Backergunge, Backergunje, Bakarganj, or Bakerganj was a former district of British India. It was the southernmost district of the Dacca Division. The district was located in the swampy lowlands of the vast delta of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers.
In 1582, under Rājā Todar Mal, the region was included in the sarkar of Bākla, but subsequent Mahammadan rulers placed it in the province of Dacca (Dakha).[2]:172
In the 17th century, Shāh Shujāh, the brother of Aurangzeb, had built a fort at Shujābād, five miles southwest of Barisāl. Early in the 18th century Aghā Bāqar came to possess lands in the region and established a marketplace in Buzurgumedpur pargana, which came to be known as Bakarganj, literally 'Baqar's market'.[2]:167,165
British rule came in 1765. The district was administered by a magistrate from the town of Backergunge near the junction of the Krishnakāti and Khairābād rivers, until 1801 when the headquarters were relocated to Barisāl.[2]:167
The district was surveyed by Major Rennell in 1770, he described the southern half of it as wilderness devastated by raids of the Maghs.[2]
Backergunge was in the Dacca tax collectorate until 1817, when an independent collector was appointed.[2]:172
In 1801 the Barisal subdivision was formed within the district, divided in six thanas: Barisal, Jhalakati, Nalchiti, Bakarganj, Mehndiganj and Gaurnadi.[3]
The general aspect of the district was that of a flat even country, dotted with clusters of bamboo and arecanut palms, and intersected by a network of dark-coloured and sluggish streams. There is not a hill or hillock in the whole district, but it derives a certain picturesque beauty from its wide expanses of cultivation, and the greenness and freshness of the vegetation. This was especially true immediately after the rains, although at no time of the year does the district presented a dried-up or burnt appearance. The villages were often surrounded by groves of bamboo, arecanut palms and betel vines.[1]
The level of the country was low with numerous streams, wetlands and shallow lakes around the margins of which, long grasses, reeds and other aquatic plants grow. Towards the north-west, the country was very marshy and nothing was to be seen for miles but swamps and rice fields, with a few huts scattered here and there raised on mounds of earth. In the south of the district, along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, were the forest tracts of the Sundarbans where tigers and leopards used to live.
The main rivers of the district were the Meghna, the Arial Khan and the Haringhata or Baleswar, with their numerous tributaries. The Meghna includes the accumulated waters of the Brahmaputra and Ganges. It flows along the eastern boundary of the district in a southerly direction until it flows into the Bay of Bengal. During the latter part of its course the river expands into a large estuary containing many islands, the largest one being Dakshin Shahbazpur. The islands on the seafront are regularly exposed to devastation by cyclonic storm-waves.
The Arial Khan, a branch of the Ganges, entered the district from the north, flowing generally in a south-easterly direction until it entered the estuary of the Meghna. The main channel of the Arial Khan was about 1,500 metres (1,600yd) in width in the dry season, and from 2,000 to 3,000 metres (2,200 to 3,300yd) in the rains. It received a number of tributaries, sending off several offshoots, and used navigable throughout the year by local cargo boats that were often of considerable size.
The Haringhata, Baleswar, Madhumati and Garai are different local names for the same river along various parts of its course and it represent another great offshoot of the Ganges. It entered Backergunge near the north-west corner of the district, forming its western boundary, and running south with great windings in its upper reaches, until it crossed the Sundarbans, finally flowing into the Bay of Bengal forming a large and deep estuary, capable of harbouring ships of considerable size.
In the whole of its course through the district, the river used to be navigable by local boats of large tonnage, and by large seagoing ships as high up as Morrellganj, in the neighbouring district of Jessore. Among its many tributaries in Backergunge, the most important is the Kacha, navigable all the year round and flowing in a southerly direction for 30km (19mi) until it joined the Baleswar. Other rivers of minor importance were the Barisal, Bishkhali, Nihalganj, Khairabad, Ghagar, Kumar, etc.
