawkhali Upazila	Kalampati Union	7,908	7,574	401
Langadu Upazila	Atarakchhara Union	5,936	7,147	88
Langadu Upazila	Bagachatar Union	12,833	1,610	200
Langadu Upazila	Bhasanyadam Union	6,364	1,063	65
Langadu Upazila	Gulshakhali Union	10,349	985	294
Langadu Upazila	Kalapakujya Union	8,623	0	2
Langadu Upazila	Langadu Union	5,925	9,682	237
Langadu Upazila	Mainimukh Union	17,435	972	606
Naniarchar Upazila	Burighat Union	5,928	7,842	60
Naniarchar Upazila	Ghilachhari Union	188	9,147	32
Naniarchar Upazila	Naniarchar Union	1,061	11,816	853
Naniarchar Upazila	Sabekkhyong Union	24	11,555	15
Rajasthali Upazila	Bangalhalia Union	3,934	5,157	1,857
Rajasthali Upazila	Gaindya Union	1,236	6,740	549
Rajasthali Upazila	Ghilachhari Union	937	4,397	3,057

Religion	Union	Municipality
Islam	10	2
Buddhism	40	0
Total	50	2

Buddhism

According to the 2022 census, Buddhism is the largest religion in Rangamati Hill District.

Upazila	Population	Percentage of Buddhism
Juraichhari Upazila	25,747	95.60%
Naniarchar Upazila	40,362	83.18%
Belaichhari Upazila	23,104	78.21%
Barkal Upazila	37,686	75.81%
Bagaichhari Upazila	72,267	67.99%
Rajasthali Upazila	16,294	58.48%
Kaukhali Upazila	37,641	56.76%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	71,100	48.50%
Kaptai Upazila	25,131	45.35%
Langadu Upazila	21,461	23.74%

Islam

According to the 2022 census, Islam is the second-largest religion in Rangamati district.

Upazila	Population	Percentage of Islam
Langadu Upazila	67,465	74.62%
Kaptai Upazila	26,245	47.37%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	59,645	40.69%
Kaukhali Upazila	26,561	40.05%
Bagaichhari Upazila	26,291	24.74%
Barkal Upazila	11,305	22.74%
Rajasthali Upazila	6,107	21.92%
Naniarchar Upazila	7,201	14.84%
Belaichhari Upazila	3,137	10.62%
Juraichhari Upazila	877	3.26%

Hinduism

According to the 2022 census, Hinduism is the third-largest religion in Rangamati district.

Upazila	Population	Percentage of Hinduism
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	15,086	10.29%
Rajasthali Upazila	2445	8.77%
Baghaichhari Upazila	7,089	6.67%
Kaptai Upazila	3,452	6.23%
Kaukhali Upazila	2,051	3.09%
Naniarchar Upazila	906	1.87%
Belaichhari Upazila	367	1.24%
Langadu Upazila	1,113	1.23%
Barkal Upazila	434	0.87%
Juraichhari Upazila	169	0.63%

Christianity

According to the 2022 census, Christianity is the fourth-largest religion in Rangamati district.

Upazila	Population	Percentage of Christianity
Rajasthali Upazila	3,017	10.83%
Belaichhari Upazila	2,837	9.60%
Kaptai Upazila	564	1.02%
Baghaichhari Upazila	604	0.57%
Barkal Upazila	272	0.55%
Juraichhari Upazila	139	0.52%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	657	0.45%
Langadu Upazila	361	0.40%
Kaukhali Upazila	55	0.08%
Naniarchar Upazila	41	0.08%

Administration

District Administration is the apex office of a district at the present context of administrative setting of Bangladesh. It is the management of affairs within a district, which is the basic territorial unit of administration in the country. It is at this level that the common man comes into direct contact with the administration. The district falls under the charge of a district officer, called either Deputy Commissioner or District Collector or District Magistrate. This officer acts as the representative of the central government at this level. Like other district administrations of the country, District Administration Rangamati, widely known as the Office of the Deputy Commissioner is the representative of the cabinet in the Rangamati Hill District.

Chakma King: Debashish Roy

Education

There are 291 government primary schools, 120 non-government primary schools, 22 junior schools, 6 government high schools, 45 non-government high schools, 2 government colleges, 13 non-government colleges, 61 madrasas, 7 technical schools, Rangamati Medical College, and Rangamati Science and Technology University located throughout the district.

