Mathbaria Upazila

Mathbaria Upazila (pirojpur district) area 344.23 sq km, located in between 22°09' and 22°24' north latitudes and in between 89°52' and 90°03' east longitudes. It is bounded by pirojpur sadar and bhandaria upazilas on the north, patharghata upazila on the south, bamna and kanthalia upazilas on the east, sarankhola and morrelganj upazilas on the west.

Population Total 262841; male 128845, female 133996; Muslim 236344, Hindu 26307, Buddhist 137, Christian 26 and others 27.

Water bodies Main rivers: Baleshwari, katcha, Pona.

Administration Mathbaria Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1981.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	11	67	93	28851	233990	764	69.7 (2001)	60.5

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
6.55 (2001)	9	16	18375	2352 (2001)	77.9

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
15.92 (2001)	3	10476	653 (2001)	61.2

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Amragachhia 15	8658	10013	11077	63.4
Gulishakhali 51	7692	10521	10575	61.5
Tikikata 86	8737	12284	13301	62.2
Tushkhali 94	4727	8918	8969	53.6
Daudkhali 34	7984	10272	10711	60.4
Dhanisafa 43	8135	14280	13926	62.4
Bara Machhua 17	4172	5794	6014	52.5
Betmore Rajpara 25	6663	9597	10276	56.3
Mathbaria 60	7841	10788	11279	62.2
Mirukhali 69	8552	11266	12136	61.6
Sapleza 77	11902	15988	16481	62.3

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Sonakhali Zamindar Bari, Kuthibari at Sapleza.

Historical events During the period from 1830 to 1870 peasant movements were held against the Ijaradars in protest of imposing enhanced rents at Tushkhali.

War of Liberation In the month of May 1971 the razakars killed 12 freedom fighters at Jhatipunia. Freedom fighters did not have any encounter with Pak army in the upazila but the y organized resistance against entry of Pakistani soldiers in the area and also, carried out operations in the neighboring upazilas. A mass killing site has been discovered in the upazila.

For details: see মঠবাড়িয়া উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৭।

Religious institutions Mosque 720, temple 20, sacred place 1. Noted religious institutions: Bandar Jami Mosque, Safa Jami Mosque, Mathbaria Hari Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 61.7%; %; male 61.7%, female 61.7%. Educational institutions: college 2, secondary school 35, primary school 158, madrasa 182. Noted educational institutions: Mathbaria Government Degree College, Mohiuddin Mohila College, KM Latif Institution (1928), Gulishakhali GK Union High School, Bara Machhua United High School, Noli Bhim Chandra Secondary School (1928).

Newspapers and periodicals Fortnightly: Mathbaria Samachar.

Cultural organisations Library 5, club 19, cinema hall 1, theatre group 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 59.89%, non-agricultural labourer 4.49%, commerce 12.81%, transport and communication 1.86%, service 7.10%, construction 1.36%, religious service 0.24%, rent and remittance 2.13% and others 10.12%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 65.16%, landless 34.84%; agricultural landowner: urban 54.04% and rural 66.32%.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, sugarcane, pulse, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Betel leaf, jute, sesame, mustard.

Main fruits Mango, coconut, jackfruit, banana, betel nut, hog-plum.

Communication facilities Pucca road 162 km, semi-pucca road 201 km, mud road 620 km; waterway 62 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin.

Noted manufactories Ice factory, saw mill, rice mill.

Cottage industries Blacksmith, weaving, potteries, bamboo work, bidi factory, welding factory.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 31, fairs 3, most noted of which are Mathbaria Hat, Tushkhali Hat, Bara Machhua Hat and Pahela Baishakh Mela (Port at Mathbaria).

Main exports Betel nut, coconut.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 34.7% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 37.3%, tap 4.5% and others 58.2%.

Sanitation 58.2% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 40.1% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 1.7% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 1, rural health centre 49, satellite clinic 2, family planning centre 7.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, Jubuk, Songram, Sold, Hido. [Md. Mizanur Rahman]

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