Bochaganj Upazila

Bochaganj Upazila (dinajpur district) area 224.79 sq km, located in between 25°40' and 25°54' north latitudes and in between 88°23' and 88°32' east longitudes. It is bounded by birganj and pirganj (rangpur) upazilas on the north, biral upazila and west bengal of India on the south, Birganj, kaharole and Biral upazilas on the east, Pirganj (Rangpur) upazila on the west.

Population Total 160049; male 80428, female 79621; Muslim 96086, Hindu 60684, Buddhist 87, Christian 1638 and others 1554.

Water bodies Main river: tangon.

Administration Bochaganj Thana was formed in 1915 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	6	139	141	27335	132714	712	62.6	50.4

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
10.23	9	33	27335	2672	62.6

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Atgaon 13	9089	11963	12159	46.5
Ishania 40	8829	12317	11896	51.2
Chhatail 27	9656	11186	11162	47.3
Nafanagar 67	9149	11325	11347	60.8
Mushidhat 54	6706	8971	8881	49.1
Rangaon 81	9593	10841	10666	47.3

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011,Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation in 1971 an encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pakistan army at Maherpur Hat. The Pak army burnt to ashes a number of nearby villages. 6 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a mine explosion by the freedom fighters at Pulerhat of the upazila. There is a mass grave at Chhatail and a mass killing site at Bhabaldighi.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 211, temple 91, church 1.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 52.6%; male 57.7%, female 47.4%. Educational institutions: college 6, vocational institute 1, secondary school 49, primary school 120, madrasa 15. Noted educational institutions: Setabganj Degree College (1967), Mollah Para Bilateral High School (1913), Setabganj Pilot High School (1938), Nehalgaon High School (1946), Batasan High School (1966), Setabganj Girls' School (1973), Setabganj Kamil Madrasa (1957).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Tulai; fortnightly: Joddha.

Cultural organisations Library 2, club 40, cinema hall 2.

Important establishments Sada Mahal, Shalban.

Main sources of income Agriculture 60.74%, non-agricultural labourer 3.13%, industry 0.64%, commerce 9.64%, transport and communication 2.26%, service 7.17%, construction 13.46%, religious service 0.1%, rent and remittance 0.15% and others 2.71%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 50.2%, landless 49.8%; agricultural landowner: urban 32.76% and rural 53.74%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, oil seed, sugarcane, potato, pulse.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Aus paddy.

Main fruits Mango, banana, jackfruit, blackberry.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 5, dairy 25, poultry 78.

Communication facilities Pucca road 120 km, semi-pucca road 1 km, mud road 400 km; railway 18 km.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill, saw mill, husking mill, sugar mill, biscuit factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 28, fairs 1; Bochaganj Hat and Setabganj Mela are notable.

Main exports Paddy, rice, jute, potato, sugar.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 29.8% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 98.3%, tap 0.8% and others 0.9%.

Sanitation 58.7% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 16.9% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 24.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 1, Union health and family planning centre 6, satellite clinic 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, CARE. [Rezaul Karim]

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