Motiganj

About Sonagazi

Sonagazi (Bengali: সোনাগাজী) is an upazila (sub-district) of Feni District in Chittagong Division, Bangladesh, located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. At the 2022 census, its population was 290,000, making it the second most populous upazila in Feni District. The upazila comprises one municipality and nine union councils.

History

=== Etymology ===

Legend has it that Sona Ghazi Bhuyan, a notable figure from the Ghazi family of landowners belonging to the Baro-Bhuyan confederacy, played a pivotal role in developing a market for salt trade in the coastal area. The name Sonagazi was selected for the thana established with the market at its center.

=== Mughal period ===

Upon his accession to the throne, Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan appointed his son, Shah Shuja, as the subahdar (governor) of Bengal. Upon assuming this role, Shuja swiftly took action to safeguard the coastal areas from Arakanese naval attacks by constructing a fort in Sonagazi among various strategic initiatives. The area surrounding the fort continues to be known as Sujapur in his honor.

=== Establishment of thana ===

When the Mughal era-established thanas (police jurisdictions) of Jugidiya and Amirgaon in the then Bhulua region of Noakhali near the coast of the Bay of Bengal were submerged by the Feni River, a new thana named Sonagazi was established in 1886 to reinstate law enforcement measures in the southern region of Feni. Around this period, the governor of Feni mahakuma, Nabinchandra Sen, undertook the construction and improvement of the Feni–Sonagazi road to accommodate bullock carts.

=== Liberation war–present day ===

Around the time of the Bangladesh Liberation War, Sonagazi was one of the four thanas within the Feni mahakuma, alongside Feni Sadar, Chhagalnaiya, and Parshuram. During the conflict, guerrilla warfare-trained freedom fighters were dispatched to various areas of Sonagazi, where they carried out numerous operations targeting the residences of collaborators of the invading forces and local razakar militias in locations such as Nababpur, Ahammadpur, Majlishpur, Bogadana, Char Darbesh, Char Chandia, and Motiganj.

On 28 July 1971, during a confrontation between freedom fighters and the Pakistani army at Nababpur, an enemy military commander was killed. On 15 August, approximately 50 Pakistani soldiers were killed when mines planted by the freedom fighters exploded near the Satbaria Bridge. In retaliation, agitated Pakistani soldiers killed five innocent individuals from Boks Ali and Sujapur Dasgram villages. Additionally, the Pakistani army engaged in looting and set fire to numerous houses in the area.

Following the war, mass graves were uncovered in areas like the Kazir Haat sluice gate, indicating the burial of hundreds of individuals who had been subjected to torture, and memorial monuments were erected at eight locations within the upazila.

In 1983, Sonagazi Thana was upgraded to the status of an upazila, one year before Feni was established as a district.

Geography

Sonagazi Upazila is bounded by Feni Sadar and Daganbhuiyan upazilas on the north, Bay of Bengal on the south, Mirsharai Upazila on the east, and Companiganj Upazila of Noakhali District and Daganbhuiyan Upazila on the west. Situated in the southern part of the district, Sonagazi is the only upazila in Feni District with a coastline along the Bay of Bengal. It covers a total area of 284.89 square kilometres (110.00 sq mi), making it the largest upazila in Feni District, accounting for almost 28.77% of the district's total area.

=== Physical geography ===

The Feni River flows to the east of Sonagazi, while the Little Feni River flows to the west. The estuaries of both rivers converge in the Bay of Bengal, south of Sonagazi.

Extensive alluvial lands, known locally as "char," have formed due to the erosion caused by the Feni and Muhuri rivers, resulting in the displacement of numerous settlements. Examples of such areas include Char Chand

Source: Wikipedia →