Gobindaganj Upazila

Gobindaganj Upazila (gaibandha district) area 460.42 sq km, located in between 25°15' and 25°20' north latitudes and in between 89°11' and 89°32' east longitudes. It is bounded by ghoraghat and palashbari upazilas on the north, sonatala and shibganj (Nawabganj) upazilas on the south, saghatta and Palashbari upazilas on the east, panchbibi and kalia upazilas on the west. One fourth of the total area of the upazila has included in the barind tract.

Population Total 514696; male 255639, female 259057; Muslim 477727, Hindu 32839, Buddhist 1, Christian 2797 and others 1332. Indigenous communities such as santal, Marandi belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: karatoya, bangali, Nalua; Saat Beel is notable.

Administration On 15 April 1821 Gobindaganj was included into Bogra district and 15 August it was included in the Bhabaniganj Sub Division. Gobindaganj Thana was formed in 1912 and it was turned into an upazila in 1984. Bhabaniganj Municipality was formed in 1998.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	17		323	373	38415	476281	1118	54.8	41.6

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
14.47	9	22	38415	2655	54.8

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Katabari 39	8236	14412	14412	41.1
Kamdia 33	9222	12813	12731	42.4
Kamardaha 27	5965	15213	15593	40.5
Kochasahar 44	5030	16109	15913	45.0
Gumaniganj 16	6353	12223	12847	53.6
Taluk Kanupur 94	7994	17331	18167	31.59 (2001)
Darbasta 10	8486	21692	22037	38.0
Nakai 55	6170	14191	14728	36.2
Fulbari 11	3913	9261	9484	36.1
Mahimaganj 50	5907	18526	18265	44.4
Rakhal Buruz 67	5434	13081	13292	43.3
Rajahar 61	6323	9209	9758	41.2
Shakhahar 83	8397	13107	13017	44.2
Shalmara 72	5114	12058	12094	40.5
Shibpur 89	3770	11155	11033	37.37 (2001)
Sapmara 78	7053	9328	9520	46.8
Harirampur 22	6758	16568	17113	36.5

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Remnants of the Bardhan Kuthi Zamindar Bari, Pradyut Kumar Kuthibari, Masta Mosque, Sundail Mosque, Phulahar Mosque, Basudeva Mandir (1249 BS), Birat city at Kamdia, remnants of the main palace of Raja Birat.

War of Liberation Seven persons including Abdul Mannan (Sports Secretary of SM Hall, Rajshahi University), Bablu Mahanta and Babu Datta were killed by the Pak army on 27 March 1971 when the students and general public attempted to destroy the Katakhali Bridge on the river Karatoya. Following the event the Pak army set many houses of the nearby villages on fire. During the 9 months of the War of Liberation the freedom fighters of the upazila had encounters with the Pak army at many places. 27 Pakistani soldiers were killed in one such encounter at Trimohani, the border point between the police stations of Gobindaganj and Saghatta; 12 freedom fighters were martyred. There is a mass grave at the village Pakhia of Harirampur Union.

For details: See গোবিন্দগঞ্জ উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৩।

Religious institutions Mosque 730, tomb 10, temple 150, church 1, sacred place 5.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 42.6%; male 45.8%, female 39.5%. Educational institutions: college 8, technical college 1, law college 1, teachers training college 1, secondary school 72, primary school 239, madrasa 153. Noted educational institutions: Gobindaganj Degree College (1965), Kamdia Nurul Haque Degree College (1972), Mahimaganj Degree College (1972), Gobindaganj Mahila College (1991), Gobindaganj Multilateral High School (1912), Kamdia Bilateral High School (1921), Gobindaganj BM Girls' High School (1940), Rangpur Sugar Mills High School (1962), Birat High School (1964), Shahargachhi Girls' High School (1971), Mahimaganj Alia Madrasa (1937).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Bangalee, Katakhali; Weekly: Raja Birat, Katakhali (irregular), Khola Hawa (irregular), Motijheel (defunct).

Cultural organisations Club 20, library 1, theatre group 3, cinema hall 6, women organisation 22, jatra party 10, literary organisation 7.

Tourist spots Bardhan Kuthi Zamindar Bari, Birat city at Kamdia.

Main sources of income Agriculture 66.92%, non-agricultural labourer 2.11%, commerce 11.83%, transport and communication 5.28%, service 0.15%, construction 0.93%, religious service 0.15%, rent and remittance 0.14% and others 12.49%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 59.43%, landless 40.57%; agricultural landowner: urban 46.32% and rural 60.38%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, maize, sugarcane, wheat, potato, mustard, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Aus paddy, tobacco, sweet potato, keshor (stamen).'

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, banana, coconut, papaya, bangi (melon), water-melon.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Dairy 70, poultry 50.

Communication facilities Pucca road 294 km, semi-pucca road 12 km, mud road 860 km; railway 12 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, soari, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Sugar mill, flour mill, ice factory, printing press, hosiery mill.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving, bamboo and cane work, shika, mat and pati making work, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 27, fairs 5, most noted of which are Golapbagh, Bairagi, Phasitala, Chandpara, Sahebganj, Bagda, Birat, Char Katla, Haritala, Nakai, Rather Bazar, Krorgachha and Mahimaganj hats; Gobindaganj Baishakhi Mela, Kuthibari Baruni Mela, Phulnar Baruni Mela and Mahimaganj Mela.

Main exports Paddy, rice, potato, banana, sugar.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 32.8% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.4%, tap 0.9% and others 3.7%.

Sanitation 29.7% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 38.3% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 32.0% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 17, satellite clinic 5, eye hospital 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, Swanirvar, thengamara mahila sabuj sangha, Ankur, Source and Bridge. [Bishnu Nandi]

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