Sonaimuri Upazila

Sonaimuri
Upazila
Bajra Shahi Mosque
Coordinates: 23°2.3′N 91°6.5′E
Country	Bangladesh
Division	Chittagong Division
District	Noakhali District
Government
• MP (Noakhali-1)	none
Area
• Total	169.14 km^2 (65.31 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[1]
• Total	368,842
• Density	2,200/km^2 (5,600/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+6 (BST)
Postal code	3827[2]
Website	sonaimuri.noakhali.gov.bd(in Bengali)

Sonaimuri (সোনাইমুড়ী) is a newly established upazila or sub-district in Noakhali District, Bangladesh.^[3][4] It consists of ten union councils or parishads - Ambarnagar, Amisha Para, Bazra, Deoti, Jayag, Nadana, Nateshwar, Sonaimuri, Sonapur and Baragaon. Sonaimuri was declared as an upazila in response to a popular demand in 2005. The area of Sonaimuri is 169.14 km² while its population is 368,842. People in this upazila is generally solvent and engaged in business and agriculture.

Points of interest

• Bajra Shahi Mosque, built in 1741–42, is the area's most important historical monument and is on the government Department of Archaeology's list of protected sites. Rectangular in plan, it has three domes, the middle one larger than those on either side, and octagonal towers at the four corners. Decorated between 1911 and 1928, it is covered in mosaics made from colored shards of ceramic.^[5][6][7]
• Joyag: During Mahatma Gandh's visit to some parts of Noakhali in January 1947, Hemanta Kumar Ghosh, a local zamindar, donated his property for setting up the Ambika-Kaliganga Charitable Trust, which later on became famous as Gandhi Ashram. Every morning and evening, people gather for a prayer meeting in a room which still contains mementos of Gandhi's visit here in January 1947.

Administration

Sonaimuri Upazila is divided into Sonaimuri Municipality and ten union parishads: Ambarnagr, Amishapara, Bajra, Barogaon, Chashirhat, Deoti, Joyag, Nateshwar, Nodona, and Sonapur. The union parishads are subdivided into 133 mauzas and 148 villages.^[8]

Sonaimuri Municipality is subdivided into 9 wards and 18 mahallas.^[8]

Chairmen

List of chairmen

Name	Notes
AFM Babul Babu
Khandakar Al-Amin Hirapuri	Present

Demographics

Religions in Sonaimuri Upazila (2022)[9]
Religion			Percent
Islam			97.36%
Hinduism			2.58%
Other or not stated			0.06%

According to the 2011 Census of Bangladesh, Sonaimuri Upazila had 60,542 households and a population of 327,194. 82,092 (25.09%) were under 10 years of age. Sonaimuri had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 61.02%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1185 females per 1000 males. 34,218 (10.46%) lived in urban areas.^[10][11]

Education

Sonaimuri Govt. High School is the most renowned academic institution of this upazila. It played an important role in spreading education among all strata of the society from British days. Students of this school in the past played a pioneering role in our liberation struggle. Other important schools including Amishapara M.k High School, Sonapur Ali Akber High school, Rashidpur High School, Mahbubennesa Girls' High School, Bajra High School, Kalikapur High School, Rubirhat Banghabondhu High School, Nandia Para High School, Vir Srasto Ruhul Amin Academy, Jaiag High School, Nodona High School, Sonaimuri Girls School and Sonaimuri Hamedia alia (kamil) Madrassah. Sonaimuri College, Abirpara High School etc. are playing a very important role in promoting higher education in this upazila.

Notable residents

• Kamrul Ahsan, Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia, Secretary to the Government and former Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada and Singapore.^[12][13]
• Bir Sreshtho Mohammad Ruhul Amin, engine room artificer in the Bangladesh Navy
• M. A. Hashem, politician
• Ahmad Nazir, journalist, writer, former Member of Parliament member and Director-General of Shilpakala Academy

References

1. National Report (PDF). Population and Housing Census 2022. Vol. 1. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. November 2023. p. 397. ISBN 978-9844752016.
2. "Bangladesh Postal Code". Dhaka: Bangladesh Postal Department under the Department of Posts and Telecommunications of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. 20 October 2024.
3. Atikur Rahman (2012). "Sonaimuri Upazila". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
4. "600 SIs for separate probe unit soon". The Daily Star. UNB. 30 January 2005. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
5. Newton, Alex; Wagenhauser, Betsy; Murray, Jon (1996). Bangladesh: A Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet Publications. p. 247. ISBN 978-0-86442-296-5.
6. বজরা শাহী মসজিদ, নোয়াখালী [Bajra Shahi Mosque, Noakhali]. Department of Archaeology (Bangladesh) (in Bengali).
7. Bari, MA (2012). "Bajra Shahi Mosque". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
8. "District Statistics 2011: Noakhali" (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
9. Population and Housing Census 2022 - District Report: Noakhali (PDF). District Series. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. June 2024. ISBN 978-984-475-274-0.
10. "Community Tables: Noakhali district" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2011.
11. "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Noakhali" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2011.
12. "Press Statements, Transcripts & Photos".
13. "New Arrivals – Winter 2013". diplomatonline.com. Retrieved 28 September 2015.