Ghoraghat Upazila

Ghoraghat Upazila (dinajpur district) area 148.67 sq km, located in between 25°13' and 25°22' north latitudes and in between 89°08' and 89°18' east longitudes. It is bounded by nawabganj and pirganj (rangpur) upazilas on the north, panchbibi and gobindaganj upazilas on the south, palashbari and Pirganj upazilas on the east, hakimpur and Nawabganj upazilas on the west.

Population Total 117740; male 59001, female 58739; Muslim 101014, Hindu 7302, Buddhist 19, Christian 6062 and others 3343. Indigenous communities such as santal, oraon, Munda belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main river: Jamunnesari.

Administration Ghoraghat Thana was formed in 1895 and it was turned into an upazila in 1984.

Upazila
Municipality Union Mouza Village Population Density (per sq km) Literacy rate (%)
Urban Rural Urban Rural
1 4 103 103 23554 94186 792 46.3 (2001) 44.7
Municipality
Area
(sq km)
Ward Mahalla Population Density
(per sq km)
Literacy rate (%)
- 9 29 22717 - 51.2
Upazila Town

Area (sq km)

Mouza

Population

Density (per sq km)

Literacy rate (%)

5.07 (2001) 1 837 898 (2001) 49.1
Union
Name of union and GO code Area (acre) Population Literacy rate (%)
Male Female
Ghoraghat 38 4004 5641 5711 43.9
Palsa 57 9814 12390 12500 47.5
Bulakipur 19 9272 13792 13420 38.6
Singra 76 9045 15773 15796 48.2

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Mosque at village Chargachha (Mughal period), tombs of Shah Ismail Ghazi and Badre Arefin.

War of Liberation Freedom fighters had encounters with Pak army at Rudrani, Jalpaitali, Panikata, Raninagar and a few other places of the upazila during the War of Liberaion.

For details: see ঘোড়াঘাট উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৩।

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 46.0%; male 48.4%, female 43.6%. Educational institutions: college 8, secondary school 18, primary school 53, brac school 29, kindergarten 2, madrasa 34. Noted educational institutions: Ghoraghat Degree College (1984), Ghoraghat Women College (1994), Raniganj Mahila College (1994), Dugdugirhat Technical College (2003), Raniganj Bilateral High School (1945), Chatsal Secondary School (1946), Balahar Secondary School (1958), Balagari' Secondary School (1966), Gopalpur Secondary School (1972), Krishnarampur Fazil Madrasa (1946), Deogaon Rahmania Senior Madrasa (1947).

Cultural organisations Library 3, club 10, cinema hall 5.

Main sources of income Agriculture 68.64%, non-agricultural labourer 2.84%, industry 0.50%, commerce 12.95%, transport and communication 2.91%, service 4.35%, construction 0.53%, religious service 0.13%, rent and remittance 0.07% and others 7.08%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 51.03%, landless 48.97%; agricultural landowner: urban 39.29% and rural 51.57%.'

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

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sugarcane.

Main fruits Mango, watermelon, jackfruit, banana.

Communication facilities Pucca road 9149 km, mud road 284.77 km; waterway 16 km.

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

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 17, fairs 2, most noted of which are Raniganj, Osmanpur and Ghoraghat hats; Rishighat Mela and Gopalpur Mela.

Main exports Paddy, banana, watermelon.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 39.2% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.2%, tap 1.2% and others 3.6%.

Sanitation 59.0% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 30.0% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 11.0% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union and family planning centre 4, satellite clinic 3.

NGO activities brac, asa, HEED Bangladesh, thengamara mahila sabuj sangha. [Shamsuzzaman]

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