# Jhalokathi District

Jhalokathi District officially Jhalakathi District, (Bengali: ঝালকাঠি জেলা) is a district in southern Bangladesh. It is located in the Barisal Division and covers an area of 758.06 km$^2$. It is bounded by Barisal district to the north, Barguna district to the east and the Bishkhali river in the south, and Pirojpur district to the west. The main rivers in this district are the Bishkhali, Dhanshiri, Gabkhan, Sugandha, Jangalia, Bamanda and Bajitpur. "পেয়ারা আর শীতলপাটি, এই নিয়ে ঝালকাঠি" "(Jhalokathi, The land of tasty Guava and Shitolpati)" is the official motto of the district.

## History

Jhalokati subdivision was established in 1972, shortly after the Liberation of Bangladesh. It was turned into a district in 1984. The 2021 Bangladesh ferry fire occurred on the Sugandha River near the town.

## Subdivisions

The district is administratively subdivided into 4 upazilas, these are:
* Jhalokati Sadar Upazila
* Kathalia Upazila
* Nalchity Upazila
* Rajapur Upazila

## Administration

District Council Chairman/Administrator: Khan Saifullah Panir
Deputy Commissioner (DC): Md. Johar Ali

## Transportation

* Roads & Highways: The district is connected to nearby districts such as Barisal and Pirojpur through regional roads. Local buses are readily available for these destinations. One can also go to Dhaka and other places in the country through the N8 Highway.
* Rural communications: Water transport is a major attraction in Jhalokati district. People can travel at a cheap cost by boats and various types of engine boats. Jhalokati is famous for its beautiful rivers and canals. Tourists can find it enjoyable to travel through boats.

## Population

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Jhalokati District had 162,401 households and a population of 661,160 with an average 4.02 people per household. Among the population, 121,894 (18.44%) inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density was 935 people per km$^2$. Jhalokati District had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 83.21%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1088 females per 1000 males. Approximately, 27.85% of the population lived in urban areas. The ethnic population was 203.

### Religion

Religions in Jhalokati district (2022) :
| Religion | Religion | Percent | Percent |
| Islam | Islam | 90.69% | 90.69% |
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 9.28% | 9.28% |
| Other or not stated | Other or not stated | 0.03% | 0.03% |
Religion in present-day Jhalokati district :
| Religion | 1941$^{:100–101}$ | 1941$^{:100–101}$ | 1981 | 1981 | 1991 | 1991 | 2001 | 2001 | 2011 | 2011 | 2022 | 2022 |
| Religion | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Islam | 252,292 | 64.09% | 494,499 | 84.81% | 581,629 | 87.31% | 620,585 | 89.39% | 613,750 | 89.90% | 599,593 | 90.69% |
| Hinduism | 141,259 | 35.89% | 88,258 | 15.14% | 84,224 | 12.65% | 73,327 | 10.56% | 68,572 | 10.04% | 61,352 | 9.28% |
| Others | 82 | 0.02% | 345 | 0.05% | 286 | 0.04% | 319 | 0.05% | 347 | 0.06% | 215 | 0.03% |
| Total Population | 393,633 | 100% | 583,102 | 100% | 666,139 | 100% | 694,231 | 100% | 682,669 | 100% | 661,160 | 100% |
A large majority of the district population is Muslim. It has 2475 mosques, 46 Hindu temples and five Buddhist pagodas. The percentage share of minority Hindus and Christians has seen a decline in absolute numbers since the 1981 census. After partition, many Hindus of the area migrated to West Bengal now in India.
Most of the local residents speak a native dialect of Bengali, known by fellow countrymen as "Barishailla".

## Notable personalities

* Maqsudullah, Islamic scholar and first Pir of Talgachhia
* Nachiketa Chakraborty, famous Tollywood singer's family hails from Chechri Rampur village in Kathalia Upazila
* Kabir Ahmed, former international footballer who played for the Pakistan national football team