# Mehendiganj Upazila

Mehendigonj (Bengali: মেহেন্দিগঞ্জ) is an upazila of Barisal District in Barisal Division, Bangladesh. Mehendigonj is popularly known as Patarhat (Bengali: পাতারহাট) by the local people.

## Geography

Mehendigonj is located at 22°49′55″N 90°32′00″E﻿ / ﻿22.8319°N 90.5333°E﻿ / 22.8319; 90.5333. It has a total area of 435.79 km$^2$. The river Meghna is surrounded by this small island causing erosion every year during the monsoon season. The popular towns such as Ulania, Kaliganj in the east are in serious danger. About 9,480 people composing 1,343 families have become homeless due to erosion. The rivers have expanded to cover 10,501 acres (42.50 km$^2$) of land, 17 schools and colleges, 3 madrasas, 22 mosques and temples, 1,222 ponds, 18 kilometer roads, 42 business establishments, and 500 acres (2.0 km$^2$) of betel nut groves.
Mehendigonj has a history of its own in education and culture, trade and commerce, agriculture and artistry. But the Meghna, the Tentulia and the Mashkata have become the 'fait accompli' of three lakh people of the upazila. The rivers have already swallowed most of the areas of several unions including Gubindapur, Jagalia, Darirchar-Khajuria, Bhashanchar and Andermanik.
There is a documentary titled Mehendigonj of Barisal at Estuary of Meghna based on river erosion directed by Fuad Chowdhury. The documentary portrays the severity of river erosion in monsoon season (July–September). Only in 2007, 12,000 acres (49 km$^2$) of land was engulfed by the river Meghna, making around forty thousand people landless, especially affecting women's privacy and security. Hardly any initiative can be seen to rehabilitate these affected people and to stop the river erosion. Local people are helping each other with their limited resources. In the last 300 years, the feudal landlord (Jamidars) of Ulania of Mehendigonj built an estate of 100 buildings which are also under the threat of Meghna erosion.

## Demographics

Religions in Mehendiganj Upazila (2022) :
| Religion | Religion | Percent | Percent |
| Islam | Islam | 96.24% | 96.24% |
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 3.75% | 3.75% |
| Other or not stated | Other or not stated | 0.01% | 0.01% |
According to the 2011 Census of Bangladesh, Mehendiganj Upazila had 65,231 households and a population of 301,046. 79,522 (26.42%) were under 10 years of age. Mehendiganj had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 48.57%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1049 females per 1000 males. 33,802 (11.23%) lived in urban areas.

## Administration

UNO: Kazi Anisul Islam.
Mehendigonj thana was turned into an upazila in 1983.
Mehendiganj Upazila is divided into Mehendiganj Municipality and 16 union parishads: Alimabad, Andharmanik, Bhasanchar, Bidyanandapur, Chandpur, Char Ekkaria, Char Gopalpur, Dakshin Ulania, Darichar Khajuria, Gobindapur, Jangalia, Joynagar, Lata, Mehendiganj, Sreepur, and Uttar Ulania. The union parishads are subdivided into 115 mauzas and 142 villages.

## Notable residents

* Asad Chowdhury, poet, resides in Mehendiganj.
* Abdul Gaffar Choudhury, journalist and author of the lyrics of Bengali patriotic song 'Ekusher Gaan', was born at Ulania in 1934.
* Shah M. Abul Hussain, former member of parliament for Barisal-4 and former State Minister of Finance and Planning from 2001 to 2006.