Morrelganj Upazila

Morrelganj Upazila (bagerhat district) area 460.90 sq km, located in between 22°20' and 22°37' north latitudes and in between 89°42' and 89°54' east longitudes. It is bounded by kachua (bagerhat) and bagerhat sadar upazilas on the north, sarankhola and mathbaria upazilas on the south, pirojpur sadar and zianagar upazilas on the east, rampal and mongla upazilas on the west.

Population Total 294576; male 143251, female 151325; Muslim 263332, Hindu 31136, Christian 34, Buddhist 2 and others 72.

Water bodies Main rivers: Baleshwari, Ghasiakhali, Panguchhi, Bhola, Balbunia.

Administration Morrelganj Thana was formed in 1909 and it was turned into an upazila in 1985.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	16	120	181	27130	267446	639	68.9 (2001)	59.6

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
6.00 (2001)	9	12	21741	3620 (2001)	73.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
7.23 (2001)	1	5389	779 (2001)	62.9

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Khuolia 59	10364	13349	14492	54.7
Chingrakhali 29	5496	7644	8285	56.6
Jiudhara 53	12417	11446	11512	65.7
Teligati 95	4902	5113	5408	68.8
Daibagnyahati 35	5499	8086	8704	50.6
Nishanbaria 71	11963	13043	13986	52.5
Panchakaran 77	6949	7181	7764	66.3
Putikhali 83	5522	6997	8068	61.4
Banagram 17	4336	5555	5571	62.9
Balaibunia 11	3648	5700	5997	54.2
Baharbunia 10	7706	7620	8269	63.9
Baraikhali 23	6947	11277	11592	66.4
Morrelganj 65	3947	6151	6379	55.8
Ramchandrapur 89	6104	7881	7994	61.1
Hogla Pasha 47	4414	5922	5939	61.8
Hoglabunia 41	6884	9431	10479	57.6

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Morrelganj Kuthi Bari (1849), Lakshmikhali Asrama, Rajbari at Banagram.

Historical events During the British rule in India Henry Morrel established a Neel-kuthi in this upazila and conducted heavy torture on the indigo planters. In protest, peasant movements began under peasant leader Rahimullah of Baraikhali. Rahimullah was killed on 25 November 1861.

War of Liberation In the end of May of 1971 the Pak army conducted a mass killing at Morrelganj Bazar. On this day the Pak army and local razakars arrived from Bagerhat by motor launch and encircled the whole Bazar and killed a many people by gunshot. Besides, during the war of liberation the Pak army set many houses of the upazila on fire and burnt many people to death. Freedom fighters of the upazila had encounters with Pak army at Daibaggohati razakar camp, Morrelganj razakar camp, Dhansagar, Sharalia, Rajapur and some other places of the upazila. A martyrs' memorial monument has been built in Morrelganj.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 618, temple 65. Noted religious institutions: Town Jami Mosque, Badshah Hat Jami Mosque, Sardarpara Jami Mosque, Hawladar Danga Jami Mosque, Shree Shree Kali Mandir, Thakur Kachari Temple, Daibagnyahati Shitala Temple.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 60.7%; male 61.3%, female 60.1%. Educational institutions: college 8, secondary school 63, primary school 302, madrasa 63. Noted educational institutions: SM College (1968), Salimabad College (1990), Banagram Century Institution (1901), Daibagnyahati Bisheshor Multilateral Secondary School (1915), Chingrakhali Secondary School (1920), AC Laha Pilot High School (1924), Kachuabunia Rahmatia Secondary School (1927).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Royal Bengal (defunct), Panguchhi (irregular), Mouchak, fortnightly: Morrelganj Barta, periodical: Mojlum, Morrelganj Porikroma, Prokash, Basundhara, Projapati (Shishu-Kishore Patrika).

Cultural organisations Library 8, press club 1, theatre 2, jatra party 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 56.77%, non-agricultural labourer 5.81%, industry 0.91%, commerce 15.32%, transport and communication 2.13%, service 8.10%, construction 1.22%, religious service 0.28%, rent and remittance 0.49% and others 8.97%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 57.45%, landless 42.55%; agricultural landowner: urban 39.78% and rural 58.89%.'

Main crops Paddy, potato, sugarcane, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sweet potato.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, guava, palm, coconut, banana.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 960, dairy 8, poultry 13, hatchery 1.

Communication facilities Pucca road 66 km, semi-pucca road 193 km, mud road 1201 km; waterway 18 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin.

Noted manufactories Ice factory, saw mill, rice mill, welding factory, brick-field.

Cottage industries Embroidery, bamboo work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 31, fairs 4, most noted of which are Morrelganj Hat, Daibagnyahati Hat, Polerhat Hat, Dewatala Hat, Lakshmikhali Hat, Kalachand Aulia Mela, Lakshmikhali Gopal Sadhu Mela, Sanki Bhanga Baishakhi Mela and Polerhat Ahmed Chad Mela.

Main exports Prawn, coconut, banana.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 29.1% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 28.1%, tap 2.7% and others 69.2%.

Sanitation 72.3% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 26.3% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 1.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 1, union health and family planning centre 16, clinic 6, veterinary hospital 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, Uddipan. [Md. Shibbir Ahmed]

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