# Chuadanga District

Chuadanga District (Bengali: চুয়াডাঙ্গা জেলা) is a district of western area of Khulna Division, Bangladesh. It is bordered by the Indian state of West Bengal to the west, Meherpur District to the northwest, Jessore District to the south, Jhenaidah District to the east, and Kushtia District to the north. Before partition Chuadanga was one of the five subdivisions of Nadia district.

## History

Chuadanga witnessed a number of uprisings during the British rule of India. The uprisings included Wahabi Movement (1831), Faraizi Movement(1838–47), Sepoy Rebellion (1857), Indigo Rebellion (1859–60), Khilafat Movement (1920), Swadeshi Movement (1906), Non-cooperation movement, Violation of Law and Salt Satyagraha (1920–40), and Quit India Movement or August Revolt (1942).
Under British rule, Chuadanga was a sub-division within Nadia District. During partition, in 1947, excepting Krishnaganj thana (still under Nadia in West Bengal), Chuadanga was incorporated into East Pakistan. History of Chuadanga can be found in Nadia District Gazetteer during British rule. During Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971, Chuadanga was declared as the first capital of Bangladesh on 10 April. Chuadanga was the location of more than 100 battles between the Pakistan Army and the pro-independence Mukti Bahini. There is a mass graveyard of the victims of the Bangladesh genocide during the Bangladesh War of Independence behind the Chuadanga Government Hospital.

## Geography

Chuadanga district has an area of 1,157.42 km$^2$. It shares domestic borders with the Kushtia District on the northeast, Meherpur on the northwest, and Jhenaidah on the south and southeast. On its southwest lies the Nadia District (in the state of West Bengal in India). In January 2018, the district had the lowest temperature in Bangladesh.

## Administration

Until the Partition of India in 1947 Chuadanga sub-division was within Nadia district.
Deputy Commissioner (DC): Mohammad Aminul Islam Khan

### Subdivisions

Chuadanga district is divided into four Upazilas which run cities of the same name.
* Chuadanga Sadar Upazila
* Alamdanga Upazila
* Jibannagar Upazila
* Damurhuda Upazila

## Demographics

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Chuadanga District had 326,714 households and a population of 1,234,054 with an average 3.75 people per household. Among the population, 198,693 (16.10%) inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density was 1051 people per km$^2$. Chuadanga District had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 71.20%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1031 females per 1000 males. Approximately, 24.37% of the population lived in urban areas. The ethnic population was 707.
Religions in Chuadanga District (2022) :
| Religion | Religion | Percent | Percent |
| Islam | Islam | 97.61% | 97.61% |
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 2.25% | 2.25% |
| Christianity | Christianity | 0.14% | 0.14% |
Religion in present-day Chuadanga District :
| Religion | 1941$^{:84–85}$ | 1941$^{:84–85}$ | 1981 | 1981 | 1991 | 1991 | 2001 | 2001 | 2011 | 2011 | 2022 | 2022 |
| Religion | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Islam | 156,599 | 63.55% | 626,376 | 95.76% | 780,741 | 96.73% | 979,612 | 97.27% | 1,100,330 | 97.46% | 1,204,617 | 97.61% |
| Hinduism | 86,734 | 35.20% | 25,511 | 3.90% | 23,878 | 2.96% | 25,500 | 2.53% | 26,514 | 2.35% | 27,804 | 2.25% |
| Tribal religion | 2,009 | 0.82% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Christianity | 989 | 0.40% | 1,649 | 0.25% | 1,752 | 0.22% | 1,701 | 0.17% | 1,593 | 0.14% | 1605 | 0.13% |
| Others | 77 | 0.03% | 599 | 0.09% | 793 | 0.09% | 317 | 0.03% | 578 | 0.05% | 28 | ~0% |
| Total Population | 246,408 | 100% | 654,135 | 100% | 807,164 | 100% | 1,007,130 | 100% | 1,129,015 | 100% | 1,234,054 | 100% |
In 2011, Muslims formed 97.46% of the population, Hindus 2.35%, and others 0.19%. There is a small population of 1,600 Christians mainly in Damurhuda Upazila. Many people from Nadia of India, Munshiganj and Chandpur, Bangladesh, Comilla settled in Chuadanga after 1947.
The population of the district was 987,382 during the 2001 national survey with 50.82% male and female 49.18% compositions.

## Economy

Most of this small district is dedicated to agriculture. Occupational distributions clearly show this with agriculture employing 68% of the labour force, while only 12% are involved in commerce. Total cultivable land amounts to 894.20 km$^2$, of which 57% is under some sort of irrigation. Cotton is a cash crop grown in the district and in 2013, cotton was cultivated in 4,149 hectares.
Besides agriculture the district is now experiencing industrial growth. Major industries include Zaman Group of Industries, Bangas bread and biscuit, Tallu Spinning mills Ltd, Khatun Plastic Limited, and Carew & Company Bangladesh Limited. Carew & Co (Bangladesh) Ltd (1933), which is situated at Darshana of Damurhuda Upazila of Chuadanga district. Sugar cane is cultivated in Darshana. Carew & Company has a distillery also which is the lone spirit producing plant of Bangladesh, Carew & Company Bangladesh Limited is an enterprise of Bangladesh Sugar & Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC). BSFIC is an autonomous body of Ministry of Industries.

## Transportation

Chuadanga is connected to four of its neighbouring districts (Kushtia, Jessore, Jhenidah and Meherpur) through inter-district highways and connected to Jessore, Jhenaidah and Kushtia by railway. The district is connected to the rest of the country by five highways and a railway. There are 203 km of finished road, 211 km herring-bone and 132 km mud road. A total length of railway tracks of just over 50 km connects the three railway stations inside the district with the country's railway network. By 2013, five out of the ten stations in the district were shut down due to a lack of manpower.