Nijhum Dwip

Nijhum Dwip means, Silent Island (Bengali: নিঝুম দ্বীপ) is a small island under Hatiya upazila. It is situated in Noakhali District in Bangladesh. Once it was called as Char Osman

History

It was not settled until 1970, until then only seaonally. At the time it was called Nijhum Dwip (the quiet island) was included in the Hatiya constituency after permanent settlement. Then because of riverbank erosion in nearby areas, especially Hatiya, Shahbajpur and Ramgati people migrated to the island as new settlers.

Population

The population in Nijhum Dwip in 2001 was 10,670. Their main occupations are cultivation, fishing and livestock farming. The island produces vegetables. But the island suffers from natural calamities, and life is hard and risky.

Current status

Nijhum Dwip presently has six big bazaars with mainly the grocery shops, small restaurants and drug stores. These bazaars are the only places in the islands to have electricity from generators. The forest department of the government of Bangladesh created mangrove forests in Nijhum Dwip and the main attraction in these forests is the herd of about 5000 spotted dear. The most important type of tree planted in the island is Keora, also known as Kerfa, which has fast growing roots holding the sandy land. The plant also supplies pillars for houses, materials for making boats and agricultural implements, and fuel for domestic use. In 2001, the government of Bangladesh declared Nijhum Dwip forests as National Park.