About 10 km from Cox’s Bazar, is a village with a sizeable Buddhist population. The village is famous for its handicrafts and homemade cigars. There are monasteries, khyangs and pagodas containing images of Buddha in gold, bronze and other metals inlaid with precious stones. One of the most interesting of these temples is on the bank of the Baghkhali river. It houses not only interesting relics and Burmes handicrafts but also a large bronze statue of Buddha measuring thirteen feet high and rests on a six feet high pedestal. The wood carving of this khyang is very delicate and refined. The village has a charm of its own. Weavers ply their trade in open workshops and craftsmen make handmade cigars in their pagoda like houses.
Upazila (Town) consists of four mouzas. The area of the town is 22.03 sq km. The town has a population of 30386; male 52.61%, female 47.39%; density of population per sq km is 1379. Literacy rate among town people is 34%.
Administration Ramu thana was transformed into an upazila in 1983. It consists of 9 union parishads, 39 mouzas and 102 villages.
Archaeological heritage Ramkot Hindu Temple, Ramkot Buddhist Keyang, Lamarpara Buddhist Keyang.
Historical events Tradition goes that Ramu was named after the royal Ramu dynasty of Arakan. At the time of the conquest of Chittagong by the Mughals (1666) a thirteen feet high bronze image of Buddha was found at Ramu. This is the biggest of the Buddha images hitherto discovered in Bangladesh. It is said that Ramachandra met Sita at Ramkot after her abduction by Ravana and that the stone-grinder used by Sita had once been preserved at Ramkot.
Population 167480; male 51.41%, female 48.59%; Muslim 91.26%, Hindu 4.44%, Buddhist 4.29%, Christian 0.01%; ethnic nationals: Rakhain 188 families and Marma 142 families (1.2% of the total population). Density of population per sq km is 428.
Religious institutions Mosque 278, temple 15, Buddhist keyang and pagoda 20. Notable institutions: Jami Mosque at Ramu, Eidgah Bazar Mosque, Ramkot Hindu Temple, Ramkot Buddhist Keyang, Lamarpara Buddhist Keyang.
Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 21.3%; male 28.3%, female 14.3%. Educational institutions: college 1, high school 11, madrasa 5, government primary school 55, non-government primary school 22.
Cultural institutions Rural club 14, public library 1, playground 16.
Main occupations Agriculture 29.62%, forestry 3.66%, agricultural labourer 23.06%, wage labourer 9.59%, industry 1.04%, commerce 12.78%, service 4.55%, transport 2.45%, others 13.25%.
Land use Cultivable land 11129 hectares, fallow land 3072 hectares; single crop 35%, double crop 45% and triple crop land 20%. The largest rubber garden of the country comprising an area of 844.19 hectares belongs to this upazila. Cultivable land under irrigation 80%.
Land control Among the peasants, 66% are landless, 18% small peasant, 10% intermediate, 6% rich; cultivable land per head 0.066 hectare.
Value of land The market value of the first grade arable land is Tk 5000 her 0.01 hectare.
Main crops Paddy, potato, pulse, onion, garlic, ginger, betel, betel-nut, rubber, spices, vegetables.
Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sugarcane, sesame, linseed, mustard, cotton, jute.
Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, pineapple, banana, papaya, coconut.
Fishery and poultry Fishery 12, poultry 4, hatchery 10.
Communication facilities Roads: pucca 32 km, semi pucca 25 km and mud road 637 km.
Traditional transport Palanquin (extinct), bullock cart (nearly extinct), boat .
Manufactories Rice mill 90, flour mill 52.
Cottage industries Weaving 119, brass work 24, bamboo and cane work 555, wood work 233, tailoring 12, blacksmith 33, potteries 27.
Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 28, most noted of which are Fakir Hat, Garjania Bazar, Eidgarh Bazar, Joaria Nala Bazar; fair 1 (Ramkot Mela).
Main exports Betel, betel-nut, coconut, banana, papaya, jackfruit, pineapple, shrimp fry, rubber.
Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 9.
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