Patuakhali, Barisal Division, Bangladesh

🇧🇩 Patuakhali is a town and district headquarter of Patuakhali District located on the southern bank of Laukathi river in the division of Barisal in Bangladesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Patuakhali district and one of the oldest towns and municipalities in the country. Patuakhali municipality was established in 1892. The town covers an area of 27.03 km².

History Historically, Patuakhali was part of Chandradwip kingdom in the fourteenth century. The present town was then full of jungle and along the river-side a small market used to meet once a week. During British rule in Bengal, the land of Patuakhali town was owned by a landlord family. A civil court with a Judge was set up in 1868 and Patuakhali was established a subdivision of then Barisal District in 1871 by the help of Brajamohan Dutta. On the northern bank of the river, in the village Laukathi, were the tahsil cutcheries of the principal landlords of the subdivision. With the influx of population from the districts of Dhaka, Faridpur and Barisal a good market, a middle English school and a charitable dispensary were gradually established and trading firms opened up business. The high school and the Begum Hospital were probably the most important public institution in the town that time. The high school was established in 1887 and a hostel attached to the school in 1904. The hospital was established in 1872, and was provided with a new building in 1904, the entire cost being borne by the late Nawab Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah Bahadur of Dacca. The hospital is called the Begum Hospital after the Nawab's wife. Rice, firewood, coarse cloth made by the local weavers and hogla mats were the chief items of trade. A hosiery factory was established in 1911–12.

Patuakhali was constituted a municipality on 1 April 1892. The Commissioners were at first nominated, but the elective system was introduced in 1900s. The Local Board was established in 1871. The area within the municipal limits was.

Transport and communications The main transport systems used in the town are cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws, buses, mini-buses, bikes and cars. Patuakhali can be reached by road and waterways. There is a bus station at Choumohoni a few km away from the town and a launch terminal located at the other end which maintains communication with Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. There is no railway in this region.