Subdistricts

The district of Rangamati consists of 10 upazilas, 2 municipalities, 50 union parishads, 162 mouzas, and 1347 villages.

Economy

The economy of Rangamati is hugely dependent on agriculture, with a total of 41.94% of the population employed there. Other occupational percentages are: agricultural labourer 12.06%, wage labourer 4.95%, commerce 8.22%, service 13.04%, fishing 2.02%, industry 4.57%, forestry 3.2%, and others 10%. A grand total of 12275 hectares of land is used for cultivation, producing food and non-food crops such as rice, potatoes, corn, mustard seed, cotton, and jute, among others. Fruits such as mango, jackfruit, banana, pineapple, litchi, and blackberry are also grown in Rangamati.
Notable cottage industries of Rangamati are weaving, blacksmithing, and woodwork. Weaving is particularly famous for their woolen and jute rugs and hand loom cloth. Major industries include the Chandraghona paper and rayon mills, a plywood factory, Ghagra Textile, and a satellite station at Betbunia, amongst many others, producing and exporting goods.

Tourism

Kaptai lake

Kaptai Lake is a man made lake in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is located in the Kaptai Upazila under Rangamati District of Chittagong Division. The lake was created as a result of building the Kaptai Dam on the Karnaphuli River, as part of the Karnaphuli Hydro-electric Project. The Kaptai Lake's average depth is 100 feet and its maximum depth is 490 feet. This lake was developed by inundating valleys and plain lands between the many hills.

Hanging Bridge

In Bengali, the name of the Hanging Bridge is Jhulonto Bridge, and this is also popular with its visitors. This hanging bridge is established on Kaptai Lake. This is the link way of Kaptai Lake. The total height of this bridge is 335 feet, and is the landmark icon of Rangamati.

Kaptai National Park

Kaptai National Park cascades between the Karnaphuly and Kaptai Mountain assortments. It was conventional in 1999, and its area is. Prior to the announcement of the national park, it was the Sitapahar Reserve. It is about 57 kilometres from Chittagong city. In this park one can find plenty of old trees, which were planted in 1873. In Kaptai National Park, there is various wildlife, such as deer, jungle cats, elephants, monkeys, etc. Many species of birds may also be of interest to tourists and bird lovers. Kaptai National Park is a safe sanctuary for birds and other wildlife. The Forest Division founded picnic spots and restaurants in this park.

Shuvolong Waterfalls

Shuvolong is a place in Barkol sub district, located about 25 kilometres away from Rangamati town. There are few waterfalls in the Shuvolong area, with the largest one falling from as high as 300 feet. In the past several years, this place has turned into a tourist destination due to its waterfalls and nearby market. Shuvolong is accessible by speedboat or motorboat from Rangamati.

Sajek valley

Sajek is a union at Baghaichari Upazila in Rangamati district. Basically, it is the name of a river that separates Bangladesh from India. The river flows into the Karnafuli River in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Sajek Valley is situated in the North angle of Rangamati, near the Mizoram border boundary area. The valley is 1,800 ft above sea level. Many small rivers flow through the hills – including the rivers Kachalon and Machalong. The main ethnic minorities in the valley are Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Pankua, and Lushai. Marishsha is the name of a place near Sajek Valley. Most of the houses are made with bamboo. There is another place near Sajek, it is Kanlak, and it is known for its orange orchard.
Most attractions of the spot are sunset, rain, morning, evening, night, and aboriginal people. Tourists can buy indigenous peoples' products from haat. Roads are like big snake spirals on the mountains. Most of the people are Buddhist, and others are Christian here. A new road has been built up to the Ruilui Para under the guidance of the Bangladesh army. On the way, the traveller needs to take permission from the army camp. The Bangladesh army is very helpful and cooperative. Now mobile network is available here. The valley is in Rangamati, but tourists can reach there from Khagrachhari, too. The route is Khagrachhori – Dighinala Bazaar – Bagaihat Bazaar – Machalong Haat – then Sajek. It is 62 km from Khagrachhari. Dighinala to Sajek is 40 km. Main transportation is Chander Gari.
There is another tourist destination that is popular among tourists named "Konglak Haphong" which is the highest peak of the Sajek Valley.