Raumari Upazila

Raumari Upazila (kurigram district) area 197.03 sq km, located in between 25°27' and 25°43' north latitudes and in between 89°45' and 89°53' east longitudes. It is bounded by ulipur upazila and assam state of India on the north, char rajibpur upazila on the south, Assam state of India on the east, Char Rajibpur, chilmari and Ulipur upazilas on the west.

Population Total 196417; male 95783, female 100634; Muslim 194914, Hindu 1499, Christian 4.

Water bodies Main rivers: brahmaputra, Jhingiram, Halhali.

Administration Raumari Thana was formed in 1908 and it was turned into an upazila on 1 August 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	5	29	198	25680	170737	997	43.2	33.3

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
17.78	2	25680	1444	43.2

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Dantbhanga 23	10625	18530	19381	35.6
Bandaber 11	14680	25749	26664	29.2
Jadur Char 35	8671	16166	17228	33.3
Raumari 71	8992	22567	23970	38.0
Saulmari 83	5721	12771	13391	39.4

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Ruins of' a Neel Kuthi at Mashar Ghop.

Historical events On the eve of the partition of India in 1947, Maulana abdul hamid khan bhasani and Abul Kashem Mia of Mankarchar established Pakistan Kella. They united local youths and formed a Militia at Baraibari of Raumari upazila (near the border of Assam) in support of inclusion of Goalpara district of Assam (Muslim majority area) in the Pakistan. They constructed a stage there and assembled people from nearby locality with five feet long bamboo sticks. Bhasani delivered speeches for seven days from this stage.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation Major ziaur rahman (Commander of sector 11), Col. Taher, Wing Commander Hamidullah Khan and other freedom fighters led their guerrilla war in phases in the Raumari area. Freedom fighters, with arms training, conducted operations in Chilmari, Ulipur and other places of Gaibandha districts.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 148, temple 4. Noted religious institutions: Raumari Jami Mosque, Shimultali Mosque, Sonabari Mosque.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 34.6%; male 38.3%, female 31.1%. Educational institutions: college 8, secondary school 25, primary school 89, madrasa 16. Noted educational institutions: Raumari Degree College (1979), Raumari Mohila Degree College (1995), Jadur Char Model College (1999), Raumari CG Zaman High School (1948), Jadur Char High School (1946), Baraikandi MR High School (1986), Chakta Bari Primary School (1932), Mirzapara Government Primary School (1936), Raumari Government Primary School (1898), Raumari Karamatia Senior Fazil Madrasa (1937), Fuluar Char Junior Madrasa (1933).

Newspapers and periodicals Fortnightly: Dip Desh; defunct: Agradut.

Cultural organisations Library 3, cinema hall 3, theatre stage 2, playground 5.

Tourist spots Chandmari Tourist Centre.

Main sources of income Agriculture 77.40%, non-agricultural labourer 3.57%, industry 0.80%, commerce 6.40%, transport and communication 0.57%, service 3.25%, construction 0.49%, religious service 0.15%, rent and remittance 0.07% and others 7.30%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 55.05%, landless 44.95%; agricultural landowner: urban 45.34% and rural 56.48%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, sugarcane, maize, mustard, nut.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Khesari, gram, arahar, linseed, kaun, china, hemp.

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

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 27, dairy 6, poultry 25.

Communication facilities Pucca road 27.48 km, mud road 400.24 km; waterway 15 km.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, ice factory, oil mill, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, potteries, weaving, jute work, embroidery, cane work, bamboo work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 19, fairs 2, most noted of which are Raumari Hat, Dantbhanga Hat, Aambari Hat, Shimultali Hat, Sonabari Hat, Pakhuria Hat, Char Saulmari Hat and Hajir Hat at Tapur Char.

Main exports Jute, molasses, mustard oil.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 18.7% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.5%, tap 0.1% and others 4.4%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 59.1% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 31.9% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 9.0% of households do not have latrine facilities.

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

Natural disasters As a result of the devastating earthquake of Ashar 1304 (BS), volcanic eruptions caused at villages Pakhiura, Tapur and Tiltali. Besides, the famine of 1974 and the flood of 1988 caused heavy damages to this region.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, CARE, RSDA, RSDP. [Md. Abdul Hakim]

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