View source for Chittagong Division

{{short description|Division of Bangladesh}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Chittagong Division
| native_name        = চট্টগ্রাম বিভাগ
| official_name      =
| settlement_type    = [[Divisions of Bangladesh|Division of Bangladesh]]
| image_skyline      = {{Multiple image
| border         = infobox
| total_width    = 300
| caption_align  = center
| perrow         = 1/2/2/2/1
| image1         = Chittagong Port.jpg
| caption1       = [[Chittagong Port]]
| image2         = Views from Sajek. (30138121283).jpg
| caption2       = [[Sajek Valley]]
| image3         = KAPTAI LAKE.jpg
| caption3       = [[Kaptai Lake]]
| image4         = Boga Lake (6843119656).jpg
| caption4       = [[Bagakain Lake|Boga Lake]]
| image5         = Jinapara , bandarban , Bangladesh.jpg
| caption5       = [[Bandarban]]
| image6         = Sunset at Saint Martin.jpg
| caption6       = [[St. Martin's Island]]
| image7         = Himchari field.jpg
| caption7       = [[Himchari National Park]]
| image8         = Pink sky at sea beach.jpg
| caption8       = [[Teknaf Beach]]
}}
| image_caption      =
| image_seal         =
| image_map          = {{switcher|[[File:Chattogram in Bangladesh.svg|upright=1.15|frameless]]|Chittagong Division in Bangladesh|[[File:Chattogram Division districts map.png|upright=1.15|frameless]]|Districts of Chittagong Division}}
| coordinates        = {{coord|22|55|N|91|30|E|region:BD_type:adm1st_source:GNS-enwiki|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint      =
| coordinates_footnotes =
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Bangladesh}}
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = 1829
| seat_type          = Capital<br />{{nowrap|{{nobold|and largest city}}}}
| seat               = [[Chittagong]]
| government_footnotes =
| governing_body     =
| leader_party       =
| leader_title       = [[Divisional Commissioner of Bangladesh|Divisional Commissioner]]
| leader_name        = [https://www.chittagongdiv.gov.bd/bn/site/view/officer_list Muhammad Ziauddin]
| leader_title1      =
| leader_name1       =
| unit_pref          = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| leader_title2      = [[Parliament of Bangladesh|Parliamentary constituency]]
| leader_name2       = [[Jatiya Sangsad]] ([[List of parliamentary constituencies of Bangladesh#Chittagong Division|58 seats]])
| area_footnotes     =
| area_total_km2     = 34,529.97
| area_note          =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m        =
| population_total   = 33202357 (Enumerated)
| population_as_of   = [[2022 Bangladeshi census|2022]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="census2022">{{Cite book |url=https://bbs.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/bbs.portal.gov.bd/page/b343a8b4_956b_45ca_872f_4cf9b2f1a6e0/2024-01-31-15-51-b53c55dd692233ae401ba013060b9cbb.pdf |title=National Report |date=November 2023 |publisher=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |isbn=978-9844752016 |series=Population and Housing Census 2022 |volume=1 |location=[[Dhaka]] |pages=386}}</ref>
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_urban   = 11180333
| population_urban_footnotes = <ref name="census2022"/>
| population_rural   = 22016799
| population_rural_footnotes = <ref name="census2022"/>
| population_metro   = 3,670,740
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = [[Official language]]
| demographics1_info1 =  [[Bengali language|Bengali]]{{*}}[[Bangladeshi English|English]]<ref name="bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd">{{cite web |url=http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/act-details-367.html |title=The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh |website=[[Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs]] |access-date=1 February 2017 |archive-date=10 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110101626/http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/act-details-367.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
| demographics1_title2 = [[Regional language]]
| demographics1_info2 = [[Chittagonian language|Chittagonian]]<br />[[Noakhailla language|Noahkhailla]]
| demographics1_title3 = {{nobold|[[Indigenous language|Indigenous]] [[minority language]]s}}
| demographics1_info3 = {{Collapsible list
| titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;
| title = List<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/BD/ |title=Bangladesh |website=[[Ethnologue]] |access-date=7 January 2024}}</ref>
|[[Bawm language|Bawm]]
|[[Chakma language|Chakma]]
|[[Marma language|Marma]]
|[[Mru language|Mru]]
|[[Kokborok language|Kokborok]]
|[[Mizo language|Mizo]]
|[[Sak language|Chawk]]
|[[Khumi language|Khimi]]
|[[Kuki-Chin languages|Kuki]]
|[[Tanchangya language|Tanchangya]]}}
| population_metro_footnotes = <ref name="census2022"/>
| population_blank1_title = Adjusted Population<ref name="census2022"/>
| demographics_type2      = Religion (2022)
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bbs.portal.gov.bd/site/page/b432a7e5-8b4d-4dac-a76c-a9be4e85828c|script-title=bn:বাংলাদেশ পরিসংখ্যান ব্যুরো|website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]]}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1    = [[Religion in Bangladesh|Religion]]
| demographics2_info1     =
 {{Collapsible list
 | 90.11% [[Islam in Bangladesh|Islam]]
 | 6.61% [[Hinduism in Bangladesh|Hinduism]]
 | 2.92% [[Buddhism in Bangladesh|Buddhism]]
 | 0.22% [[Christianity in Bangladesh|Christians]]
 | 0.14% [[Religion in Bangladesh|other]]
 }}
| population_blank1  = 34178612
| population_note    =
| timezone1          = [[Bangladesh Standard Time|BST]]
| utc_offset1        = +6
| iso_code           = BD-B
| blank_info_sec2    = 11
| blank1_name_sec2   = [[Sub-Districts of Bangladesh|Sub-Districts]]
| blank1_info_sec2   = 103
| website            = {{URL|www.chittagongdiv.gov.bd/}}
| footnotes          =
| blank_name_sec1    = Notable sport teams
| blank_info_sec1    = [[Chattogram Challengers]], [[Chittagong Division cricket team|Chittagong Division Cricket Team]], [[Abahani Limited (Chittagong)|Chittagong Abahani]],
[[Comilla Victorians]]
| blank_name_sec2    = [[Districts of Bangladesh|Districts]]
| blank2_name_sec2   = [[Union Councils of Bangladesh|Union Councils]]
| blank2_info_sec2   = 949
}}

