Kishoreganj Sadar Upazila

Kishoreganj Sadar Upazila (kishoreganj district) area 193.72 sq km, located in between 24°21' and 24°32' north latitudes and in between 90°42' and 90°52' east longitudes. It is bounded by nandail upazila on the north, pakundia and katiadi upazilas on the south, karimganj and tarail upazilas on the east and hossainpur and Nandail upazilas on the west.

Population Total 414208; male 205095, female 209113; Muslim 391712, Hindu 22300, Buddhist 4, Christian 60 and others 132.

Water bodies Main rivers: Narsunda, Singua, Bathali, Mansa, Duashura and Mangalhat beels are notable.

Administration Kishoreganj Thana was formed in 1860 and it was turned into an upazila on 1 February 1984. Kishoreganj Municipality was formed in 1869.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	11	111	210	103798	310410	2138	72.5	40.6

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
11.30	9	56	103798	9186	72.5

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Korsha Kariail 51	3538	11482	12478	39.8
Chauddasata 25	5675	20149	20724	40.6
Dana Patali 34	2781	7781	8103	34.2
Baulai 17	4320	18787	19279	31.6
Binnati 16	3129	10131	10651	44.4
Mahinanda 69	5752	11188	11346	43.5
Maij Khapan 77	3887	11930	12750	40.5
Maria 86	4309	17420	17868	45.3
Jasodal 43	3726	17290	17422	39.7
Rashidabad 94	5187	13665	14342	43.8
Latibabad 60	2775	12738	12886	43.5

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Shahidi Mosque, Pagla Mosque, Shiva Mandir of Poet Chandravati, Hazratnagar Zamindar Bari.

War of Liberation In 1971 the Pak army conducted mass killing and plundering in different villages of Kishoreganj Sadar upazila; they also set many houses of the upazila on fire. During the war of liberation the Pakistan army brutally killed 360 innocent people at Baraitala in Jasodal union. Freedom fighters of the upazila had a fight against the Pakistani soldiers and their collaborators (rajakars) at Paravanga in the suburb of Kishoreganj town. 7 mass killing sites had been discovered in the upazila at Baraitala of Jasodal, Sugar mill and Siddeshwari ferry Ghat and a martyr memorial monument was built at Government Gurudoyal College premises.

For details: see কিশোরগঞ্জ সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ২।

Religious institutions Mosque 341, temple 15, church 1, tomb 7, akhra 14. Noted religious institutions: Shahidi Mosque, Pagla Mosque, Hazratnagar Mosque, tomb of Nizamuddin Aulia at Katiarchar.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 48.9%; male 49.6%, female 48.3%. Educational institutions: college 5, homeopathic college 1, teachers training college 1, technical college 1, secondary school 27, primary school 180, madrasa 37. Noted educational institutions: Kishoreganj Gurudoyal College (1943), Government Mahila College (1969), Kishoreganj Wali Newaz Khan College (1982), Alhaj Abdul Kuddus Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital (2002), Kishoreganj Government Boys' High School (1881), Azim Uddin High School (1916), SV Government Girls' High School (1943), Tutiarchar Mazharul Ulom Dakhil Madrasa (1903), Auliapara Fazil Madrasa (1921), Birabrulla Adarsha Dakhil Madrasa (1928).

Newspapers and periodicals Periodical: Sristi (1986); daily: Ajker Desh (1992), Shatabdir Kantha (2001), Kishoreganj (2006); weekly: Alor Mela (2003), Drishapat 71 (2003), Ajker Saradin (2004), Alokito Kishoreganj (2005), defunct (daily): Pratahik Chitra (1997); weekly: Aryagaurava (1904), Kishoreganj Bartabaha (1924), Kandari (1972), Kishoreganj Barta (1974), Janabarta (1984), Prokash(1985), Shuruk (1986), Durbin(1986), Kishoreganj Barta (1991), Kishoreganj Parikrama (1991), Manihar (1991), Kishoreganj Sangbad (1991), Kishoreganj Prabaha (1974), Kathbarta (1992); fortnightly: Natun Patra(1962), Natun Desh (1981), Narasunda (1981), Monthly: Akhtar (Urdu, 1926), Al Hasan (1992), Naydanda (1996).

Cultural organisations Library 5, club 25, cinema hall 6, playground 30.

Tourists spots solakia eid congregation.

Main sources of income Agriculture 43.64%, non-agricultural labourer 5.93%, industry 1.22%, commerce 19.88%, transport and communication 6.36%, service 9.53%, construction 2.52%, religious service 0.27%, rent and remittance 0.64% and others 10.01%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 47.77%, landless 52.23%; agricultural landowner: urban 46.41% and rural 48.11%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, maize, potato, nut, pulse, mustard, betel leaf, onion, brinjal.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Kaun, linseed, arahar, jute.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, litchi, banana, guava.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 60, dairy 37, poultry 434, hatchery 5.

Communication facilities Pucca road 324.18 km, mud road 392.57 km. railway 18 km; waterway 5 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Textile mill, rice mill, printing press, oil mill, saw mill, bakery, ice factory, dry cell battery factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, weaving, blacksmith, potteries, bamboo work, cane work, wood work, bidi factory, folkart.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 22, fairs 5, most noted of which are Sadar Bara Bazar, Nilganj Bazar, Puran Thana Hat, Kachari Bazar, Sadullah Bazar, Lakshmiganj Bazar, Boulai Bazar, Gosai Bazar.

Main exports Leather.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 52.9% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 93.3%, tap 3.4% and others 3.3%. The presence of intolerable level of arsenic has been detected in 37.07% shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 56.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 33.8% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 9.7% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 3, upazila health complex 1, family planning clinic 10, maternity centre 1, chest disease hospital 1, diabetic hospital 1.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the earthquake of 1897; it also caused heavy damages to pucca houses of the region. The floods of 1915, 1954, 1968 and 1988 caused heavy damages to settlements, livestock, crops and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, ASA. [Hakim Md Fazlur Rahman]

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