Ullahpara Upazila

Ullahpara Upazila (sirajganj district) area 409.06 sq km, located in between 24°12' and 24°26' north latitudes and in between 89°24' and 89°38' east longitudes. It is bounded by raiganj upazila on the north, shahjadpur upazila on the south, kamarkhanda and belkuchi upazilas on the east and bhangura and tarash upazilas on the west.

Population Total 540156; male 269481, female 270675; Muslim 517965, Hindu 21790, Buddhist 3, Christian 29 and others 369.

Water bodies Main rivers: karatoya, Goala, Bilsuriya.

Administration Ullahpara Thana was formed in 1875 and it was turned into an upazila on 2 July 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	13	254	412	47693	492463	1320	61.9	41.8

Municipality
12.07	9	25	47693	3951	61.9

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Udhunia 87	8782	14276	14883	37.2
Ullahpara 94	3514	12088	11823	47.4
Durganagar 29	7759	30318	29474	43.2
Pancha Krushi 51	6295	21249	21919	42.4
Purnimaganti 58	8789	24394	24157	44.6
Bara Pangashi 21	7230	14254	14660	34.9
Barahar 14	7440	19689	19713	44.4
Bangala 12	8125	14992	15771	37.4
Mohanpur 43	8817	19125	19439	46.1
Ramkrishnapur 65	6870	15479	15486	38.2
Salanga 73	8462	19271	20014	39.2
Salap 80	5726	15455	15668	46.6
Hatikumrul 36	8304	24722	24144	39.6

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Ancient Makkaulia Mosque at Darogapara (fifteenth century), Tomb of Hazrat Baghdadi (R) at Gaihatta, Tomb of Panch Pir at Angaru, Nabaratna Mandir at Hatikumrul (fourteenth century), Shiva Mandir at Hatikumrul.

Historical events In 1922 peasant movement was held at Salanga Hat under Congress leader maulana abdur rashid tarkabagish; during this time Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish was arrested and was given a six month imprisonment. In history, this event is known as ‘Salanga Movement’.

War of Liberation Freedom fighters had an encounter with the Pak army near Ghatina Bridge on 20 April 1971 in which 15 Pakistani soldiers and 50 freedom fighters and civilians were killed. On 23 April the Pak army conducted killing, torturing and extensive plundering; they also set many houses of the upazila on fire. On 25 April the Pak army shot many people dead at Charia Shika and Charia Kali Bari near Hatikumrul square. Ullahpara was liberated on 14 December. There is a martyrs' memorial monument at Ghatina.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 771, temple 85, tomb 5, sacred place 2.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 43.6%; male 47.2%, female 40.1%. Educational institutions: college 18, secondary school 71, primary school 251, community school 10, kindergarten 20, madrasa 82. Noted educational institutions: Bara Pangashi High School (1898), Ullahpara Merchants Pilot Multilateral High School (1906), Mohanpur KM Institution (1915), Salap High School (1905), Jhikira Bandar Model Government Primary School (1903).

Cultural organisations Library 44, club 95, theatre group 2, jatra party 2, literary society 2, women's organisation 130, cinema hall 5, community centre 11, playground 30, cultural organisation 10.

Main sources of income Agriculture 59.03%, non-agricultural labourer 4%, industry 7.05%, commerce 13.65%, transport and communication 3.21%, service 5.12%, construction 1.03%, religious service 0.22%, rent and remittance 0.48% and others 6.21%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 55.78%, landless 44.22%; agricultural landowner: urban 32.45% and rural 57.72%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, barley, potato, mustard, sesame, onion, chilli, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Aus paddy, linseed, china, kaun.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, palm, watermelon, banana, coconut.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 62, dairy 196, poultry 28, hatchery 7.

Communication facilities Pucca road 198 km, semi-pucca road 27 km, mud road 816 km; railway 18 km. Railway station 3.

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

Noted manufactories Flower mill, power loom, cold storage, ice factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, weaving, bamboo work, potteries, wood work, tailoring.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 23, fairs 7, most noted of which are Ullahpara Hat, Koyra Hat, Salanga Hat, Gaihatta Hat, Gopalnagar Hat, Mohanpur Hat, Udhunia Hat and Boalia Hat.

Main exports Jute, mustard, sesame, flour, onion, chilli, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 44.3% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.7%, tap 0.9% and others 4.4%.

Sanitation 67.8% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 29.2% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 3.0% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 2, satellite clinic 5, maternity and child welfare centre 1, family planning centre 11, charitable dispensary 5, IPI centre 312, diagnostic centre 6.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the famines of 1897, 1943 and 1974. Besides, the earthquakes of 1985 and 1897 caused heavy damages to settlements and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are asa, brac, proshika, thengamara mahila sabuj sangha, caritas, CARE. [Md. Ruhul Amin]

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