Patuakhali District () is a district in south-central Bangladesh in Barisal Division. This district is the main entrance for the beach of Kuakata.
The early history of Patuakhali is little known. In medieval times, the northern part of the district was part of the Chandradwip Kingdom, also called Bakla. The kingdom had its capital at Kachua in present Bauphal Upazila. Beginning in the middle 16th century, the kingdom began facing attacks from Portuguese and Magh pirates, so the kings shifted to Madhabpasha in present Barishal district. After the conquest of Bakla, Akbar's administrator Todarmal sent the quanungo Jimmak Khan to survey the region. He split up the still mainly forested southern part of Barisal as Bazuhadba, and later the region was split up into three parganas: Salimbada, Bajuk Umedpur and Uranpur. This southern part of Barisal region, which was still largely uninhabited, was colonized by Muslim pirs who introduced the local population to settled agriculture and spread Islamic beliefs among the local population, leading to the overwhelming majority developing an Islamic identity by the 19th century. In the 18th century, Rakhines fleeing the Burmese invasion of Arakan came to Bengal, with many settling on the deltaic islands especially in the southern upazilas of present Patuakhali. After the Rakhine arrival, this area became more populated with mostly Bengali Muslim cultivators. Patuakhali was made part of the Bakerganj District by the British. Eventually Patuakhali became a mahakuma of the district.
After the Partition of India, Patuakhali became part of East Pakistan. In 1969, Patuakhali mahakuma was made a separate district. In 1984, five upazilas of the district were split up into the new Barguna district.
It is adjacent to the Bay of Bengal. The area of the district is 3,221.31 km<sup>2</sup>.
Patuakhali city is surrounded on three sides by rivers. The two major rivers are Laukathi and Lohalia, which are directly connected with the Bay of Bengal. The city has an inland airport used for transport and private travel across the country.
There are 8 upazilas in this district. They are:
Agriculture is the profession of most of the people. Fishing is also a prominent profession of this district. Thousands of boats go into the deep sea to fish and come back with tons of fish. Paddy, jute, and different types of vegetables are the main product of agriculture sector. Main sources of income Agriculture 57.05%, non-agricultural labourer 5.37%, industry 1.03%, commerce 13.79%, transport and communication 2.04%, service 9.22%, construction 2.13%, religious service 0.26%, rent and remittance 0.40% and others 8.71%.
Main Crops of Patuakhali district areas as follows:
The fruit trees indigenous to Patuakhali district areas as follows:
In 2011, the literacy rate of Patuakhali was 54.1%; male 56.2% and female 52.0%. Educational institutions: university 1, agricultural and veterinary college 1, college 65, technical and vocational institutes 6, secondary school 288, primary school 1152, kindergarten 36, madrasa 506.
According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Patuakhali District had 424,743 households and a population of 1,727,254 with an average 4.01 people per household. Among the population, 327,724 (18.97%) inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density was 719 people per km<sup>2</sup>. Patuakhali District had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 76.70%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1048 females per 1000 males. Approximately, 18.62% of the population lived in urban areas. The ethnic population was 1,114.
The district is overwhelmingly Muslim with a small minority of Hindus. There is also a dwindling community of Rakhine Buddhists settled in Kalapara Upazila. Similar to other districts in the Barisal division, the minority Hindu, Buddhist and Christian populations have seen a decline in absolute numbers in the 2001-2011 period. The district has 4765 mosques, 422 temples, and 13 churches.
The city of Patuakhali is situated beside two local rivers: Laukathi River and Lohalia River. During high tides some of the regions of Patuakhali get flooded. The Bay of Bengal is not far from the region.
At the entrance of the city there is a bridge that connects Barisal (the divisional city) with Patuakhali and Kuakata Beach.
As Patuakhali is a coastal area, it is affected almost every year by natural disasters like cyclones, floods and tornadoes. To help the disaster-affected people, many NGO's are active in the area. They play a vital role in developing the life style of poor people.
Bura Ghuranga river view from the bank of Bura Ghuranga river in beside the Gazi Bhari, East Auliapur, Ronghopaldi, Arojbegi, Dhasmina.
Port of Payra is the third sea port of Bangladesh (after Chittagong and Mongla).