'''Chittagong Division''' ({{langx|bn|চট্টগ্রাম বিভাগ}}), officially '''Chattogram Division''', is geographically the largest of the eight administrative [[Divisions of Bangladesh]]. It covers the southeasternmost areas of the country, with a total area of {{convert|34,529.97|km2|abbr=on}} and a population according to the 2022 census of 33,202,326, which made it the second most populous division of Bangladesh and [[List of first-level administrative divisions by population|the 45th most populous subnational entity]] in the world — more populous than [[List of countries and dependencies by population|all but 43 other countries]]. However, this changed in 2024 with the Division being split in two by the creation of a separate [[Cumilla Division]], and the reduced administrative division includes mainland [[Chittagong District]], neighbouring districts and the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]].

Chittagong Division is home to [[Cox's Bazar]], the longest natural sea beach in the world;<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-19340259 |title=Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar: A paradise being lost? |last=Ethirajan |first=Anbarasan |date=26 December 2012 |work=[[BBC World]] |access-date=29 January 2015 |archive-date=14 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614004354/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-19340259 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |date=2003 |title=The Europa World Year Book 2003 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XLvU9lroRuUC&pg=PA679 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |pages=679 |isbn=978-1-85743-227-5}}</ref> as well as [[St. Martin's Island]], Bangladesh's sole [[coral reef]].

