Sarankhola Upazila

Sarankhola Upazila (bagerhat district) area 756.60 sq km, located in between 22°13' and 22°24' north latitudes and in between 89°46' and 89°54' east longitudes. It bounded by morrelganj upazila on the north, the bay of bengal on the south, mathbaria and patharghata upazilas on the east, mongla upazila on the west.

Population Total 119084; male 62400, female 56684; Muslim 109836, Hindu 9232, Buddhist 4 and others 12.

Water bodies Main rivers: Baleshwari, Haringhata, Bhola; Betmar Gang is notable.

Administration Sarankhola Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1907. A major part of the upazila belongs to the sundarbans.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	4	12	45	26971	92113	157	64.7	57.2

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
28.68	2	26971	940	64.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Khontakata 38	9638	15526	16424	63.8
Dhansagar 19	8646	10108	10713	59.9
Royenda 57	9854	15894	16710	60.2
Dakshin Khali 76	9036	12240	12740	52.2
Sarankhola Range 97	146925	8632	97	53.1

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Mohini Kutir of Sinha Bari at village Amragachhia; Haji Sundar Mollah Dafadar Bari Jami Mosque (1882); Uttar Khontakata Nolemia Jami Mosque (1898), Dhansagar Mollah Bari Jami Mosque (1905).

Historical events In 1965, embankments were constructed along the river side to protect the region from inundation by saline water and also, the mouth of all the canals were blocked for the same purpose. But this created water logging in a large area causing heavy damages to crops. Local farmers approached the government for help but after they failed to get any solution, they revolted and in a bid for getting rid of the water logging, they had cut the embankments on the riverbank on 10 March 1969 simultaneously at places like Bayenda, Tafalbari, Khontakata and Kumarkhali.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation in 1971 the Pak army killed more than one hundred people by brush fire at Tarabaka Canal. Freedom fighters had direct encounters with the Pak army at different places including at Royenda Bazar. On 21 October a fierce battle was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Bogi.

For details: see শরণখোলা উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৯।

Religious institutions Mosque 219, temple 72. Noted religious institutions: Haji Sundar Mollah Dafadar Bari Jami Mosque (1882), Uttar Khontakata Nolemia Jami Mosque (1898), Dhansagar Mollah Bari Jami Mosque (1905), Dhansagar Radha Govinda Mandir, Amragachhia Kali Mandir, Royenda Shitala Kali Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 58.9%; male 57.3%, female 60.6%. Educational institutions: college 2, secondary school 17, primary school 105, kindergarten 1, madrasa 13. Noted educational institutions: Sarankhola Degree College (1978), Royenda Pilot High School (1947), Tafalbari High School (1969), Amragachhia Multilateral Secondary School (1950), Khontakata Multilateral Secondary School (1965), RKDS Girls' School (1968).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Bananchal, Royal Bengal; daily: Sarankhola; defunct: Sarankhola Darpan.

Cultural organisations Library 3, press club 1, cultural organisation 12, cinema hall 2, most noted of which are Sarankhola Public Library (1985), Dishari Gononattya Sangstha (2006).'

Main sources of income Agriculture 51.85%, non-agricultural labourer 9.59%, industry 0.7%, commerce 16.24%, transport and communication 2.9%, service 6.56%, construction 1.68%, religious service 0.42%, rent and remittance 0.61% and others 9.45%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 48.74%, landless 51.26%; agricultural landowner: urban 44.35% and rural 50.03%.

Main crops Paddy, pulse.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Coconut, betel nut.

Main fruits Mango, banana, litchi, lemon.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 1350.

Communication facilities Pucca road 40 km, semi-pucca road 29 km, mud road 300 km; waterway 92 km.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill, ice factory, saw mill, biscuit factory, brick field.

Cottage industries Bamboo work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 21, fairs 4, most noted of which are Royenda Hat, Tafalbari Hat, Nalbunia Hat, Bogi Hat, Pohlanbari Hat, Bangla Bazar Hat, Khontakata Hat, Austami Mela, Kulubari Neel' Mela, Neel Bashonti Mela and Royenda Battala Baishakhi Mela.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 23.5% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Natural gas and mineral oil explorations have been going on in the Sundarbans area of the upazila.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 33.6%, tap 16.1% and others 50.3%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 88.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 10.5% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 1.0% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, health centre 2, family planning centre 4.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the Sidr of 15 November 2007; it also caused heavy damages to settlements, livestock, crops and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, Agradut. [Md. Moshfequr Rahman]

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