Lohagara Upazila, Chittagong

Lohagara (লোহাগাড়া) is an upazila of Chattogram District in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. Lohagara is situated between Chattogram and Cox's Bazar. It is one of the largest and most densely populated upazilas of Bangladesh. It has headquarters in Lohagara.

Etymology
In 1660, Mughal prince Shah Shuja took shelter in the Kingdom of Arakan to escape from Mir Jumla II. While heading to Arakan, he stayed in a beautiful hilly place (present-day Chunati) between Chittagong and Cox's Bazar for a few days. At the time of departure, he engraved an iron bar in that place as a sign. It is thought that because of engraving iron bar by Shah Shuja the area is called 'Lohagara' since 'Loha' means 'iron'.

History
Lohagara was once under Satkania Upazila. Lohagara thana was formed in 1981 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Geography
Lohagara is located at 22.0083°N, 92.1056°W. It has 52,873 households and a total area of 258.87 km2. It is bordered by Satkania Upazila on the north, Chakaria and Lama Upazilas on the south, Bandarban Sadar and Lama Upazilas on the east and Banshkhali Upazila on the west. The noted canals are Tonkaboti, Dolu and Hangor.

Parks and greenery

 * Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary
 * Padua Forest Range
 * Nasim Park, Putibila
 * Chambi Lake, Chunati

Demographics
As of the 2011 Bangladesh census, Lohagara upazila had 52,873 households and a population of 279,913. 74,420 (26.59%) were under 10 years of age. Lohagara had an average literacy rate of 49.19%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1062 females per 1000 males. 30,815 (11.01%) of the population lived in urban areas.

Points of interest

 * Chunati Khan Mosque
 * Upazila Memorial Museum
 * Central Mosque
 * Hafez Para Jame Mosque, Putibila
 * Gupta Landlord House (Padua)
 * Gupta Landlord House (Aduonagor)

Administration
Lohagara thana was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Lohagara Upazila is divided into nine union parishads: Adhunagar, Amirabad, Putibila, Barahatia, Charamba, Chunati, Kalauzan, Lohagara, and Padua. The union parishads are subdivided into 40 mauzas and 43 villages.

Education
There are three kamil madrasas, two degree colleges (two honors courses), one mohila College (the only government college in Lohagara Upazila), nine fazil madrasas, one technical college, one school and college, 1 alim madrasas, 25 secondary schools (1 govt), 18 dakhil madrasas, two quami madrasas, 10 lower secondary schools, 105 primary schools, 43 ebtedi madrasas, and 30 kindergartens.

Colleges and universities

 * Alhaj Mostafizur Rahman University College
 * Bara Aulia Degree College
 * Mostafa Begum Girls Business Management College
 * Chunati Government Women's College
 * Ayub Foundation Technical College

Schools

 * Lohagara Shahpir Pilot High School (1966)
 * South Satkania [Amirabad] Golambari Government Model High School (1937)
 * Amirabad Janakalyan High School (1970)
 * North Amirabad M B High School (1932)
 * Charamba High School(1968)
 * Lohagara Suckchuri Uzir vita
 * Putibila High School (1968)
 * Gourstan High School, Putibila
 * M. H. Nurul Alam Chowdhury Ideal High School (1994)
 * Kalauzan Sukchari Gorsundar High School (1945)
 * Adhunagar High School (1961)
 * Padua A.C.M. High School (1963)
 * Mustafa Begum Girls High School
 * Chunati High School
 * B G Senerhat High School
 * Sukchari High School (1986)
 * Kalauzan Dr. Yakub Bazlur Rahman Sikder High School
 * Uttar Padua High School (1996)
 * Lohagara Ideal School & College
 * Iqra Abdul Jabbar High School (1988)
 * Rashiderghona High School
 * Barahatia Adarsha High School.(1973)
 * M.M.S.H government primary school

Madrashas

 * Amirabad Sufia Aliya Madrasah
 * Rajghata Hossainia Azizul Uloom Madrasah, Amirabad
 * Lohagara Islamia (Degree) Madrasah (1945)
 * Adhunagor Islamia Kamil Madrasha, Adhunagor
 * Barahatia Malpukuria Miaskatul Ulum Madrasah (1941)
 * Chunati Hakimia Kamil (M.A) Madrasah
 * Charamba jame ul ulom dakil Madrasha(1989)
 * Al-Ihsan Academy, Lohagara (1997)
 * South Sukchari Shah Abdul Khalek Fazil (degree) Madrasah
 * Kalauzan Shah Rashidia Fazil (degree) Madrasah
 * Barohatia Darul Quran Academy (2015)
 * Putibila Hamedia Fazil (degree) Madrasah
 * Allama Fazlullah (RAH.) Ideal Dhakil Madrasah Narischa (2001)
 * Darul Arquam Academy (Dakhil Madrasah charamba) 2001
 * Noarbila Kaderia Adarsha Dakhil Madrasah, Charamba

Notable residents

 * Mia Mohammad Zainul Abedin, Military Secretary to the Prime Minister (2011-2019), was born at Chunti village in 1960.
 * Bulbul Chowdhury, pioneer of modern dance in Bangladesh, born in Chunati in 1919
 * Major Nazmul Huq, Sector Commander, 7th sector of Bangladesh Liberation War (March to August 1971), born at Amirabad village in 1938