Padma Division (Bengali: পদ্মা বিভাগ), also known as Faridpur Division (Bengali: ফরিদপুর বিভাগ), 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.[1][2] The headquarters of the division is proposed to be in Faridpur. This division was proposed to named after its affiliated river Padma.[3]
Padma Division
পদ্মা বিভাগ Gangarid-Fatehabad | |
|---|---|
 Proposed Padma Division in Bangladesh | |
| Coordinates: Pe:GNS-enwiki 23°36′N 89°50′E / 23.60°N 89.84°E | |
| Country |  Bangladesh |
| Capital | Faridpur |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,913.44 km2 (2,669.29 sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+6 (BST) |
History
editThe proposed Padma division was once under Gangaridai and Vanga Kingdom of ancient Bengal with its capital at Kotalipara in present day Gopalganj district of Bangladesh.[4] Later, it was ruled by local Hindu rajas and Muslim sultans until the Mughal conquest of Bengal in the 16th century, after which many nobles and merchants from North India settled in the area. In 1582 in the reign of Emperor Akbar, the province of Bengal was formed into 33 sarkars or financial sub-divisions, and Faridpur area appears to have been included within the sarkar of Muhammad Abud and was known as Fatehabad.
In 1765, the British took over the financial administration of Faridpur, together with the rest of Bengal. The greater portion of Faridpur was then comprised within Dhaka District. In 1811, Faridpur was separated from Dacca collectorate. The district was initially known as Fatehabad.[5] Under British rule in 1860, the district was named as Faridpur after 12th-century Sufi saint, Shah Sheikh Fariduddin.[6][7] In 1984, with the decentralization program of the Bangladesh government, Faridpur district was reorganized into five separate districts: Rajbari, Gopalgonj, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Faridpur.
On 6 May 2017, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain announced that the new division would be renamed as Padma Division after the Padma River, which flows northeast of the proposed division.[8][9] The name "Padma" was controversial and many were opposed to the name, who demanded it be changed to "Faridpur".[10][11] The proposal was postponed on 27 November 2022.[12] On 17 December 2024, the Public Administration Reform Commission recommended the creation of the Comilla and Faridpur divisions.[13][14][15]
Administrative districts
editThe Division was proposed to be subdivided into five districts (zilas) and thence into 30 sub-districts (upazilas).
| Name | Capital | Area (km2) | Population 1991 Census |
Population 2001 Census |
Population 2011 Census |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faridpur District | Faridpur | 2,052.68 | 1,505,686 | 1,756,470 | 1,912,969 |
| Gopalganj District | Gopalganj | 1,468.74 | 1,060,791 | 1,165,273 | 1,172,415 |
| Madaripur District | Madaripur | 1,125.69 | 1,069,176 | 1,146,349 | 1,165,952 |
| Rajbari District | Rajbari | 1,092.28 | 835,173 | 951,906 | 1,049,778 |
| Shariatpur District | Shariatpur | 1,174.05 | 953,021 | 1,082,300 | 1,155,824 |
| Total | 5 | 6,913.44 | 5,423,847 | 6,102,298 | 6,456,938 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "3 new divisions to be formed". The Independent (Bangladesh). Dhaka. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ "People want Faridpur division early". The News Today. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ দেশের নবম বিভাগ পদ্মা. The Daily Ittefaq.
- ^ "Kotalipara, Banglapedia".
- ^ "Faridpur" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ Kamal Siddiqui. "Local Government". In Sirajul Islam (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ "Faridpur". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ "Faridpur will be made as 'Padma division' soon: Mosharraf". Daily Sun. 6 May 2017.
- ^ বিভাগ হচ্ছে ফরিদপুর তিন মাসের মধ্যে সিটির নির্বাচন. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 6 May 2017.
- ^ নতুন বিভাগের খবরে ফরিদপুরে উচ্ছ্বাস, তবে ‘পদ্মা’ নাম নিয়ে আক্ষেপ. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 22 November 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ পদ্মা নামেই বিভাগ, ফরিদপুরে উল্লাস-আক্ষেপ. BanglaNews24 (in Bengali). 22 November 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ পদ্মা ও মেঘনা বিভাগ করার প্রস্তাব স্থগিত. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 27 November 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ কুমিল্লা ও ফরিদপুরকে বিভাগ করার সুপারিশ দেবে জনপ্রশাসন সংস্কার কমিশন. Voice of America (in Bengali). 17 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "Reform commission for making Cumilla, Faridpur new divisions". The Business Standard. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "Public Administration Reform Commission to recommend creating Cumilla, Faridpur divisions". United News of Bangladesh. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.