Phulpur Upazila

Phulpur Upazila (mymensingh district) area 626.20 sq km, located in between 24°44' and 25°02' north latitudes and in between 90°13' and 90°33' east longitudes. It is bounded by haluaghat upazila on the north, mymensingh sadar upazila on the south, gauripur and purbadhala upazilas on the east, nakla upazila on the west.

Population Total 601766; male 297749, female 304017; Muslim 579302, Hindu 20808, Buddhist 4, Christian 1056 and others 596. Indigenous community such as garo belongs to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: Bhogai, Kakuria, Mogra, Soai, Deor; Deomara Beel, Koma Beel, Haria Beel and Khailakuri Beel are notable.

Administration Phulpur Thana was formed in 1874 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	20	370	411	25628	576138	961	53.9	36.9

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
10.10	9	12	25628	2537	53.9

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kakni 40	6653	14096	14042	35.6
Kamargaon 45	7435	12050	12501	31.1
Kamaria 49	8169	15605	15855	40.3
Galagaon 36	8587	15728	16315	34.9
Sandhara 81	6693	12180	12791	40.3
Dhakua 31	7861	13201	13259	39.5
Tarakanda 94	7377	18048	18400	40.7
Payari 54	6445	12857	13021	36.4
Phulpur 58	7137	11912	12007	29.7
Baola 27	7388	13258	13441	36.8
Banihala 13	7203	13092	13067	36.8
Balikhan 12	7548	14923	15397	33.6
Balia 11	6319	12002	12610	43.7
Bishka 22	9541	17743	18243	38.1
Bhaitkandi 18	6659	13714	13982	37.5
Rupasi 76	8050	15257	15578	39.9
Rahimganj 63	7529	15662	16081	27.9
Rampur 72	7137	13256	13399	40.5
Rambhadrapur 67	8100	14493	14948	37.5
Singheshwar 90	10252	15764	16360	36.5

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation in 1971 the Pak army arrested nine Bangalis along with Satyendranath Datta, the then Head Master of the Payari High School and took them to the Sarsapur mass killing site. However, the Head Master managed to escape diving into water. Thirty three freedom fighters were killed in a battle with the Pak army at village Ramsona of Sandhara union. There is a mass killing site in the upazila and mass graves at 2 places.

For details: see ফুলপুর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৬।

Religious institutions Mosque 765, temple 39, church 5, tomb 5. Noted religious institutions: Phulpur Bus Stand Jami mosque, Tarakanda Jami mosque, Phulpur Sahapara temple.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 37.7%; male 38.4%, female 36.9%. Educational institutions: college 8, secondary school 55, primary school 232, madrasa 175. Noted educational institutions: Phulpur Degree College, Phulpur Mohila College, Bangabandhu Degree College, Baola College, Chandapur College, Phulpur Pilot High School (1882), Taldighi Multilateral High School (1911), Mojahardi High School (1911), Batta Bhatpara SC High School (1914), Gakulchandra High School (1923), Tarakanda Multilateral High School (1929), Phulpur High School, Rambhadrapur High School, Singheshwar High School, Rahimganj High School, Rupasi' High School, Baola High School, Balia High School, Badrakanda High School, Galagaon High School, Kakni High School, Kakni Model Academy, Charia High School,' Chargoadanga Senior Fazil Madrasa (1915).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Phulpur Barta, Tarakanda Barta, Abohoman.

Cultural organisations Library 8, theatre group 5, cinema hall 4.

Main sources of income Agriculture 74.51%, non-agricultural labourer 4%, industry 0.39%, commerce 7.18%, transport and communication 2.22%, service 2.70%, construction 0.70%, religious service 0.15%, rent and remittance 0.11% and others 8.04%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 61.21%, landless 38.79%; agricultural landowner: urban 44.32% and rural 61.70%.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, onion, garlic, pulse, potato, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Aus paddy, jute.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, banana, watermelon.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 200, dairy 176, poultry 52, hatchery 8, nursery 136.

Communication facilities Pucca road 105 km, semi-pucca road 3 km, mud road 1007 km; railway 2 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Rice mill 16, saw mill 18, brick field 12, ice cream factory 5, bakery 20, bidi factory 1, welding factory 20.

Cottage industries Weaving, bamboo work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 44, most noted of which are Amuakandha Hat, Tarakanda Bazar, Balia Bazar, Bhaitkandi Bazar and Kashiganj Bazar.

Main exports Rice, wheat, onion, garlic.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However, 29.6% of the dwelling households of the upazila have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.7%, tap 0.4% and others 4.9%.

Sanitation 35.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 50.5% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 14.0% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, hospital 1, health and family welfare centre 12, satellite clinic 15, community clinic 71.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are World Vision, caritas, brac, asa, Ahsania Mission, CIDA, TSS. [Nurul Amin]

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