Boda Upazila

Boda Upazila (panchagarh district) area 349.47 sq km, located in between 26°05' and 26°23' north latitudes and in between 88°27' and 88°46' east longitudes. It is bounded by panchagarh sadar upazila on the north, thakurgaon sadar and debiganj upazilas on the south, Debiganj upazila on the east, atwari, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh Sadar upazilas on the west. Indian enclaves such as Nagirganj, Shalbari, Meyelia, Doikhata, and Maidandighi belong to this upazila.

Population Total 232124; male 116555, female 115569; Muslim 177462, Hindu 53989, Buddhist 2, Christian 399 and others 272.

Water bodies Main rivers: karatoya, tangon, Pathraj.

Administration Boda Thana, now an upazila formed in 1883. After the partition of India in 1947 this upazila was included into Thakurgaon Sub Division of Dinajpur district and in 1984 it was included into Panchagarh district.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	10	151	219	17030	215094	664	58.2 (2001)	50.7

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
-	9	32	14787	-	66.7

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
4.17 (2001)	1	2243	1662 (2001)	60.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kajal Dighi Kaliganj 58	10780	12924	13064	44.4
Chandanbari 29	6578	10111	10079	44.1
Jhalaishalsiri 51	6942	9656	9718	50.5
Panchpir 87	6864	10197	10214	52.3
Bara Shashi 12	18979	14128	14217	58.1
Benghari Banagram 14	7991	12158	11650	51.3
Boda 21	5149	7104	6927	58.3
Maidan Dighi 73	7677	11852	11462	57.2
Marea Bamanhat 80	7181	11211	11000	46.1
Sakoa 94	6171	9786	9879	45.9

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Chandanbari Mosque, Vadeswari Temple, Govinda Temple, Golok Dham Mandir.

Historical events The people of this upazila actively participated in peasant movement against Devi Shingh (end of 18th century), fakir-sannyasi resistance (1763-1800), sepoy revolt (1857), tebhaga movement (1938-1947), peasant movements (1958-68) and mass upsurge of 1969.

War of Liberation Freedom fighters carried out a number of Gurrila attacks on Pak army bases in this upazila during the nine-month war of liberation. The Pak army, in collaboration with the razakars, conducted heavy torture in the upazila. They captured Boda Town on 18 April 1971. Boda was liberated on 1 December 1971.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 368, temple 12, tomb 2. Noted religious institutions: Chandanbari Mosque, Vadeswari Temple, Govinda Temple, Golok Dham Mondir, Bara Shashi Tomb and tomb of Manikpir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 51.8%; male 55.0%, female 48.6%. Educational institutions: college 10, secondary school 50, primary school 168, satellite school 80, madrasa 40. Noted educational institutions: Pathraj College (1973), Boda English High School (1888), Boda Pilot High School (1888), Maidan Dighi BL High School (1929), Nayadighi Primary School (1828), Goalpara Primary School (1830), Boda Ideal Primary School (1873).

Newspapers and periodicals Surya Uthe (1972), Gana Patra (1988), Chetana (2006).

Cultural organisations Library 5, club 40, theatre stage 1, cinema hall 4.

Tourist spots Vadeswari Temple, Golok Dham Mondir, Nayaniburuj and Nayadighi.

Main sources of income Agriculture 75.19%, non-agricultural labourer 2.91%, industry 0.32%, commerce 9.5%, transport and communication 4.61%, service 3.63%, construction 0.93%, religious service 0.16%, rent and remittance 0.1% and others 2.65%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 59.95%, landless 40.05%; agricultural landowner: urban 38.16% and rural 60.73%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, sugarcane, mustard. Extinct or nearly extinct crops Aux rice, kaun, demsi.

Main fruits Mango, jack fruit, litchi, banana, betel nut.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca road 84.86 km, mud road 558.16 km; railway 8.5 km; waterway 1.5 km.

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

Noted manufactories Husking mill 30.

Cottage industries Potteries, Bamboo work, nakshi kantha.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 138, fairs 3, most noted which are Boda Hat, Sakoa Hat, Sareya Hat, Maidan Dighi Hat, Panchpir Hat, Jhalaishalsiri Hat, Tepukuria Hat, Fultala Hat, Mondaler Hat and Baruni Mela, Boalmari Melaand Maidan Dighi Mela.

Main exports Paddy, jute, betel nut, wheat.

Access to electricity All the unions of this upazila are under rural electrification net-work; however 21.8% dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.4%, tap 0.5% and others 4.1%.

Sanitation 57.0% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 28.2% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 14.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 9, satellite' clinic 2, clinic 5.

ngo activities brac, CARE, asa. [Md. Ahsan Habib]

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