Burichang Upazila

Burichang Upazila (comilla district) area 163.76 sq km, located in between 23°28' and 23°37 north latitude and in between 91°02' and 91°13' east longitudes. It is bounded by brahmanpara upazila on the north, comilla adarsha sadar upazila on the south, tripura state of India and Comilla Adarsha Sadar upazila on the east, debidwar and chandina upazilas on the west.

Population Total 301825; male 145982, female 155843; Muslim 290941, Hindu 10831, Buddhist 7, Christian 31 and others 15.

Water bodies Main rivers: gumti, Ghungur, noted canals are Chandala, Nagisabila, Uttar Borakhola, Marjora and Habilar are notable.

Administration 'Burichang thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1916.

Upazila
Municipality Union Mouza Village Population Density (per sq km) Literacy rate (%)
Urban Rural Urban Rural
- 8 149 172 12776 289049 1843 64.7 56.7
Upazila Town

Area (per sq km)

Mouza

Population

Density
(per sq km)

Literacy (%)

3.73 1 12776 3425 64.7
Union
Name of union and GO code Area (acre) Population Literacy (%)
Male Female
Pir Jatrapur 72 2768 10730 12112 57.4
Baksimail 11 6102 15521 16540 57.5
Burichang Sadar 31 3975 18809 19894 59.7
Bharella 12 4918 21587 23146 52.9
Mainamati 63 5070 22646 23449 58.9
Mokam 69 6105 24139 25451 54.6
Rajapur 75 5499 14801 15996 60.0
Sholanal 94 6030 17749 19255 57.0

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Ranir Bungalow of Rani Mainamati (wife of Raja Manik Chandra), Buddha statue, Terracotta, marks of Buddhist religion, Shiva statue.

War of Liberation This upazila was under sector 2 during the war of liberation. There had been many encounters of the freedom fighters against Pak army in the upazila and the most memorable five among them were at Panchra, Burichang Police Station, Ramnagar, Jalalpur and Charanal. 11 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 12 of them were wounded in the encounter at Panchra. 8 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the operation at the Burichang Police Station and the number of Pakistani soldiers killed in operations at Ramnagar and Jalapur were 16 and 35 respectively. In the encounters between the freedom fighters and the Pak army 20 freedom fighters was martyred and 9 were wounded.

For details: see বুড়িচং উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৭।

Religious institutions Mosque 290, temple 23, place of pilgrimage 1, tomb 9.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average 57.0%; male 58.4%, female 55.8%. Educational institutions: college 9, secondary school 81, primary school 137, madrasa 40. Noted educational institutions: Burichang' Ananda Pilot High School (1920), Fakir Bazar High School (1941), Mithilapur Government Primary School (1908), Sreepur Senior Fazil Madrasa (1932)

Newspapers and periodicals Brahmanpara Burichang, Kriti' Brahmanpara Burichang.

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 42, press club 1, women's organisation 8, cinema hall 2, playground 18.'

Main sources of income Agriculture 55.56%, non-agricultural labourer 1.79%, industry 0.65%, commerce 14.96%, transport and communication 3.95%, service 10.62%, construction 1.56%, religious service 0.25%, rent and remittance 1.06% and others 9.6%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 71.23%, landless 28.77%; agricultural land owner: urban 71.05% and rural 71.24%.'

Main crops Paddy, potato, wheat, mustard, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops kaun, Linseed, sugarcane, jute, sweet potato and tobacco.

Main fruits Jackfruit, mango, papaya, banana.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 171, poultries 410, artificial breeding centre 1,' artificial breeding point 5, nursery 21.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca road 120 km, semi-pucca 45 km, mud road 430 km, railways 7 km, railway station 1, culvert 761, heliport 1.

Extinct and nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage and bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Spinning mill, Silk industry, oil mill, saw mill, rice mill, paper board factory, boiler mill, welding factory, cold storage etc.

Cattage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, weaving, potteries, tailoring, woodwork, bamboo and cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 29, fairs 1, most noted of which are Kangshanagar Hat, Nanuar Bazar Hat, Saheb Bazar, Fakir Bazar Hat and Mainamati Mela, Baishakhi Mela at Nanuar Bazar.

Main exports Handloom fabrics, potato, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 89.8% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 89.8%, tap 6.1% and others 4.1%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in shallow bube well of this upazila.

Sanitation In this upazila 74.1% of dwelling households of the upazilla use sanitary latrines and 23.2% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 2.7% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazilla health complex 1, family planning centre 6, EPI centre 192, clinic 2, community clinic 20, veterinary hospital 1, livestock development centre 1.

NGO activities brac, asa. [Mahfuzur Rahman]

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Burichang Upazila 2007.