Banchharampur Upazila

Banchharampur Upazila (brahmanbaria district) area 187.30 sq km, located in between 23°41' and 23°53' north latitudes and in between 90°44' and 90°53' east longitudes. It is bounded by narsingdi sadar upazila on the north, homna upazila on the south, nabinagar and muradnagar upazilas on the east, Narsingdi Sadar and araihazar upazilas on the west.

Population Total 298430; male 139118, female 159312; Muslim 283635, Hindu 14789, Christian 5 and others 1.

Water bodies Main rivers: meghna, titas; Chandan and Bamandhar Beels are notable.

Administration Banchharampur Thana was formed in 1904 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
-	13	75	121	18621	279809	1593	49.1	37.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
7.70	4	18621	2418	49.1

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Banchharampur 94	3521	14120	15699	46.6
Tezkhali 88	3336	10048	11845	44.2
Ayubpur 14	3048	9821	11336	33.9
Dariadaulat 23	4959	11750	13634	38.2
Manikpur 54	3252	10834	11857	29.0
Saifullakandi 36	3697	11569	13702	44.1
Ropusdi 45	3297	9652	11257	48.1
Pahariakandi 30	2225	6833	8368	32.9
Ujan Char 77	3208	9638	10997	35.1
Darikandi 59	1968	6559	7713	47.0
Fardabad 68	3296	10232	11720	40.8
Salimabad 81	6230	15002	17314	36.8
Sonarampur 83	5247	13060	13870	25.0

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Khoshkandi Jami Mosque, Banchharampur Sadar Jami Mosque, Dhariar Char Jami Mosque, Ujan Char Kali Mandir, Ropusdi Dakshin Bazar Kali Mandir.'

War of Liberation During the war of liberation encounters were held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Mirpur, Asadnagar, Zagrar Char, Durgarampur and Dashdona villages of the upazila. The Pak army conducted mass killing at village Ujan Char Krishnagar on 5 August 1971. 5 freedom fighters of the upazila were accorded with the title Bir Pratik. Banchharampur upazila was liberated on 8 December 1971.

For details: see বাঞ্ছারামপুর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৬।

Religious institutions Mosque 532, temple 4, orphanage 4. Noted religious institutions: Khoshkandi Jami Mosque, Banchharampur Sadar Jami Mosque, Dhariar Char Jami Mosque, Ujan Char Kali Mandir, Ropusdi Dakshin Bazar Kali Mandir, Tomb of Shah Rahat Ali (Saifullah Kandhi), Tomb of Kandu Shah.'

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 38.5%; Male 40.2%, female 37.2%. Educational institutions: college 5, secondary school 19, primary school 119, madrasa 7. Noted educational institutions: Banchharampur Degree College (1973), Banchharampur Technical School and College (1980), Shah Rahat Ali College (1995), Dhariar Char High School (1947), Banchharampur SS Pilot High School (1948), Dariadaulat A Gani High School (1949), Banchharampur Girls Pilot High School (1970), Shah Rahat Ali High School (1973), Ropusdi Brindaban High School, Ujan Char KN High School, Banchharampur Ideal Technical Training Institute (2006), Radhanagar Kalikapur Rahmania Dakhil Madrasa (1993), Banchharampur Sobhania Islamia Dakhil Madrasa (1981).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Titas (defunct).

Cultural organisations Library 5, club 8, cinema hall 2, playground 12.

Main sources of income Agriculture 44.44%, non-agricultural labourer 3.33%, industry 6.08%, commerce 13.53%, transport and communication 1.28%, service 6.81%, construction 1.15%, religious service' 0.31%, rent and remittance 5.58% and others 17.49%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 59.86%, landless 40.14%; agricultural landowner: urban' 48.18% and rural 60.54%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard, sesame, vegetables, pulse.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sugarcane, Kaun, china, tobacco.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, black berry, litchi, papaya.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries 'This upazila has a number of fisheries, dairies and poultries.

Communication facilities Pucca road 137 km, semi-pucca road 5 km, mud road 217 km; waterways 182 km.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flourmill, ice factory, pen manufacturing industry.

Cottage industries Weaving, blacksmith, potteries, bamboo and cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 32, fairs 5, most noted of which are Banchharampur, Ropushdi, Marichakandi and Ujan Char bazars and Ropusdi Mela, Baishakhi Mela of Ujan Char and Dariadaulat Mela.

Main exports Wheat, jute, sesame, lungi, gamchha, sari and cotton fabrics.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of this upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 75.8% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 91.3%, tap 0.2% and others 8.5%.

Sanitation 67.3% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 26.7% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 6.0% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Heath centres Upazila health complex 1, hospital 1, rural health centre 2, family welfare centre 8, veterinary hospital 1, clinic 5.

Natural disasters Serious damages to settlements, fishery, livestock and crops were done by the floods of 1954, 1971, 1988, 1998, and 2004.

NGO activities Operatoinally important NGOs are Manab Kalyan Sangstha, Banchharampur Palli Unnayan Sangstha. [Md Abul Kasem Bhuiyan]

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