Khagrachhari District (), officially Khagrachhari Hill District, is a district in the Chittagong Division of Southeastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts region.

Etymology The zila headquarters is located on the bank of the Chengi river (meaning Chhara in local language) which was full of Catkin plants (meaning Khagra in local language). It is believed that the zila might have derived its name from the above two words 'Khagra' and 'Chhara'.

History The Chittagong Hill Tracts was loosely under the reign of the Tripura State, the Arakans & the Sultans in different times before it came under the control of the British East India Company in 1760. Although the British got the authority of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in 1760, they had no authority besides collecting nominal taxes. Until 1860, two kings or chiefs governed the internal administration of this region. In 1860, another circle was formed in present Khagrachari zila, inhabited by the Tripura population. The chief or the Raja of this circle was selected from the minority Marma population. The circle was named after the Tripura dialect the Mun Circle, but later, the 'Mun dialect', was changed and renamed as Mong Circle. In 1900 the British offered independent status to Chittagong Hill Tracts recognizing the culture and language of the hill tracts population. But during the Partition of India, this status was abolished and became part of East Bengal, ruled under Pakistan. Then, the name of this subdivision was Ramgarh with its headquarters at Khagrachari. It was upgraded to zila in 1983. Khagrachari Local Govt. Council was established on 6 March 1989 to uphold the political, social, cultural, educational and economic right and to expedite the process of socio-economic development of all residents of Khagrachari Hill District. According to 'Peace Accord' this council was renamed as "Khagrachari Hill District Council (KHDC)" by the Act-10 of 1998. Now this council has been regarded as the main focal point of administration as well as development activities of the district.

Geography Khagrachari is a hilly area. It is bounded by Tripura state of India on the north and west, Rangamati district to the east and Chittagong District to the southwest. Notable hill ranges are Golamoon, Chotto Panchari, Karmi Mura, Lutiban, Kuradia, Bhanga Mura, Jopisil.

It has three rivers, namely Chengi, Feni and Maini. Chengi is the longest river in Khagrachhari. The main ethnic groups living in the district are Tripuris, Chakmas, Bengalis and Marmas.

Demographics

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Khagrachhari District had 169,526 households and a population of 714,119 with an average 4.14 people per household. Among the population, 144,968 (20.30%) inhabitants were under 10 years of age. Khagrachhari had a literacy rate of 71.80%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 100.27 males to 100 females. Approximately, 41.74% of the population lived in urban areas. The population density was 260 people per km2.

As per the 2022 Census, there were a total of 349,390 (48.93%) indigenous people in the district. The population of major ethnic minorities living in the district besides the Bengalis, including: Chakma 175,165, Tripura 98,500 and Marma 74,210.

+Population by ethnicity in Upazila Upazila Bengali Chakma Marma Tripura OthersDighinala39 %53.4 % 0.06% 7.38%0.52%Guimara 35.6% 7.37% 38.1% 18.79% 0.14%Sadar 40.8% 27.1% 10.9% 20.99% 0.30%Lakshmichhari 25.8%51.3% 21.8% 0.46% 0.64%Mahalchhari 37% 43.5% 15.31% 3.97% 0.22%Manikchhari73.6%1.93% 18.7% 5.60% 0.17%Matiranga76.1 % 3.12% 2.07% 18.68% 0.03%Panchhari 33% 44.1% 3.12% 19.36% 0.42%Ramgarh 73.1%2.77% 10.6% 13.28% 0.25%

+Population by ethnicity in Union Upazila Union Bengali Chakma Tripura Marma Others KhagrachhariKhagrachhari Paurashava41,22311,1912,5273,699235Bhaibonchhara 1,8468,46910,7131,69513Golabari6,5431,7073,9912,90531Kamalchhari4,2857,6031,1842,88720 Sadar1,2222,6773,7232,7183Perachhara3795,2906,43888829RamgarhRamgarh Paurashava24,6751,363831,987104Patachhara8,4394,5581,5421,93020Ramgarh11,3102,144562,5291MatirangaMatiranga Paurashava26,8639221,2322978Amtali7,10232,508121Baranal8,8552681,1518256Belchhari11,8442462,32117119Gumti11,00762,90102Matiranga1,55537311,3356443Tabalchhari 17,5977071,2564030Taindang11,5241,4259432690DighinalaBabuchhara2,07412,9273362554Boalkhali9,2208,2754,06622112Dighinala45514,35920824Kabakhali9,1858,7172672Merung24,08217,3404,0751114GuimaraGuimara6,4181,1705,9414,73821Hafchhari11,3841,5471,70611,29452Sindukchhari11511,2102,3604,2613LakshmichhariBarmachhari754,704811,94328Dulyatali2,3263,27581,9432Lakshmichhari4,5915,957372,038140MahalchhariKayangghat1,7087,2253124Mohalchhari9,4115,4837592,85392Maischhari6,9463,2671,1722,40043Mubachhari675,382142,22213ManikchhariBatnatali10,282261,1583,6610Juggachhala9,1583972,5801,3125Manikchhari21,6577471166,27663Tintahari15,5733194593,18256PanchhariChengi1827,0351,4902067Latiban724,3354,8999503Logang2,5726,7592,90111473Panchhari 12,7429,2981,926459203Ultachhari7,1052,8432,0794246

