Lohajang Upazila

Lohajang Upazila (munshiganj district) area 131.10 sq km, located in between 23°24' and 24°32' north latitudes and in between 90°01' and 90°15' east longitudes. It is bounded by sreenagar and serajdikhan upazilas on the north, zanjira upazila on the south, tongibari upazila on the east, shibchar' upazila on the west.

Population Total 159242; male 79247, female 79995; Muslim 146298, Hindu 12867, Buddhist 53, Christian 22 and others 2.

Water bodies Main river: padma.

Administration Lohajang Thana was formed in 1916 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
-	10	105	114	4945	154297	1215	60.0	56.1

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
2.29	2	4945	2159	60.0

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kanaksar 55	1992	9343	9724	53.9
Kalma 47	2945	9334	8831	60.1
Kumarbhog 71	2162	5319	5396	50.7
Khidir Para 63	3698	9595	9267	59.3
Gaodia 31	3974	8847	9339	47.2
Bejgaon 13	2012	6209	7011	60.8
Baultali 15	2004	5723	5168	60.1
Medini Mandal 87	2675	12180	12122	61.4
Lohajang Teotia 94	5653	4201	4181	45.9
Haldia 39	2192	8496	8956	55.5

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Alamnida Jami Mosque, Sujanagar Jami Mosque.

War of Liberation On 14 August 1971, at the dead of night, the freedom fighters raided the Lahajang Police Station and captured a huge amount of arms and ammunitions. During this operation the freedom fighters also set the Police Station on fire. A battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the Pak army on 25 October at village Dakshin Paiksha in which 5 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 7 boats carrying the enemy soldiers were destroyed. In November the freedom fighters conducted a surprise attack on the Pak army while they were passing through the Shreenagar-Lahajang Canal in which many Pakistani soldiers and razakars were killed. The Pak army had later fled Lahajang Camp at dead of night. Lahajang was liberated on 30 November.

For details: see লৌহজং উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৯।

Religious institutions Mosque 220, temple 10, tomb 4. Noted religious institutions: Ghordaur Jami Mosque, Satgharia Mosque, Society Jami Mosque, Hat Bhogdia Jami Mosque, Malir Anka Jami Mosque, Bejgaon Kali Mandir, Kanaksar Durga Mandir, tomb of Kadam Shah.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 56.2%; male 56.1%, female 56.3%. Educational institutions: college 2, secondary school 12, technical institutions 2,' primary school 71, kindergarten 5, madrasa 5. Noted educational institutions:' Kazir Pagla AT Institution (1901), Kalma LK High School (1901), Brahmangaon Multilateral High School (1902), Haldia High School (1919), Lohajang Pilot Girl's High School (1943), Medini Mandal Anwar Chowdhury Girl's High School (1983), Lohajang Pilot High School (1885), Baultali Primary School (1870), Kalma Primary School (1885), Kazirgaon Primary School (1895), Basudia Madrasa, Jangalia' Dakhil Madrasa, Basira Islamia Dakhil Madrasa.

Cultural organisations Library 10, club 45, press club 1, women organisation 5, cinema hall 1, playground 20.

Main sources of income Agriculture 32.16%, non-agricultural labourer 1.96%, industry 0.96%, commerce 31.05%, transport and communication 4.53%, service 9.94%, construction 2.27%, religious service 0.21%, rent and remittance 5.61% and others 11.31%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 36.50%, landless 63.50%; agricultural landowner: urban 16.37% and rural 37.11%.'

Main crops Paddy, potato, jute, mustard, wheat, gram, pea, sesame, sugarcane, coriander, chilli.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Kaun, futi, bitter guard.

Main fruits Mango, banana, papaya, guava, pomegranate.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 5, dairy 59, poultry 25.

Communication facilities Pucca road 85 km, semi-pucca road 28 km, mud road 213 km; waterway 37 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, ice factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, weaving, potteries, embroidery, copper and bell metal work, wood work, hand work, bamboo and cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 20, fairs 3, most noted of which are Gaodia Bazar, Kalma Bazar, Dighali' Hat, Kanaksar Hat, Kukutiar Baishakhi Mela and Jhulun Mela.

Main exports Potato, Jute, copper and bell metal products, bamboo and cane products.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 85.3% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 97.6%, tap 0.4 % and others 2.0%. The presence of arsenic in an intolerable level has been detected in 9304 shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 81.2% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 16.9% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 1.9% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite health centre 4, family planning centre 8, diagnostic centre 2, clinic 1.

Natural disasters The devastating cyclone of 9 April 1995 caused heavy damages to the settlements, crops and other properties of village Paisa under Baultali Union.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are asa, caritas, brac, proshika, CARE, SDO. [Helen Nawshin]

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