All the rivers in the district were subject to tidal action from the Meghna on the north, and from the Bay of Bengal on the south, and nearly all of them are navigable at high tide by country boats of all sizes. The rise of the tide was very considerable in the estuary of the Meghna, and many of the creeks and water-courses in the island of Dakshin Shahbazpur, which are almost dry at ebb tide, contain 5.5 to 6m (18 to 20ft) of water at the flood. A very strong tidal bore or wave ran up the estuary of the Meghna at spring tides, and a singular sound like thunder, known as the Barisal guns, was often heard far out at sea, about the time the tidal wave was coming in.
Population
In 1901, the population was 2,291,752, showing an increase of 6% over the decade. About a 68% of the inhabitants in the region were Muslim, of which a number adhered to the Faraizis or Puritansect. The Hindu population numbered 713,800, of which the most numerous community were the Namasudras. The Buddhist population consisted of about 7,220 Maghs who originated in Arakan and first settled in Backergunge around the year 1800.[1]
A number of small trading villages existed throughout the district, and each locality has its periodical trading fairs. Local people were mostly small land-holders and cultivated sufficient rice and other products for the support of their families.
Barisal Division is one of the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Located in the south-central part of the country, it has an area of 13,644.85 km2 (5,268.31 sq mi), and a population of 9,100,102 at the 2011 Census. It is the least populous Division in Bangladesh. It is bounded by Dhaka Division on the north, the Bay of Bengal on the south, Chittagong Division on the east and Khulna Division on the west. The administrative capital, Barisal city, lies in the Padma River delta on an offshoot of the Arial Khan River. Barisal division is criss-crossed by numerous rivers that earned it the nickname Dhan-Nodi-Khal, Ei tin-e Borishal.
Dhaka Division is an administrative division within Bangladesh. Dhaka serves as the capital city of the Dhaka Division, the Dhaka District and Bangladesh. The division remains a population magnet, covers an area of 20,508.8 km2 with a population in excess of 44 million, It is the most populous country second level division of the world, growing at 1.94% rate since prior count, compared with national average of 1.22%. However, national figures may include data skewing expatriation of male labor force as gender ratio is skewed towards females.
The Khulna Division is the second largest of the eight divisions of Bangladesh. It has an area of 22,285 km2 (8,604 sq mi) and a population of 17,416,645 at the 2022 Bangladesh census. Its headquarters and largest city is Khulna city in Khulna District.
The Sundarbans National Park is a national park in West Bengal, India, and core part of tiger reserve and biosphere reserve. It is part of the Sundarbans on the Ganges Delta and adjacent to the Sundarban Reserve Forest in Bangladesh. It is located to south-west of Bangladesh. The delta is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. It is also home to a variety of bird, reptile and invertebrate species, including the salt-water crocodile. The present Sundarban National Park was declared as the core area of Sundarban Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1977. On 4 May 1984 it was declared a national park. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1987, and it has been designated as a Ramsar site since 2019. It is considered as a World Network of Biosphere Reserve from 1989.
Sundarbans is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. Spread across parts of India and Bangladesh, this forest is the largest mangrove forest in the world. It spans the area from the Baleswar River in Bangladesh's division of Khulna to the Hooghly River in India's state of West Bengal. It comprises closed and open mangrove forests, land used for agricultural purpose, mudflats and barren land, and is intersected by multiple tidal streams and channels. Sundarbans is home to the world's largest area of mangrove forests. Four protected areas in the Sundarbans are enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, viz. Sundarbans West (Bangladesh), Sundarbans South (Bangladesh), Sundarbans East (Bangladesh) and Sundarbans National Park (India).
