Pirojpur, Barishal
Pirojpur
A district of rivers, canals and orchards on the Baleshwar, home to the guava market of Atghar-Kuriana, the timber town of Swarupkathi and the floating gardens of Nazirpur.
Local food to try
Where to eat
Where to stay
Culture
Pirojpur’s life follows the water.
- Floating guava market: at Atghar-Kuriana, farmers trade guava and amra from boats in the monsoon, as at Bhimruli across the border.
- Floating gardens: in the wetlands of Nazirpur, farmers build beds of water hyacinth and grow vegetable seedlings and crops on them through the flood season — a traditional practice recognised internationally.
- Timber and woodwork: Swarupkathi is known for its timber market and for wooden furniture and boats.
- Literature: the poet Ahsan Habib was born in Pirojpur, and the district remembers him with pride.
History
Pirojpur lies between the Baleshwar on the west and the canal country of Barishal on the east. Long a subdivision of Bakerganj (Barishal) district, it became a district in 1984. Its upazilas are Pirojpur Sadar, Bhandaria, Kawkhali, Mathbaria, Nazirpur, Nesarabad (Swarupkathi) and Indurkani.
The district was shaped by water. Swarupkathi grew into one of the country’s biggest markets for timber and wooden goods, floated in by river, while the low wetlands of Nazirpur gave rise to farming on floating beds of water hyacinth. In the north-east, the orchards of Atghar-Kuriana produce guava and amra on ridges between canals, just across the border from Jhalokati’s Bhimruli.
Pirojpur has given Bengali literature the poet Ahsan Habib, and the old zamindar houses at Rayerkathi recall the estates of the colonial period. It is a quiet district, best seen slowly from a boat.
Plan your visit
Best time to visit
July to August (into September) for the guava market and floating gardens; October to February for cooler weather
How to get there
- By bus: buses from Dhaka cross the Padma Bridge to Pirojpur town in about 5–6 hours; some go on to Bhandaria and Mathbaria, and buses also run to Swarupkathi.
- From Barishal: buses reach Pirojpur in about 1.5–2 hours, and Swarupkathi in about 1–1.5 hours.
- By launch: overnight launches from Dhaka’s Sadarghat have long served Hularhat near Pirojpur town and Swarupkathi; check locally which routes are running.
Getting around
- Rickshaws and battery auto-rickshaws in Pirojpur town and Swarupkathi.
- Local buses and CNGs between the upazila towns.
- Engine boats and small rowing boats from Swarupkathi to Atghar-Kuriana and the canals, and across the rivers at the ghats.
- In Nazirpur, a small boat is the only way to get close to the floating gardens.