Nandail Upazila

Nandail Upazila (mymensingh district) area 326.37 sq km, located in between 24'28' and 24'39' north latitudes and in between 90'30' and 90'49' east longitudes. It is bounded by ishwarganj upazila on the north, hossainpur and kishoreganj sadar upazilas on the south, kendua and tarail upazilas on the east, trishal and gaffargaon upazilas on the west.

Population Total 402727; male 198201, female 204526; Muslim 394835, Hindu 7543, Christian 18 and others 331.

Water bodies Main rivers: old brahmaputra, Kachamatia, Narasunda, Magha; Aralia, Hamai, Banna, Balda, Kalaidhar, Tongi and Baula beels are notable.

Administration Nandail Thana was formed in 1912 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	12	162	265	43413	359314	1234	42.7 (2001)	39.0

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
23.06 (2001)	9	20	33308	1255 (2001)	53.3

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
12.38 (2001)	2	10105	626 (2001)	46.3

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Achargaon 13	5249	13257	13874	43.2
Kharua 47	5861	14321	14373	37.9
Gangail 31	6262	15693	16224	39.0
Chandipasha 23	6150	17632	18271	39.4
Jahangirpur 39	6671	17625	18272	36.7
Nandail 71	4821	12088	12324	38.6
Betagair 15	8830	20721	21027	35.3
Musuli 63	6706	14395	15657	40.3
Moazzempur 55	6297	16517	16689	43.2
Rajgati 79	6195	12763	13318	33.1
Sherpur 87	5994	13637	13811	41.2
Singrail 94	5915	13046	13884	44.0

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Muazzamabad Mosque (1493-1519), tomb and khanqa of Jahangir Shah at Jahangirpur village.

Historical events The love story of the dramatic epic Malua (Malua Pala) of the maimansingha gitika (ballads) belongs to Nandail. In the eighteenth century when the British established Neel Kuthi (indigo centre) at Deoanganj Bazar of Nandail Indigo Revolt started in the area.

War of Liberation On 21 April 1971 the Pakistan army killed 18 persons and burned few hundred houses of Rajgati, Subhakhila and Kaliganj areas. On 17 November 1971 some freedom fighters including Illias Uddin Bhuiyan and Shamsul Haque were killed in a battle with the Pakistan occupation army. This day is being observed as the “Nandail Shaheed Day”. The flag of the Independent Bangladesh was hoisted on 11 December in Nandail; this day is being observed as the ‘Liberated Nandail Day’. There is a mass grave at Baraigaon and a mass killing site in the Railway Bridge area of Subhakhila Kaliganj.

For details: see নান্দাইল উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৫।

Religious institutions Mosque 639, temple 28. Noted religious institutions: Muazzamabad Mosque, Nandail Bazar Baitul Mamur Mosque, Jahangirpur Mosque, Nandail Bazar Kali Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 40.4%; male 40.6%, female 40.1%. Educational institutions: college 5, secondary school 30, primary school 59, non-formal education centre 11, madrasa 89. Noted educational institutions: Shaheed Smriti Adarsha College (1972), Chandipasha Government High School (1915), Nandail Road High School, Sherpur Islamia Fazil Madrasa (1927).

Newspapers and periodicals Monthly: Nandail, Narasundar Bake, Desher Kantha, Desher Mati (irregular).

Cultural organisations Library 9, club 12, theatre group 1,' cinema hall 1, playground 21.

Main sources of income Agriculture 74.24%, non-agricultural labourer 2.68%, industry 0.24%, commerce 8.86%, transport and communication 1.79%, service 4.07%, construction 0.65%, religious service 0.21%, rent and remittance 0.27% and others 6.99%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 66.82%, landless 33.18%; agricultural landowner: urban 60.47% and rural 67.51%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, potato, pulse, sugarcane, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Nazirshail paddy, khesari,

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, litchi, Jackfruit, banana, papaya, custard apple, coconut, palm.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 2, dairy 24, poultry 300, hatchery and nursery 30.

Communication facilities Pucca road 97 km, semi-pucca road 77 km, mud road 553 km; waterway 13 km; railway 12 km.

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

Noted manufactories Flour mill, textile mill, rice mill, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 39, fairs 2, most noted of which are Nandail Bazar, Camta Bazar, Jalua Bazar, Kalenga Naya Bazar, Hemganj Bazar, Dewanganj Bazar, Gharua Bazar, Kaliganj Bazar, Bangram Bazar, Kanrapur Bazar, Singrail Bazar, Chaitra Samkranti Mela and Nandail Baruni Mela.

Main exports Paddy, jute, wheat, potato, pulse, sugarcane molasses, banana.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 30.3% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 90.4%, tap 0.6% and others 9.0%.

Sanitation 24.1% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 46.4% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 29.5% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 6, satellite clinic 7.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa. [Azizur Rahman Bhuiyan]

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