| Official Name: | Begumganj |
| Native Name: | বেগমগঞ্জ |
| Settlement Type: | Upazila |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Bangladesh |
| Subdivision Type1: | Division |
| Subdivision Name1: | Chittagong |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Noakhali |
| Population Total: | 549,308 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Demonym: | Begumganji |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Area Total Km2: | 238.37 |
| Seat Type: | Headquarters |
| Seat: | Chowmuhani |
| Leader Title: | MP (Noakhali-3) |
| Leader Name: | Md. Mamunur Rashid Kiron |
| Leader Title1: | Upazila Chairman |
| Leader Name1: | Janab Shahnaz Begum |
| Timezone: | BST |
| Utc Offset: | +6 |
| Coordinates: | 22°N 91°W |
Begumganj (Bengali: বেগমগঞ্জ|Begomgonj) is an upazila of the Noakhali District in Bangladesh's Chittagong Division. Begumganj Thana, now an upazila, was established in 1892.[1]
Begumganj is located at 22.95°N 91.1°W. It has 101,689 households and total area 238.37 km2. It is considered to be a very poorly-drained area of the Old Meghna Estuarine Floodplain along with Laksam Upazila.[2]
During the Mughal period, a mosque was established in Chowdhury Bari, Gopalpur which still stands today. On 7 November 1946, Begumganj was visited by Mohandas Gandhi to suppress the Noakhali riots.[1]
Begumganj suffered from tidal bore on 12 November 1970 as part of the 1970 Bhola cyclone. During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, the Noakhali Company led by Subedar Lutfur Rahman was based in Begumganj. Bengali freedom fighters brawled with the Pakistan Army at Aminbazar Point on Chaumuhani-Lakshmipur road on 25 April. The freedom fighters launched an attack on a Razakar Camp located in Chandraganj High School on 2 July. On 19 August, 50 civilians were killed at Nayahat Bazar. Begumganj Thana was finally liberated on 6 August, and monuments were established in Chowmuhani and Sonaipur.[1]
In 1982, Begumganj Thana was upgraded to upazila status as part of the President of Bangladesh Hussain Muhammad Ershad's decentralisation programme. The 1988, 1998 and 2004 floods caused a lot of damage to properties, crops and lives.[1]
According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Begumganj Upazila had 101,689 households and a population of 549,308. 137,673 (25.06%) were under 10 years of age. Begumganj had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 59.25%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1103 females per 1000 males. 132,948 (24.20%) lived in urban areas.[3] [4]
Begumganj Upazila is divided into Chowmuhani Municipality and 16 union parishads: Gonipur, Alyearpur, Amanullapur, Begumganj, Chayani, Durgapur, Eklashpur, Gopalpur, Hajipur, Jirtali, Kadirpur, Kutubpur, Mirwarishpur, Narottampur, Rajganj, Rasulpur, and Sharifpur. The union parishads are subdivided into 178 mauzas and 184 villages.
Chowmuhani Municipality is subdivided into 9 wards and 23 mahallas.[5]
See also: Education in Bangladesh. There are four colleges in Begumganj. They include Chowmuhani Government S.A College, Jalal Uddin College, and M. A. Hashem College.[6] Among specialized colleges are Begumgonj Textile Engineering College, Noakhali and Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College, Noakhali.
According to Banglapedia, Begumganj Government Pilot High School, Babupur Jirtoli Union High School, founded in 1928, Ghatla High School (1915), Hazipur Abdul Majid High School (1928), Kadirpur High School (1915), and Kalikapur Babupur Union High School (1929) are notable secondary schools.[1]
The madrasa education system includes eight fazil and one kamil madrasas.[7]