Noakhali (Bengali: নোয়াখালী, lit. 'New canal'), historically known as Bhulua (Bengali: ভুলুয়া), is a district in southeastern Bangladesh, located in the Chittagong Division.[3][4] It was established as district in 1821, and officially named Noakhali in 1868. Its headquarters lie in the town of Maijdee, making Noakhali the only district of Bangladesh that isn't named after its town name. The name of Noakhali District comes from the town of Noakhali (নোয়াখালী), which was the former headquarters of the old district. It is a compound of two words; Noa (meaning new in Noakhailla) and Khali (a diminutive of khal meaning canal). The history behind its naming is traced back to a canal that was dug in the 1660s in response to devastating floods which had affected the area's agricultural activities. The canal ran from the Dakatia through Ramganj, Sonaimuri and Chowmuhani, to divert water flow to the junction of the Meghna River and Feni River. After its excavation, locals began calling it "Noakhali" (a new small canal) and a town with this name emerged around it in Sudharam. Islam is the predominant religion in the district with Hindu minority. Christians and buddhists constitute 0.02% and 0.03% of the district population respectively. The district has 4,159 mosques, 497 eidgahs, 239 temples, two Buddhist pagodas and two churches.
