Upazilas of Bangladesh

Upazilas Of Bangladesh

The districts of Bangladesh are divided into subdistricts called Upazila (Bengali উপজেলা upojela) or Thana. Upazilas are similar to the county subdivisions found in some Western countries.

Bangladesh, at present, has 500 upazilas and 509 administrative thanas for a total of 1009 subdistricts. The upazilas/thanas are the second lowest tier of regional administration in Bangladesh. The administrative structure consists in fact in Divisions (7), Districts (64), Upazila/Thana and Union Parishads (UPs). This system of devolution was introduced by the former military ruler and President of Bangladesh, Lieutenant General Hossain Mohammad Ershad, in an attempt to strengthen local government.

Below UPs, villages (gram) and para exist, but these have no administrative power and elected members. The Local Government Ordinance of 1982 was amended a year later, redesignating and upgrading the existing thanas as upazilas.