🟩 Bengali majority 🟨 Chakma majority 🟧 Tripura majority 🟦 Marma majority

+Largest ethnic group in Union and Municipality Ethnic group Union Municipality Upazila Bengali2234Chakma1004Tripura500Marma101Total3839 Bengali in Khagrachhari According to 2022 census, Bengalis are the largest group in Khagrachhari District (51.07%).

By Upazila

Upazila Population Percentage of Bengali Matiranga Upazila 96,35276.10%Manikchhari Upazila56,670 73.57%Ramgarh Upazila44,424 73.14%Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila55,505 40.77%Dighinala Upazila45,020 39.00%Mahalchhari Upazila18,133 36.95%Guimara Upazila18,955 35.59%Panchhari Upazila22,678 33.02%Lakshmichhari Upazila6,992 25.76% By Union (Highest 10) Union Upazila Percentage Tabalchhari UnionMatiranga Upazila88.2%Taindang UnionMatiranga Upazila81.4%Belchhari UnionMatiranga Upazila81.1%Baranal UnionMatiranga Upazila79.7%Tintahari UnionManikchhari Upazila79.5%Gumti UnionMatiranga Upazila79.1%Manikchhari UnionManikchhari Upazila75%Amtali Union, MatirangaMatiranga Upazila73.8%Ramgarh UnionRamgarh Upazila70.5%Juggachhala UnionManikchhari Upazila68.1%

Chakma in Khagrachhari According to 2022 census, Chakmas are the largest indigenous group in Khagrachhari District (24.53%).

By Upazila

Upazila Population Percentage of ChakmaDighinala Upazila61,618 53.38%Lakshmichhari Upazila,13,936 51.33%Panchhari Upazila30,270 44.04%Mahalchhari Upazila21,357 43.52%Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila36,937 27.13%Guimara Upazila3,927 7.37%Matiranga Upazila 3,9503.12%Ramgarh Upazila1,681 2.77%Manikchhari Upazila1,489 1.93% By Union (Highest 10) Union Upazila Percentage Dighinala UnionDighinala Upazila96.6%Babuchhara UnionDighinala Upazila83.9%Kayangghat UnionMahalchhari Upazila80.7%Chengi UnionPanchhari Upazila78.9%Mubachhari UnionMahalchhari Upazila69.9%Barmachhari UnionLakshmichhari Upazila68.9%Logang UnionPanchhari Upazila54.4%Kabakhali UnionDighinala Upazila48.6%Kamalchhari UnionKhagrachhari Sadar Upazila47.6%Lakshmichhari UnionLakshmichhari Upazila46.7%

Tripura in Khagrachhari According to 2022 census, Tripuras are second largest indigenous group in Khagrachhari District (13.79%).

By Upazila

Upazila Population Percentage of Tripura Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila28,576 20.99%Panchhari Upazila13,295 19.36%Guimara Upazila10,007 18.79%Matiranga Upazila 23,64718.68%Ramgarh Upazila8,065 13.28%Dighinala Upazila8,523 7.38%Manikchhari Upazila4,313 5.60%Mahalchhari Upazila1,948 3.97%Lakshmichhari Upazila126 0.46% By Union (Highest 10) Union Upazila Percentage Matiranga UnionMatiranga Upazila81.5%Perachhara UnionKhagrachhari Sadar Upazila49.4%Latiban UnionPanchhari Upazila47.8%Bhaibonchhara UnionKhagrachhari Sadar Upazila47.1%Khagrachhari Sadar UnionKhagrachhari Sadar Upazila36%Guimara UnionGuimara Upazila32.5%Patachhara UnionRamgarh Upazila27.6%Golabari Union, KhagrachhariKhagrachhari Sadar Upazila26.3%Sindukchhari UnionGuimara Upazila26.3%Amtali Union, MatirangaMatiranga Upazila26.1%

Marma in Khagrachhari According to 2022 census, Marmas are third largest indigenous group in Khagrachhari District (10.39%).

