Maulvibazar District
Maulvibazar District (sylhet division) area 2799.38 sq km, located in between 24°08' and 24°29' north latitudes and in between 91°36' and 92°17' east longitudes. It is bounded by sylhet district on the north, tripura state of India on the south, assam and Tripura states of India on the east, habiganj district on the west.
Population Total 1919062; male 944728, female 974334; Muslim 1425786, Hindu 471974, Buddhist 225, Christian 15350 and others 5727. Indigenous communities such as manipuri, khasia, tripura and Halam belong to this district.
Water bodies Main rivers: manu, Dhalai, Juri, Longla; Hakaluki, Hail and Kawadighi Haors are notable.
Administration Maulvibazar Sub-division was formed in 1960 and it was turned into a district in 1984. Maulvibazar Municipality was established in 1930.
| District | |||||||||
| Area (sq km) | Upazila | Municipality | Union | Mouza | Village | Population | Density (per sq km) | Literacy rate (%) | |
| Urban | Rural | ||||||||
| 2799.38 | 7 | 5 | 67 | 917 | 2015 | 208079 | 1710983 | 686 | 51.1 |
| Others Information of District | ||||||||
|
Name of Upazila |
Area |
Municipality |
Union |
Mouza |
Village |
Population |
Density |
Literacy rate (%) |
| Kamalganj | 485.26 | 1 | 9 | 119 | 253 | 259130 | 534 | 48.6 |
| Kulaura | 545.73 | 1 | 13 | 128 | 447 | 360195 | 660 | 51.9 |
| Juri | 186.30 | - | 6 | 71 | 142 | 148958 | 800 | 52.3 |
| Maulvibazar Sadar | 344.32 | 1 | 12 | 202 | 429 | 342468 | 995 | 54.9 |
| Barlekha | 448.86 | 1 | 10 | 140 | 269 | 257620 | 574 | 52.4 |
| Rajnagar | 338.15 | - | 8 | 147 | 267 | 232666 | 688 | 48.6 |
| Sreemangal | 450.73 | 1 | 9 | 110 | 208 | 318025 | 706 | 48.3 |
Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
War of Liberation Maulvibazar district was under Sector 4 during the war of liberation. Armed resistance against the Pak army begun at village Sreerai Nagar of Maulvibazar Sadar on 27 March 1971. The Pak army made a surprise attack on the procession there in which two persons were shot dead. Encounters between the freedom fighters and the Pak army were held at different places of the Maulvibazar Sadar upazila including at Manumukh, Shamshernagar, Kamalpur, Fultala, Shahbazpur, Udna tea estate, Kulaura and Sherpur. On 2 and 3 December battles were fought between the Pak army and the joint forces (freedom fighters and the allied forces) at Fultala, Sagarnal and Kapnapahar areas of Kulaura upazila. On 4 December a group of 30 freedom fighters took control over the Pak military camp at Udna Tea Garden of Rajnagar upazila. Martyr Bir Srestha mohammad hamidur rahman was killed at village Ambasa on the border area of Kamalganj upazila. There are mass graves at 9 places and mass killing sites at 6 places of the upazila; 7 memorial monuments had been built.
Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 51.1%; male 52.7%, female 49.5%. Educational institutions: college 24, co-operative institute 1, youth training centre 1, nursing institute 1, vocational training institute 1, Tea Research Institute 1, horticulture research institute 1, primary teachers training institute 1, education project for the blinds 1, secondary school 158, primary school 1103, madrasa 108. Noted educational institutions: Maulvibazar Government College (1956), Maulvibazar Government Mahila College (1985), Abdul Gafur Chowdhury Mahila College (2000), Sreemangal Government College, Rajnagar Degree College (1973), Moulana Mufajjol Hossain Mahila College (1994), Taiyebun Nessa Khanam Academy Degree College (1994), Jagatsi Gopallkrishna M Saifur Rahman School and College (1915), Maulvibazar Government High School (1891), Rajnagar Portias High School (1893), Kali Prasad High School (1895), Dashrath Multilateral High School (1896), Kashinath Alauddin High School (1917), BTRI High School and College, The Birds Residential Model High School and College, Victoria High School (1924), Shamshernagar ATM High School (1929), Ali Amzad Government Girls' High School (1932), MA Wahab High School (1933), Kamalganj High School (1934), Tatoigaon Rashid Uddin High School (1954), Dayamoy Singha High School (1973), Haji Ustawar Girls' High School (1983), Abul Fazal Chowdhury High School (1985), Juri High School (1994), Suja Memorial High School (1994), Ekasantosh Government Primary School (1880), Dobarhat Government Primary School (1882), Chandranath Government Primary School (1924), Basudebpur Government Primary School (1930), Chandranath Primary School (1934), Shamshernagar Government Primary School (1946), Ranirbazar Government Primary School (1953), Raj Dighirpar Primary School (1972), Tatoigaon Government Primary School (1978), Uttarsur Kul Chandra Government Primary School, Ghargaon Hedayetul Islam Taitel Madrasa (1926), Nayabazar Ahmadia Fazil Madrasa (1958), Rajnagar DS Fazil Madrasa (1973), Darul Ulum Madrasa.
Main sources of income Agriculture 40.37%, non-agricultural labourer 13.13%, industry 1.63%, commerce 11.29%, transport and communication 2.20%, service 6.62%, construction 1.44%, religious service 0.40%, rent and remittance 4.71% and others 18.21%.
Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Maulvibazar Barta, Banglar Din, Khola Chithi; weekly: Patakunrir Desh, Manu Barta, Janaprattasha, Muktakatha, Manab Thikana, Hefazat-e-Islam, Maulvibazar Darpan, Al Insan, Sreemangaler Chithi, Sree Bani, Pubali Barta, Sree Vhumi, Joy Barta, Kulaurar Dak, Rajkantha; fortnightly: The Sylhet Today, Banhi Shikha; monthly: Durdiganta, Sree Gaurbanee; defunct: monthly Tablig-ul-Islam and Tanjimul Muslemin (1924), Sreehatta Vraman-Paridarshan (1930), weekly Avijan (1935), monthly Christian Jagat (1935), quarterly Brati (1936), weekly Nakib (1937), yearly Abahani (1939), weekly Agradut (1960), monthly Bonna (1970), weekly Biplavi Bangla (1972), weekly Muktabarta (1972), Weekly Fariad (1987).
Tourist spots Madhabkunda Water Fall (Barlekha); Madhabpur Lake, Parikunda and hakaluki haor (Kamalganj); Muraichhara Eco Park, Rubber Plantation and Tila (Kulaura); Barshijora Eco-Park, Monu Barrage and Tea Garden (Maulvibazar Sadar Upazila); Bangladesh Tea Research Institute, Lawachhara National Park, Bharaura Lake, Magurchhara Khasiapunji and Gas Field and Denston Cemetry (Sreemangal).
Folk culture Folk traditions of the district include Rasnritya, Khamba-Thoibi, Lai-haraoba, Thabal-Changba, Mridanganritya, Dol Festival, Biju Festival, Karam Puja, Lathinritta (stick dance), Jhumur nritya, Charak nritya of the Shabdakar community, proverbs, Poi, riddle, Dak, Geet, marriage song, Dhamail song, Baul song, Sari Gan, Lachari, Bandha song, Baromashi song, Maljora song, Bichched song, etc. [Shah Abdul Wadud]
See also The upazilas under this district.
References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Maulvibazar District 2007; Cultural survey report of upazilas of Maulvibazar District 2007.
