Jessore Sadar Upazila

Jessore Sadar Upazila (jessore district) area 435.22 sq km, located in between 23°04' and 23°20' north latitudes and in between 89°06' and 84°06' east longitudes. It is bounded by kaliganj (Jhenaidah) and bagherpara upazilas on the north, abhaynagar and manirampur upazilas on the south, Bagherpara and narail sadar upazilas on the east, jhikargachha and chaugachha upazilas on the west.

Population Total 742898; male 380314, female 362584; Muslim 674059, Hindu 66490, Buddhist 94, Christian 1959 and others 297.

Water bodies Main rivers: bhairab, chitra; Laukhali Beel, Padma Beel, Madhya Beel are notable.

Administration Jessore Sadar upazila was formed in 1984.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	15	237	256	253019	489879	1707	70.23 (2001)	57.0

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
14.72 (2001)	9	73	217337	12001 (2001)	77.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
5.14 (2001)	5	35682	7430 (2001)	70.0

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Arabpur 10	5932	20798	20563	61.4
Ichhali 53	7756	11362	11443	57.5
Upasahar 95	1369	8426	8120	80.7
Kachua 71	6147	11449	11243	47.6
Kashimpur 65	7540	19512	18960	56.5
Chanchra 23	6577	22416	21816	53.5
Churamankati 29	8045	20224	19915	55.3
Diara 35	8287	18217	18572	53.5
Noapara 89	5903	28952	16926	61.0
Narendrapur 83	6145	16232	16021	59.3
Fathehpur 41	7214	23929	23621	59.5
Basundia 11	7686	17840	17452	57.0
Jessore Cantonment 98	-	10881	4660	95.7
Ramnagar 92	7185	19507	19303	61.7
Lebutala 77	5509	10644	10630	55.1
Haibatpur 47	9291	16172	16289	53.1

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Mandir of Bhubeneswari Devi built by Laksman Sen at Sheikhati, remnants of the palace of Raja Patal Bhedi, ruins of ancient Kali Mandir, Imam Bari built by Haji Muhammad Mohsin at Murli, tomb of Hazrat Gharib Shah (R).

War of Liberation On the night of 26 March 1971, the Pak army arrested Advocate Moshiur Rahman (former minister and noted politician) and later brutally killed him. The Bangali soldiers posted at Jessore cantonment revolted against the Pak army on 29 March 1971. The rebellion was led by Captain Hafiz Uddin and Lt Anwar and about 300 soldiers were killed in it. The freedom fighters killed 50 Pakistani soldiers by machine gun shot at Chanchra. Jessore Sadar upazila was liberated on 5 December. Memorial sculptures have been built at two places of the upazila and a war of liberation memorial museum has been established.

For details: see যশোর সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৮।

Religious institutions Mosque 713, temple 50, church 6, tomb 5. Noted religious institutions: Markas Mosque (Newmarket), Fathehpur Jami Mosque, Lebutala Mosque, tomb of Hazrat Garib Shah (R), Marua Mandir, Ramkrishna Ashrama Mandir, Kalibari Mandir, Catholic Church.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 63.8%; male 66.8%, female 60.6%. Educational institutions: homeopathic medical college 1, law college 1, primary teachers training instituate (PTI) 1, college 20, secondary school 99, primary school 210, community school 33, kindergarten 12, madrasa 45. Noted educational institutions: Jessore Science and Technology University, Government Michael Madhusudan College (1941), Jessore Government Women's College (1965), Government City College (1967), Sammilani Instituttion (1889), Munshi Mehrullah Academy (1901), Muslim Academy (1946), Jessore Polytechnic Institute (1963), Jessore Zilla School (1838), Jangal Badhal Secondary School (1919), Basundia Multilateral Secondary School (1919), Shabajpur Secondary School (1927),' Madhusudan' Tara Prosonno Secondary Girls' School (1932), Hasimpur Secondary School (1941), Khajura MN Mitra Secondary School (1943), Jessore Government Secondary Girls' School (1962), Aminia Alia Madrasa (1952).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Runner, Lok Samaj, Desh Hitoishi, Purabi.

Cultural organisations Library 6, club 37, cinema hall 6, playground 92, theatre group 5, theatre stage 4, women's organisation 12, cultural organisation 3.

Main sources of income Agriculture 35.09%, non-agricultural labourer 4.73%, industry 2.14%, commerce 21.17%, transport and communication 6.23%, service 17.31%, construction 2.57%, religious service 0.16%, rent and remittance 0.84% and others 9.76%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 49.68%, landless 50.32%; agricultural landowner: urban 36.14% and rural 55.91%.

'Main crops Paddy, potato, wheat, cotton, mustard, sugarcane, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Tobacco, local varietieties of paddy such as Balam paddy, Chandrahar paddy, Bhuro paddy.

Main fruits Date, jackfruit, papaya, litchi, coconut, banana, safeda.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 51, dairy 16, poultry 180, hatchery 100.

Communication facilities Pucca road 194 km, semi-pucca road 260 km, mud road 806 km; railway 55 km; railstation 1, airport 1.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.'

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, oil mill, biscuit factory, soap factory, comb factory, bidi factory, leather mill, steel mill, plastic factory, welding factory.

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

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 56, most noted of which are Hasimpur bazar, Rajar hat, Puler hat, Lebutala hat, Shabajpur bazar, Monohorpur bazar, Churamankati bazar and cattle market at the suburban area.

Main exports Date molasses, leather, cotton, jackfruit, banana, comb, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 75.2% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.8%, tap 2.4% and others 1.8%.

Sanitation 63.9% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 33.2% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 2.9% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 1, government TB hospital 1, maternity and child welfare centre 1, clinic 15, diagnostic centre 7, eye hospital 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, proshika, Jagarani Chakra, Samaj Kalyan Sangstha. [Firoj Ansari]

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