By Upazila

Upazila Population Percentage of Marma Guimara Upazila20,293 38.10%Lakshmichhari Upazila5,924 21.82%Manikchhari Upazila14,431 18.73%Mahalchhari Upazila7,487 15.25%Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila14,792 10.86%Ramgarh Upazila6,446 10.61%Panchhari Upazila2,143 3.12%Matiranga Upazila 2,6212.07%Dighinala Upazila73 0.06% By Union (Highest 10) Union Upazila Percentage Sindukchhari UnionGuimara Upazila47.4%Hafchhari UnionGuimara Upazila43.5%Mubachhari UnionMahalchhari Upazila28.9%Barmachhari UnionLakshmichhari Upazila28.4%Khagrachhari Sadar UnionKhagrachhari Sadar Upazila26.3%Guimara UnionGuimara Upazila25.9%Dulyatali UnionLakshmichhari Upazila25.7%Batnatali UnionManikchhari Upazila24.2%Manikchhari UnionManikchhari Upazila21.8%Golabari Union, KhagrachhariKhagrachhari Sadar Upazila19.1%

Religion

Religion194119811991200120112022%%%%%%Tribal73,32496.26%Islam 7120.94%89,63032.19%162,50447.44%228,75343.52%274,25844.18%332,68746.59%Buddhism 139,16649.98%121,63135.51%206,47339.28%231,30937.68%256,60035.93%Hinduism 26,9076.78%48,16017.30%57,15816.69%86,35116.43%103,19516.81%119,70616.76%Christianity 00%6370.23%9390.27%37450.71%4,0700.66%4,4070.62%Others2070.27%8680.30%2560.09%3420.06%1,0850.18%7190.10%Total Population76,171100%278,461100%342,488100%525,664100%613,917100%714,119100%

+Population by religion in Upazila Upazila vMuslim Buddhist Christian Hindu OthersDighinala35.70 %54.54 % 0.33% 9.41% 0.35%Guimara 30.60% 46.74% 0.12% 22.51% 0.15%Sadar 34.98% 38.50% 1.75% 24.76% 1.76%Lakshmichhari 20.07%77.73 % 0.13% 2.07% 0.13%Mahalchhari 30.94% 61.67% 0.41% 6.93% 0.46%Manikchhari68.01 %21.50 % 0.29% 10.15% 0.34%Matiranga73.94 % 5.58% 0.42% 19.73% 0.74%Panchhari 30.78% 47.25% 0.50% 21.46% 0.60%Ramgarh 65.48%14.63 % 0.41% 19.16% 0.73%

+Population by religion in Union Upazila Union Muslim Buddhist Hindu OthersSadarKhagrachhari Paurashava34,56115,9257,936453Bhaibonchhara 1,49110,18010,640212Golabari5,8694,7014,45473Kamalchhari4,20410,0201,158293Sadar1,2025,3993,64261Perachhara2866,1875,883344Ramgarh UpazilaRamgarh Paurashava20,8292,2964,793287Patachhara8,0683,7294,550142Ramgarh10,8732,8622,29114DighinalaBabuchhara1,78613,02454769Boalkhali6,8099,2715,473142Dighinala39514,4083627Kabakhali9,1128,7065069Merung23,11117,5514,76199GuimaraGuimara4,4576,3287,47033Hafchhari10,95213,0641,93334Sindukchhari8865,5012,58711LakshmichhariBarmachhari616,6539918Dulyatali1,5325,9892211Lakshmichhari3,8558,4614407MahalchhariKayangghat1,3487,4527145Mohalchhari7,2999,1712,09533Maischhari6,5375,9611,28941Mubachhari27,682113ManikchhariBatnatali10,0113,7461,3700Juggachhala9,0931,7092,412238Manikchhari18,8777,4082,55714Tintahari14,4043,6941,47814MatirangaMatiranga Paurashava25,3261,5092,351136Amtali6,957152,55995Baranal8,5911,1971,30215Belchhari11,6704942,224213Gumti10,89472,809206Matiranga1,1661,02011,547177Tabalchhari 17,5181,1201,31114Taindang11,4921,70587589PanchhariChengi1547,1731,482111Latiban675,2244,822146Logang2,4726,8663,06813Panchhari 11,3789,9383,26042Ultachhari7,0683,2482,10932

+Largest Religion in Union and Municipality Religion Union Municipality Upazila Islam1833Buddhism 1706Hinduism 300Total3839

Islam According to 2022 census, Islam is the largest religion in Khagrachhari district(46.59%).

By Upazila

Upazila Population Percentage of IslamMatiranga Upazila 93,61873.94%Manikchhari Upazila52,387 68.02%Ramgarh Upazila39,775 65.48%Dighinala Upazila41,217 35.70%Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila47,620 34.98%Mahalchhari Upazila15,186 30.94%Panchhari Upazila21,141 30.78%Guimara Upazila16,295 30.60%Lakshmichhari Upazila5,448 20.07%

By Union (Highest 10)