# Laksam Upazila

Laksam (Bengali: লাকসাম) is an upazila of Comilla District in the division of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Laksam is known as the birthplace of Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani.

## History

Laksam was made into an upazila in 1983. On 6 April 1971 more than 200 people were killed by Pakistani army at Ajgara Bazar during the Bangladesh Liberation war. The Pakistan army was defeated on 12 December 1971 in the upazila. During the course of the war, 17 freedom fighters died along with numerous Pakistani soldiers. The upazila has experienced a water crisis due to arsenic in the groundwater.

## Geography

Laksam Upazila has an area of 141.74 km$^2$ (54.73 sq mi). It is bounded by Comilla Sadar and Barura upazilas on the north, Chatkhil, Begumganj and Senbagh upazilas on the south, Nangalkot and Chauddagram upazilas on the east, Barura and Shahrasti upazilas on the west. The main rivers are Dakatia and Little Feni.

### Rivers

* Dakatia
* Choto Feni
* Curzon Canal

## Demographics

Religions in Laksam Upazila (2022) :
| Religion | Religion | Percent | Percent |
| Islam | Islam | 95.01% | 95.01% |
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 4.48% | 4.48% |
| Buddhism | Buddhism | 0.50% | 0.50% |
| Other or not stated | Other or not stated | 0.01% | 0.01% |
According to the 2011 Census of Bangladesh, the residual Laksam Upazila had 57,119 households and a population of 275,646. 71,047 (25.77%) were under 10 years of age. Laksam had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 81.18%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1092 females per 1000 males. 70,632 (25.62%) lived in urban areas.
In the residual Laksam Upazila, Muslims were 260,501, Hindus 13,448 and Buddhists 1,597.

## Economy
### Fruits and crops

Main fruits include jackfruit, litchi, mango, carambola. Main crops include paddy, wheat, potato, seasonal vegetables.

## Places of interest

* Kaliapur Darbar Sharif
* 3 domed Kazir Mosque;
* 10 domed Nawab Bari Mosque;
* Paschimgaon Nawab Bari;
* 3 domed Afrannesa Mosque (1869);
* Atulchandra Zamidar Bari;
* Sree Sree Jagannath Bari Devalaya;
* Jagannath Dighi.
* Laksam Junction Lake

## Sports

* 1st Division Football League
* Volleyball League is held every year
* Inter-union football competition and Inter-school various sports competitions

## Administration

Laksham Upazila is divided into Laksham Municipality and seven union parishads: Azgora, Bakoi, Gobindapur, Laksam Purba, Kandirpar, MudafarGonj, and Uttarda. The union parishads are subdivided into 136 mauzas and 178 villages.
Laksham Municipality is subdivided into 9 wards and 31 mahallas.

## Transport

Laksam Railway Junction, on the Akhaura-Laksam-Chittagong Line, Laksam-Noakhali Line and Laksam-Chandpur Line is one of the two biggest junctions of Bangladesh. From here people go to Chandpur District, Noakhali District.

### Extinct mediums of transport

Motor launch, bullock drawn cart, palanquin, horse drawn carriage.

## Education

There are six colleges in the upazila. They include Baraigaon Pali Pariven College and Nurul Amin Mazuder Degree College. Nawab Faizunnesa Government College, founded in 1943, is the only honors level one.
According to Banglapedia, Laksam Government Pilot High School and Laksham Pilot Girls High School are notable secondary schools.
The madrasa education system includes five fazil and one kamil madrasa.

## Media

Weekly Laksam, Weekly Laksam Barta, Weekly Alor Dishari, Weekly Somoyer Dorpon, Weekly Naxi Barta, Weekly Joy Kantha, Daily Torun Kantho.

## Notable residents

* Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani, philanthropist and social worker, was born at Paschimgaon village, Pourva Laksam, in 1834.
* Muhammad Shamsul Haque, former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh
* Md. Tajul Islam, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (2019–2024), was elected from Laksham.
* Biplob Bhattacharjee, former goalkeeper and current goalkeeping coach of Bangladesh National Football Team