Badalgachhi Upazila

Badalgachhi Upazila (naogaon district) area 213.97 sq km, located in between 24°53' and 25°03' north latitudes and in between 88°51' and 89°01' east longitudes. It is bounded by dhamoirhat and joypurhat sadar upazilas on the north, naogaon sadar upazila on the south, akkelpur upazila on the east, mahadebpur and patnitala upazilas on the west.

Population Total 201342; male 100566, female 100776; Muslim 174150, Hindu 19954, Buddhist 2, Christian 290 and others 6946.

Water bodies Main river: Little Jamuna.

Administration Badalgachhi Thana was formed in 1807 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
-	8	246	238	6357	194985	941	67.7	49.0

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
3.53	4	6357	1801	67.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Adhaipur 10	6847	12801	12697	47.3
Kola 63	5398	11749	11856	47.4
Paharpur 52	5668	13716	13767	50.5
Badalgachhi 21	9809	14971	14882	55.9
Balubhara 31	5355	9838	9802	47.0
Bilasbari 42	7689	13135	13529	53.8
Mathurapur 73	6769	11986	11864	45.7
Mithapur 84	5340	12370	12379	46.4

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur, Tara Temple, Halud Vihara, Pukurer Dhibi (mount) at village Sataiyr, building of Sarpukur and Satyapirer Bhita.

War of Liberation Badalgachhi upazila area was under sector 7 during the war of liberation in 1971. Pakistani soldiers killed many people and set on fire many houses of the Kola, Bhanderpur, Mithapur, Balubhara areas. They brutally killed 11 persons of village Mohanpur. Many Pakistani soldiers and 2 freedom fighters were killed in a battle on 15 October 1971 at Bhandarpur of Kola union. Besides, there was mass killing during the War of Liberation at Sompur Vihara near village Paharpur. Mass graves have been discovered at 3 places (Mohanpur, Bhandarpur and Parsombari) of the upazila.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 235, temple 93, church 2, sacred place 1.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 49.5%; male 52.6%, female 46.5%. Educational institutions: college 5, technical college 2, secondary school 33, community school 14, primary school 101, madrasa 25. Noted educational institutions: Badalgachhi Government College (1972), Badalgachhi Technical and Commerce College (1999), Balubhara Arabic High School (1914), Badalgachhi Pilot High School (1942), Gaira Tetulia Fazil Madrasa (1967).

Cultural organisations Library 3, club 56, cinema hall 1, playground 31.

Main sources of income Agriculture 71.84%, non-agricultural labourer 2.1%, industry 1.55%, commerce 12.25%, transport and communication 3.5%, service 4.32%, construction 0.72%, religious service 0.12%, rent and remittance 0.1% and others 3.5%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, mustard seed, sugarcane, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, linseed, black gram.

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

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

Communication facilities Roads: pucca road 175.6 km, semi-pucca road 5.6 km, mud road 232.32 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Flour mill, ice factory, biscuit factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, nakshi katha, nakshi pakha, bamboo and wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 18, fairs 1, most noted of which are Balubhara, Mithapur, Paharpur, Enayetpur, Badalgachhi, Bhandarpur and Nazirpur hats.

Main exports Paddy, wheat, mustard seed, potato, bamboo products and potteries.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 30.0% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 97.2%, tap 0.6% and others 2.2%.

Sanitation 32.2% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 26.6% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 41.2% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 3, family planning centre (RD) 3, union family welfare centre (FWC) 6, clinic 1, community clinic 11.

NGO activities brac, CARE, proshika, Ujjiban, asa. [Md Mukhlesur Rahman]

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