Bhola Island
 River and flatlands of Bhola | |
  Bhola Bhola Island (Bangladesh) | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bay of Bengal |
| Coordinates | 22°30′N 90°45′E / 22.500°N 90.750°E |
| Area | 1,295 km2 (500 sq mi)[1] |
| Length | 90 km (56 mi) |
| Width | 25 km (15.5 mi) |
| Coastline | 550 km (342 mi)[1] |
| Highest elevation | 10 m (30 ft)[1] |
| Highest point | Unnamed |
| Administration | |
Bangladesh | |
| Division | Barisal Division |
| District | Bhola District |
| Demographics | |
| Demonym | Bholaya |
| Population | 1,800,000 (2020)[2] |
| Pop. density | 1,078/km2 (2792/sq mi) |
| Languages | Bengali |
| Ethnic groups | Bengalis |
Bhola Island (also called Dakhin Shahbazpur) is the largest island of Bangladesh with an area of 1,295 km2 (500 sq mi) and a coastline of 324 km (201 mi).[1] It accounts for most of the land area of Bhola District in Barisal Division.[3]
Geography
[edit]
It is situated at the mouth of the Meghna River. There are ferry and launch services from Dhaka and Barisal.[4]
The Island is 130 kilometres (81 miles) long and has a population of 1.7 million. A 1776 map indicates that it was oval-shaped yet it is currently more elongated because of erosion by the Meghna River. It is only 6 feet (1.8 m) above ocean level at the most elevated point.[5]
Due to its low elevation, large parts of the island have already been inundated by sea level rise, and the island is at serious risk of disappearing entirely.[6]
Culture
[edit]According to the 2011 census, 96.7% are Muslim, 3.3% are Hindu.
Bhola Island is known for its Buffalo curd (doi) which is unique in Bangladesh. The process that has been used has remained unchanged. It is made in traditional clay pots and the process takes 18 hours. It is popular in the Island and is served in special occasions such as weddings, festivals and other special occasions.[7]
Energy
[edit]The Island has faced chronic power issues, although natural gas was discovered in Shahbazpur in 1994. The government decided to build a power plant which is expected to fully operational by August 2015. The state-owned Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) is installing a high voltage transmission line from Bhola Island to Borhanuddin Island.[8]
Media
[edit]There are 14 community radio stations on air.[9]
History
[edit]In 1970, it was affected by the devastating Bhola cyclone which completely devastated the southern half of the island and also destroyed the rice crop.
In October 1975, it was home to the last human being naturally infected with smallpox. When a toddler named Rahima Banu became infected with the virus, the World Health Organization sent a team to vaccinate 18,150 individuals who lived within a 1.5-mile radius of her home, which prevented the spread of the virus and eliminated it.[6]
In 1995, half of the island became flooded, leaving 500,000 people homeless.[10]
In 2005, floods affected over half a million people on the island. Significant floods in the months and years before had caused severe erosion and led to a number of rivers overflowing. As of 2009 a number of the island's inhabitants were living in the slums of Dhaka.[11]
In 2019, riots erupted after a Hindu man from the island was accused of posting blasphemous content against Muhammad. It was later discovered his account had been hacked to say such things by mischief makers wanting money.[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Bhola". world-islands.net. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ Bangladesh population and housing census 2011 : zila report Bhola. [Dhaka]: Parisaṃkhyāna Byuro, Bangladesh. Parisaṃkhyāna Byuro. Statistics and Informatics Division. 2015. ISBN 978-984-33-8653-3. OCLC 978250366.
- ^ Md Sakhaowat Hossain (2012). "Bhola District". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ "About Bhola Island". Bhola's Children. Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- ^ Doyle, Alister. "Sonar to help slow Bangladesh erosion in Ganges delta". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ a b Johnson, Steven. "How Humanity Gave Itself an Extra Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ Seraj, Shykh (19 March 2015). "Buffalo Curd: Heritage of Bhola". The Daily Star. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ Khan, Sharier (8 March 2015). "Big boost for Bhola". The Daily Star. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ Rahman, Jahangir. "Community radio as change agent". The Financial Express. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ "In Flood-Prone Bangladesh, a Future That Floats", Emily Wax, The Washington Post, 27 September 2007
- ^ Catie Leary (16 October 2009). "7 places forever changed by eco-disasters: Bhola Island". Mother Nature Network. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
- ^ "4 killed, 50 injured as protesters clash with police over blasphemous Facebook post in Bangladesh". The Hindu. PTI. 2019-10-20. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-05-08.