Kaliganj Upazila (Gazipur District)

Kaliganj Upazila (gazipur district) area 214.63 sq km, located in between 23°54' and 24°02' north latitudes and in between 90°26' and 92°39' east longitudes. It is bounded by sreepur and kapasia upazilas on the north, rupganj upazila and uttarkhan, and khilkhet thanas on the south, palash upazila on the east, gazipur sadar upazila on the west.

Population Total 265276; male 133246, female 132030; Muslim 220270, Hindu 28664, Buddhist 13, Christian 16294 and others 35.

Water bodies Main rivers: banar, shitalakshya, balu; Bilai Beel, Naljuri and Suti canals are notable.

Administration Kaliganj Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1947. Kaliganj was declared as municipality on 11 November 2010.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	7	134	175	45430	219846	1236	60.1	59.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
15.29	9	23	45430	2971

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kaliganj 86	9186	14251	14934	59.2
Jangalia 69	4907	16400	16404	58.5
Jamalpur 60	5840	14918	15488	65.2
Tumulia 97	8384	17121	16982	64.2
Nagari 96	7073	15511	16303	57.9
Baktarpur 17	3238	11311	11088	60.3
Bahadursadi 15	9215	19400	19735	54.1
Moktarpur 94	9186	14251	14934	59.2

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Tomb of isa khan, the ruler of Bhati at Baktarpur, St. Nicholas Church (1695), mazars and dighi of Pahlwan Shah Gazi and Karforma Shah at Chaura, tomb of Shah Bayejid, and eight domed Mosque (Vatgati).

Historical events The ancestor of the Gazi Dynasty of Chaura, Karforma Shah established settlements at Chaura after receiving jaigir from the emperor of Delhi. The Bhuiyans of Gazi Dynasty established their control over the Bhawal region from their headquarters at Chaura.

War of Liberation On 25 July 1971 the freedom fighters destroyed Nalchhata Railway Bridge, Bandhakhola Railway Bridge and the electric pole at Tiria of Nagari union to disrupt the movement of the Pak army. An encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held at a place near the Sombazar Canal on 18 November in which a number of Pak soldiers were killed. The freedom fighters also took control over the WAPDA Power House Army Camp, Police Station and Arikhola Railway Station Camp. On 1 December the Pak army killed about 100 officers and other staff of Khalapara National Jute Mills. On 12 December the freedom fighters launched attack on the Pak army Camp at Ghorashal and surrounded the Pak soldiers. On 14 December battles were fought between the joint forces (freedom fighters and the allied forces) and the Pak army at Pubail and Nalchhata; 7 Pak soldiers were killed in the Nalchhata Battle and so were about two soldiers of the allied forces.

For details: See কালীগঞ্জ উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ২।

Religious institutions Mosque 395, temple 19, church 6.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 59.8%; male 60.1%, female 59.5%. Educational institutions: college 5, secondary school 37, primary school 121, madrasa 29. Noted educational institutions: Kaliganj Sramik College (1970), Kaliganj Government RNN Pilot High School (1889), Rajendra Narayan High School, St. Nicholas High School (1920), Chupair High School (1925), Khoisra' High School (1926), Tumulia St. Mary's Girls' High School (1941), Begum Rabeya Ahmed Girls' High School.

Newspapers and periodicals Kaliganj Barta (defunct).

Cultural organisations Library 32, club 30, cinema hall 3, theatre group 1, cultural organisation 9, women's society 6. Udichi and Khelaghar are notable.

Tourist spots Nagari St. Nicholas Church, Panjora St. Anthony Church, Shooting Spot at Babur Bari of Baktarpur.

Main sources of income Agriculture 47.89%, non-agricultural labourer 2.89%, commerce 14.85%, transport and communication 3.85%, service 13.28%, rent and remittance 4.57% and others 12.67%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 68.27%, landless 31.73%; agricultural landowner: urban 43.95% and rural 70.04%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, sweet potato, pulse, bitter gourd, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Jute, kalai, mug, mustard, sugarcane.

Main fruits Jackfruit, papaya, pineapple, litchi, mango, guava.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 17, dairy 204, poultry 395, hatchery 3, others 2.

Communication facilities Pucca road 276 km, semi-pucca road 29 km, mud road 417 km; railway 14 km; waterway 28 km.

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

Noted manufactories Cement factory, marble factory, tiles factory, stone crushing factory, brick field.

Cottage industries Blacksmith, potteries, weaving, cane work, bamboo work, wood work, jute work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 28, fairs 10, most noted of which are Kaliganj, Pubail, Katarganj, Ghorashal, Charsindur hats; Aowrakhali Bazar,' Ulukhola Bazar, Dolaner Bazar and Satiani Mela, Nagari St. Anthony Mela.

Main exports Paddy, vegetables.

Access to electricity 78.2% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Kamta Gas Field; the total forest area of the upazila is 35 hectors.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 92.5%, tap 3.4% and others 4.1%. The presence of arsenic in an tollerable level has been detected in 87 shallow tube-well water in a survey conducted in 2000.

Sanitation 69.0% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 27.9% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 3.1% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 1, union health centre 2, family planning centre 7, Red Crescent Hospital 3, Islamic Foundation Hospital 1, clinic 3, missionary hospital 1, veterinary hospital 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika. [Tapan Bagchi]

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Field report of Kaliganj Upazila 2007.