==History==
{{main|History of Chittagong}}
Chittagong as an administrative division was established in 1829 to serve as an administrative headquarters for five of Bengal's easternmost districts, with the Chittagong District serving as its headquarters.<ref name=webster>{{cite book |last1=Webster |first1=John Edward |title=Eastern Bengal and Assam District Gazetteers: Noakhali |year=1911 |publisher=The Pioneer Press |location=[[Allahabad]] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/noakhali00webs/page/26/mode/2up |page=26 |chapter=History: Divisional Commissioners}}</ref> In [[East Pakistan]], the division's Tippera district was renamed as Comilla District in 1960.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Cumilla|url=https://oldweb.lged.gov.bd/DistrictLGED.aspx?DistrictID=10|access-date=10 June 2019|website=District LGED}}</ref>

In 1984, fifteen districts were created by separating and reducing the original five districts of Chittagong, Comilla, [[Hill Tracts]], Noakhali and Sylhet:{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}
* The [[Chittagong District]] was divided into two districts; Chittagong and [[Cox's Bazar District]]
* The [[Comilla District]] was split into three districts; Comilla, [[Brahmanbaria District|Brahmanbaria]] and [[Chandpur District|Chandpur]]
* The [[Hill Tracts|Hill Tracts District]] was split into three districts; [[Bandarban Hill District|Bandarban]], [[Khagrachhari Hill District|Khagrachhari]] and [[Rangamati Hill District|Rangamati]]
* The [[Noakhali District]] was divided into three districts; Noakhali, [[Lakshmipur District|Lakshmipur]] and [[Feni District|Feni]]
* The [[Sylhet District]] was split into four districts; Sylhet, [[Habiganj District|Habiganj]], [[Moulvibazar District|Moulvibazar]] and [[Sunamganj District|Sunamganj]].

Sylhet, Habiganj, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj districts were moved from the Chittagong Division to create the newly established [[Sylhet Division]] in 1995.

==Administration==
Chittagong Division is presently subdivided into eleven districts (zilas) and thence into 100 sub-districts ([[Upazilas of Bangladesh|upazilas]]).<ref name=Banglapedia>{{cite Banglapedia |author=Ahmed Anam |article=Chittagong Division}}</ref> The first six districts listed below comprise the north-western portion (with 37.6% of the area, but 58.3% of the population) of the present Chittagong Division, while the remaining five comprise the south-eastern portion (62.4% of the area, 41.7% of the population), the two portions being separated by the lower (or Bangladeshi) stretch of the [[Feni River]]; the upland districts of [[Khagrachhari Hill District|Khagrachhari]], [[Rangamati Hill District|Rangamati]] and [[Bandarban Hill District|Bandarban]] together comprise that area previously known as the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]]. The six districts in the north-west will now form the new Cumilla Division.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-bottom: 0;"
|+ style="text-align: center;" | Districts<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/B_Baria.pdf |title=District Statistics 2011: Brahmanbaria |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113185019/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/B_Baria.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Comilla.pdf |title=District Statistics 2011: Comilla |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425041117/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Comilla.pdf |archive-date=25 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Chandpur.pdf |title=District Statistics 2011: Chandpur |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113184958/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Chandpur.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Laxmipur.pdf |title=District Statistics 2011: Lakshmipur |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113184948/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Laxmipur.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Noakhali.pdf |title=District Statistics 2011: Noakhali |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026103943/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/webtestapplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Noakhali.pdf |archive-date=26 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Feni.pdf |title=District Statistics 2011: Feni |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113184930/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Feni.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Khagrachori.pdf |title=District Statistics 2011: Khagrachhari |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113184825/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Khagrachori.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Rangamati.pdf |title=District Statistics 2011: Rangamati |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113184835/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Rangamati.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Bandarban.pdf |title=District Statistics 2011: Bandarban |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113184808/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Bandarban.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Chittagong.pdf |title=District Statistics 2011: Chittagong |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113184712/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Chittagong.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Cox%60s%20Bazar.pdf |title=District Statistics 2011: Cox's Bazar |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113184738/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/District%20Statistics/Cox%60s%20Bazar.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref>
|-
! Name !! Headquarters !! Area (km<sup>2</sup>) !! Population <br /> 1991 Census !! Population <br /> 2001 Census !! Population <br /> 2011 Census !! Population <br /> 2022 Census<ref name="2022census-prelim" />
|-
| [[Brahmanbaria District]] || [[Brahmanbaria]] ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 1881.20}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 2141745}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 2398254}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 2840498}} ||align="right"| 3,306,563
|-
| [[Cumilla District]] || [[Cumilla]] ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 3146.30}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 4032666}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 4595539}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 5387288}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 6212216}}
|-
| [[Chandpur District]] || [[Chandpur, Bangladesh|Chandpur]] ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 1645.32}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 2032449}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 2271229}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 2416018}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 2635748}}
|-
| [[Lakshmipur District]] || [[Lakshmipur]] ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 1440.39}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 1312337}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 1489901}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 1729188}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 1938111}}
|-
| [[Noakhali District]] || [[Maijdee]] ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 3685.87}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 2217134}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 2577244}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 3108083}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 3625252}}
|-
| [[Feni District]] || [[Feni, Bangladesh|Feni]] ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 990.36}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 1096745}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 1240384}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 1437371}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 1648896}}
|-
| [[Khagrachhari District]]|| [[Khagrachhari]]|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 2749.16}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 342488}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 525664}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 613917}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 714119}}
|-
| [[Rangamati District]]|| [[Rangamati]]|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 6116.11}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 401388}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 508182}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 595979}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 647587}}
|-
| [[Bandarban District]]|| [[Bandarban]]|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 4479.01}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 230569}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 298120}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 388335}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 481109}}
|-
| [[Chittagong District]]|| [[Chittagong]]|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 5282.92}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 5296127}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 6612140}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 7616352}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 9169464}}
|-
| [[Cox's Bazar District]]|| [[Cox's Bazar]]|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 2491.85}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 1419260}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 1773709}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 2289990}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 2823265}}
|-
| ''Total Districts''|| {{formatnum: 11}}|| align="right" | 34,529.97 || align="right" | {{formatnum: 20552908}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 24290384}}|| align="right" | {{formatnum: 28423019}} ||align="right"| {{formatnum: 33202326}}
|}

