লোহাগাড়া, চট্টগ্রাম

The Lohagara area guide has been one of the most sought-after ones since the development of Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar train station routes. It is an upazila of the Chattogram district, located about 60 kilometers south of the metropolitan city area. With a total land area of 259.19 square kilometers and a population of nearly 2.5 lakh, Lohagara is one of the green locations of Chattogram.

It is surrounded by Satkania upazila in the north, Chakaria in the south, Bandarbad hilly areas in the east, and Banshkhali upazila in the west. The important water bodies of the area are the Hangor River and the Tankabati and Boalia canals.

Historical records show that Lohagara Thana was established first after Satkania Thana was divided into two parts in 1981. However, it became an upazila in 1983. It is said that Shah Shuja, the Mughal Prince, took shelter in this area in 1660. During his departure, the prince engraved an iron bar as a sign. As “iron” is translated as “Loha” in Bengali, people went on calling this place Lohagara. The resting area of Prince Shah Shuja is now called Chunati, a location under the upazila.

The forest areas of this upazila are filled with gorjon, boilam, chapalish, and many medicinal trees and herbs. Animals like elephants, deer, monkeys, wild boars, wild cats, foxes, etc., also wander in the forest zones of Lohagara.

Recently, the Elephant Overpass was constructed in Chunati of Lohagara Upazila, which is the first elephant overpass in Southeast Asia. It is built over the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Railway line so that the elephants can move freely.

Anyone who wants a taste of beautiful greenery, such as forests, hills, and other areas, can visit Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Padua Forest Range, Chambi Lake, Nasim Park, etc. Other notable locations of the upazila include Cox’s Bazar Gate, located on the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Highway of Chunati, Masadia Gyanbikash Bihar, Charamba Rubber Dam, Charamba Segun Bagan, Chambi Rubber Dam, etc.

Lohagara is a prosperous area with many educational institutions, including universities and madrasas. It has over 60 mosques, 9 temples, 4 churches and 2 pagodas. The economy of the upazila depends mainly on agriculture. There are also fisheries, dairies, and cottage industries.

Despite all the good things, Lohagara still suffers from many shortcomings. However, with proper steps and adding more modern facilities, this area can be turned into one of the important tourist attractions in the future.