Ulipur Upazila

Ulipur Upazila (kurigram district) area 458.48 sq km, located in between 25°33' and 25°49' north latitudes and in between 89°29' and 89°51' east longitudes. It is bounded by kurigram sadar and rajarhat upazilas on the north, chilmari and sundarganj upazilas on the south, raumari upazila and assam state of India on the east, pirgachha and Sundarganj upazilas on the west.

Population Total 395207; male 191041, female 204166; Muslim 365287, Hindu 29423, Buddhist 2, Christian 14and others 481.

Water bodies Main rivers: brahmaputra, dharla, tista.

Administration Ulipur Thana was formed in 1902 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	13	134	354	45933	349274	862	50.3	45.0

Municipality
26.14	9	16	45933	1757	50.3

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Gunaigachh 55	6233	13542	14697	50.3
Tabakpur 78	6038	17142	18103	48.0
Thetroy 83	6782	11339	12545	51.2
Daldalia 33	5573	10807	12277	56.9
Durgapur 50	6098	16362	17901	45.7
Dharanibari 44	5006	13194	14770	49.3
Dhamserni 39	3919	10446	11435	53.6
Pandul 72	4711	11219	12102	45.6
Bazra 16	8768	15233	16401	49.2
Buraburi 22	9833	16402	16688	39.6
Begumganj 14	11355	8770	8539	22.2
Saheber Alga 75	24946	10245	10182	24.3
Hatia 61	7571	13937	14996	37.7

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Ulipur Jami Mosque, three domed Panch Pir Mosque, Satdarga Jami Mosque, Bazra Jami Mosque, Kazi Mosque in Daldalia union (1214 AH), Arabic inscription of an unknown mosque of Hussain Shahi period (preserved in the varendra research museum), Siddheswari Temple, Shiva Bari Mandir, Gobinda Jeu Mandir.

Historical events Many people of the upazila were actively involved in the anti British Movement in 1920 in which one Rishikesh Majumder was imprisoned.

War of Liberation In 1971 the freedom fighters attacked a Pak military convoy. On 13 November the Pak army killed about 700 villagers at Hatia. During the war of liberation seven freedom fighters were killed in an encounter with the Pak army at Mongoler Hat. There are mass graves at 3 places of the upazila (Hatia Dagar Kuthi, Dharanibari Madhupur and a place adjacent to Ulipur Dakbungalow) and three memorial monuments were built.

For details: see উলিপুর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ১।

Noted religious institutions Ulipur Masjidul Huda, Ulipur Jami Mosque, Daldalia Kazi Mosque, Satdargah Jami Mosque, Bazra Jami Mosque, Three Domed Panch Pir Mosque, Siddeshwari Temple, Shiva Bari Mandir, Gobinda Jeu Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 45.6%; male 49.5%, female 42.1%. Educational institutions: college 4, secondary school 42, primary school 183, madrasa 100. Noted educational institutions: Ulipur Government Degree College (1964), Ulipur Mohila College (1986), Panch Pir Degree College (1987), MA Matin Bari Technical and Agricultural College (1995), Ulipur Maharani Sarnamoyee High School (1864), Durgapur High School (1914), Bakshiganj Rajibia High School (1945), Ulipur Government Girls' High School (1909), Ulipur Government Primary School (1909), Durgapur Government Primary School (1914), Satdargah Nesaria Alia Madrasa (1952), Kamal Khamar Bilateral Senior Madrasa (1954), Nureshwar Amenia Madrasa (1954).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Julfikar and Kalam Zamin.

Cultural organisations Library 6, cinema hall 2, women organisation 1, playground 10.

Amusement centres Tupamari Pukur.

Main sources of income Agriculture 69.41%, non-agricultural labourer 3.10%, industry 0.53%, commerce 10.61%, transport and communication 2.53%, service 5.61%, construction 1.11%, religious service 0.17%, rent and remittance 0.38% and others 6.55%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 54.70%, landless 45.3%; agricultural landowner: urban 45.37% and rural 55.93%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, maize, kaun, ground nut, mustard, pulse, sesame, ginger, garlic, onion, betel leaf.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Linseed, lentil, khesari.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, blackberry, coconut, papaya, banana, betel nut.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries This upazila has a number of fisheries, dairies and poultries.

Communication facilities Pucca road 75 km, semi-pucca road 9 km, mud road 436 km; railway 16 km, waterway 52 km.

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

Noted manufactories Flour mill, husking mill, ice factory, Tredol Pump factory (locally known as Dheki Kal), welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, embroidery.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 53, most noted of which are Ulipur Hat, Durgapur Hat, Bakshiganj Hat, Mandal Hat, Buraburi Hat, Anantapur Hat, Pandul Hat, Thetroy Hat, Bazra Hat, Hatiar Tazia Mela and Shideshwari Mela.

Main exports Jute, betel leaf, betel nut, onion, garlic.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 18.9% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 97.7%, tap 0.1% and others 2.2%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 57.9% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 33.3% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 8.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health centre 13, maternity hospital 1, eye hospital 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa. [Md. Abdul Hakim]

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