== Demographics ==
{{bar box
|title=Religions in Chittagong Division<ref name="2022census-prelim" />
|titlebar=#Fcd116
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|float=left
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Muslims]]|green|90.11}}
{{bar percent|[[Hindus]]|darkorange|6.61}}
{{bar percent|[[Buddhists]]|yellow|2.92}}
{{bar percent|[[Christians]]|darkblue|0.22}}
{{bar percent|Others|grey|0.14}}
}}
According to the [[2022 Census of Bangladesh]], Chittagong Division had 7,528,333 households and a population of 33,202,326, 33.7% of whom lived in urban areas. The population density was 979 people per km<sup>2</sup>. 90.11% were [[Muslims]], 6.61% [[Hindus]], 2.92% [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], 0.22% [[Christians]] and 0.14% others.<ref name="2022census-prelim">{{Cite book |title=Population and Housing Census 2022: Preliminary Report |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vhn2t_PbEzo5-NDGBeoFJq4XCoSzOVKg/view |date=August 2022 |publisher=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |pages=6, 9, 12, 16, 21, 27 |isbn=978-984-35-2977-0 |access-date=8 June 2023 |archive-date=14 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114054043/https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vhn2t_PbEzo5-NDGBeoFJq4XCoSzOVKg/view |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

== See also ==
* [[Divisions of Bangladesh]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikivoyage}}
* [http://www.chittagongdiv.gov.bd/ Government of Chittagong Division website]

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Chittagong Division
|North     =
|Northeast = [[Sylhet Division]] <br /> [[Tripura]], India
|East      = [[Mizoram]], India
|Southeast = [[Chin State]], [[Myanmar]]<br />[[Rakhine State]], [[Myanmar]]
|South     =
|Southwest = ''[[Bay of Bengal]]''
|West      = [[Barisal Division]]
|Northwest = [[Dhaka Division]]
}}
{{Divisions of Bangladesh}}
{{Divisions and districts of Bangladesh}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chittagong Division}}
<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Chittagong Division| ]]
[[Category:Divisions of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Divisions of British India]]