Mirsharai Upazila

Mirsharai Upazila (মীরসরাই উপজেলা) is an upazila of Chattogram District in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. It comprises two police stations (Jorargonj and Mirsharai) and two municipalities (Baroiyarhat and Mirsharai).

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 Bujurg Umed Khan, son of Subadar Sayesta Khan, landed after crossing the Feni River was named as Bujurg 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 (under Captain Wali Ahmed) 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 22.7722°N, 91.575°W. It has 79,545 households and a total area of 482.88 km2.

Demographics
As of the 2011 Bangladesh census, Mirsharai upazila had 79,545 households and a population of 398,716. 88,008 (22.07%) 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 (7.83%) of the population lived in urban areas. Ethnic population was 2,266 (0.57%), 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% (7+ years), 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 is the new member of parliament, elected at 2024 national parliamentary election.

Education
There are four colleges in the upazila. They include Baraiya Hat College, founded in 1974, Mirsharai College (1973), and Professor Kamal Uddin Chowdhury College. Nizampur Government College is the only public one.

According to Banglapedia, Abu Torab High School, founded in 1914, Mirsharai Government Model Pilot High School (1962), Mithachhara High School (1947), Sarkar Hat N. R. High School (1939), and Zorwarganj Model Multilateral High School (1914) are notable secondary schools.

Upazila Parishad

 * List of Upazila Chairman