The Meghna is one of the major rivers in Bangladesh, one of the three that form the Ganges Delta, the largest delta on earth, which fans out to the Bay of Bengal. A part of the Surma-Meghna River System, the Meghna is formed inside Bangladesh in Kishoreganj District above the town of Bhairab Bazar by the joining of the Surma and the Kushiyara, both of which originate in the hilly regions of eastern India as the Barak River. The Meghna meets its major tributary, the Padma, in Chandpur District. Other major tributaries of the Meghna include the Dhaleshwari, the Gumti, and the Feni. The Meghna empties into the Bay of Bengal in Bhola District via four principal mouths, named Tetulia (Ilsha), Shahbazpur, Hatia, and Bamni.
Bhola District is an administrative district (zila) in south-central Bangladesh, which includes Bhola Island, the largest island of Bangladesh. It is located in the Barisal Division and has an area of 3,403.48 km2. It is bounded by Lakshmipur and Barisal District to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the south, by Lakshmipur and Noakhali districts, the (lower) Meghna river and Shahbazpur Channel to the east, and by Patuakhali District and the Tetulia river to the west. About 400 million cubic feet natural gas has been found at Kachia in Bhola which is being used to run a power station.
Barguna is a district in the division of Barisal, in southern Bangladesh. Barguna subdivision was established in 1969 and promoted to a district on 28 February 1984.
Pirojpur is a district (zilla) in south-western Bangladesh. It is a part of Barisal Division.
Barguna is a town in Barguna district in southern Bangladesh. It is the administrative headquarter and the largest town of Barguna district and a part of Barisal Division. Located on the bank of Khakdon river, the town covers an area of 15.57 square kilometres (6.01 sq mi) with a population of 32,235, as of the 2011 census.
Idilpur Union is a union parishad of Gosairhat Upazila under Shariatpur District in the Dhaka Division, southern-central Bangladesh beside the Jayanti River. In the past Idilpur or Idalpur or Edilpur pargana was the largest zamindari of Faridpur District and before that it was one of the 5 important parganas of Bakarganj during the British Raj.
Thakuran River is a tidal estuarine river that forms a wide estuary in and around the Sundarbans in South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Raimangal River is a tidal estuarine river in and around the Sundarbans in South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal and Satkhira District in Bangladesh.
Kalindi River is a tidal estuarine river in and around the Sundarbans in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal, bordering on Satkhira District of Bangladesh.
Sundarbans West Wildlife Sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and animal sanctuary in Bangladesh. The area of the reserve covers 715 km2. It is part of the larger Sundarbans region, one of the largest mangroveforests in the world. It is formed at the unified delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. The total area of the entire Sundarbans is about one million ha, 60% of which is found in Bangladesh, with the remainder 40% in India. The region is divided by the Raimangal River. Within the Bangladeshi area of Sundarbans, there are three wildlife sanctuaries: Sundarbans East, Sundarbans South, and Sundarbans West.
Padma Division is a proposed administrative division within Bangladesh for the southern parts of the existing Dhaka Division, comprising Faridpur, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Rajbari, and Shariatpur Districts of Dhaka Division. The headquarters of the division is to be in Faridpur. This division will be named after its affiliated river Padma.
Khan Bahadur Abū Muḥammad ʿAbdul Ghafūr, better known by his pen name Nassakh, was a British Indian officer, writer, literary critic and collector. He is best known for his magnum opus Sukhan-e-Shuara which was a biography of prominent Urdu and Persian poets. He organised mushaira in places where he worked; inspiring young Urdu poets in Bengal.
Kirtinarayan Basu, also spelt Kirti Narayan Basu, was the fifth raja of medieval Chandradwip, a zamindari which covered much of the Barisal Division of present-day Bangladesh.
Ṣabīḥ Khān, popularly known as Sabi Khan, was a Mughal statesman best known for serving as the Kotwal and Faujdar of Bakla (Barisal) during the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir. He was renowned for the construction of numerous roads, bridges, reservoirs and places of worship in the Barisal region. Henry Beveridge credits him as the first road-builder of the region. The Kotalipara Upazila is named after him.
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