Shibganj Upazila (Nawabganj District)

Shibganj Upazila (nawabganj district) area 525.42 sq km, located in between 24°34' and 24°54' north latitudes and in between 88°10' and 88°18' east longitudes. It is bounded by bholahat and west bengal state of India on the north, nawabganj sadar and West Bengal state of India on the south, Bholahat, gomastapur, nachole and Nawabganj Sadar upazilas on the east, West Bengal state of India on the west.

Population Total 591178; male 295338, female 295840; Muslim 574402, Hindu 16690, Buddhist 1, Christian 4 and others 81.

Water bodies Main rivers: padma, mahananda, Pagla and Mara Ganga.

Administration Shibganj Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1913.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	15	183	407	49833	541345	1125	41.4 (2001)	38.3

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
23.59 (2001)	9	31	42693	1523 (2001)	51.9

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
3.22 (2001)	1	7140	2002 (2001)	45.0

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Uzirpur 95	3549	5948	5622	48.0
Kansat 41	7639	20348	20176	33.4
Ghorapakhia 35	5486	7904	9232	44.9
Chak Kirti 11	8407	18567	18953	30.5
Satrujitpur 71	2565	9948	10752	50.7
Daipukuria 17	10629	20294	20214	33.4
Durlabhpur 29	12785	28300	27711	35.9
Dhainagar 23	6817	19470	20233	41.8
Naya Naobhanga 59	5519	20855	21854	46.5
Panka 65	12417	11018	11074	30.9
Binodpur 10	7243	21199	20860	39.7
Manakosa 53	12597	27200	26664	41.1
Mobarakpur 47	7611	15557	15121	34.1
Shahbajpur 77	13015	27660	26241	39.1
Shyampur 89	7426	21065	20305	36.8

 Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Chhota Sona Mosque, Darashbari Mosque and Madrasa (1479), Dhanichak Mosque, Khanjan Dighi Mosque, Dakhil Darwaza, Kachari Bari of Shah Suja (Tohakhana), Tohakhana Mosque, Tomb of Shah Niamatullah (1668-1669).

War of Liberation On 10 October 1971, the Pak army brutally killed 47 innocent civilians of the villages Dorshia, Mollatola, Lampat and Radhakantapur. About 200 freedom fighters were killed in a direct encounter with the Pak army at Kansat Shikarpur on 6 October. Freedon fighters had encounters with Pak army at Durlavpur, Jaminpur, Adina Kalabari, Shikarpur and other places of the upazila. One mass grave was discovered at the west bank of Baliadighi (a large water body) adjacent to the Sona Mosque LC Station and 2 memorial plaques (one in front of Satrajitpur High School, and the other at Shibganj upazila office complex) had been founded in the upazila.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 120, temple 6, tomb 1, sacred place 2.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Roads: pucca 372 km, semi-pucca 53 km, mud road 869 km; waterway 20 km. Educational institutions: college 17, technical college 2, secondary school 71, primary school 231, kindergarten 29, madrasa 64. Noted educational institutions: Adina Fazlul Haque Government College (1938), Kansat High School (1917), Dadanchack HM High School (1919), Harinagar High School (1959), Naya Naobhanga Government Primary School (1870), Satrujitpur Senior Madrasa (1944), Radhakantapur Senior Madrasa (1950).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Gaurbani, Purbarag, Katkhar, Ashani, Muktakantha, Pagla; defunct: Prottay.

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 34, theatre group 4, cinema hall 6, women's organisation 1, playground 11.

Main sources of income Agriculture 59.25%, non-agricultural labourer 5.63%, industry 1.59%, commerce 18.89%, transport and communication 1.19%, service 3.50%, construction 1.73%, religious service 0.12%, rent and remittance 0.17% and others 7.93%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 51.29%, landless 48.71%; agricultural landowner: urban 40.23% and rural 52.34%.

Main crops Paddy, sugarcane, wheat, maize, potato, betel leaf, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, arahar, kaun, china, koda, linseed.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Dairy 3, poultry 37.

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

Noted manufactories Flour mill, saw mill, ice factory, welding factory.

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

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 55, fairs 5, most noted of which are Ranihati Hat, Shibganj Hat, Kansat Hat, Manakosa Hat,' Aargara Hat and Kansat Mela.

Main exports Mango, molasses, silk sari, cotton piece goods, lac dye.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 46.6% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.9%, tap 0.8% and others 3.3%.

Sanitation 27.7% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 61.5% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 10.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health centre 1, union satellite centre 8, health and family welfare centre 2, mother and child health centre 1,' family welfare centre 5, satellite clinic 128, clinic 18.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, proshika. [Md. Jalal Uddin Ahmed]

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