Satkhira Sadar Upazila

Satkhira Sadar Upazila (satkhira district) area 398.57 sq km, located in between 22°37' and 22°50' north latitudes and in between 88°55' and 89°10' east longitudes. It is bounded by kalaroa upazila on the north, debhata and assasuni upazilas on the south, tala upazila on the east, west bengal state of India on the west.

Population Total 460892; male 230628, female 230264; Muslim 400126, Hindu 59419, Buddhist 10, Christian 885 and others 452.

Water bodies Main rivers: ichamati, Betna, Kholpatua; Naokhali Canal and Labannabati Beel are notable.

Administration Satkhira Sadar Thana was turned into an upazila in 1984. Satkhira Municipality was formed in 1869. The main business centre of the town is Sultanpur Bazar (old name Pransayar Bazar).

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	14	119	238	113322	347570	1156	66.39	50.48

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
32.39	9	33	113322	3499	66.39

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Agardari 13	7989	18804	18850	48.9
Alipur 16	7755	14443	14503	51.3
Kuskhali 74	6145	10550	11511	46.7
Ghona 61	4264	7766	7935	50.0
Jhaudanga 67	6620	16615	16856	58.0
Dhulihar 54	9347	12427	12217	47.9
Fingri 51	8977	15767	15651	50.3
Balli 27	4165	7906	7953	45.3
Banshdaha 33	5424	9964	10471	55.8
Baikari 20	6254	9088	9399	46.3
Brahma Rajpur 47	5712	10945	10991	51.1
Bhomra 40	7248	13105	12915	51.4
Labsa 81	5563	16189	16054	66.3
Shibpur 94	6114	9453	9252	54.1

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Sultanpur Shahi Mosque, Zamindar Bari Jami Mosque, Tomb of Maichampa at Labsa, Shahi Mosque and Hozrakhana at Baikari (1594), Tahsil Office and Sree Sree Jagannath Deva Mandir at Jhaudanga, Chhaigharia Jora Shiva Mandir, Satkhira Pancha Mandir (Annapurna Mandir, Kali Mandir, Shiva Mandir, Kal Bhairav Mandir and Radha-Govinda Mandir).

War of Liberation On 26 March 1971 the Swadin Bangla Chhatra Sangram Parishad created resistance against the Pak army. On 18 April the freedom fighters looted money from the National Bank of Pakistan and deposited to the Indian Reserve Bank in the account of the Bangladesh Government in exile. On 20 April the Pak army conducted mass killing at Jhaudanga on their entrance to Satkhira with military convoy. On 21 April the Pak army killed about 200 people at the Refugee Camp of Satkhira Government High School and also at the nearby residences. An encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army on 29 April at Bhomra in which four freedom fighters and many Pak soldiers were killed. On 17 July the freedom fighters raided the Pak military camp at Baikari and killed 7 Pak soldiers. There are three mass killing sites (homestead of Dinesh Karmakar and the adjacent pond located on backside of the Satkhira Government School, Bankal and Gangni Bridges); a memorial monument has been established at Satkhira Sadar.

For details: see সাতক্ষীরা সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ১০।

Religious institutions Mosque 396, temple 17, church 2, tomb 3. Noted religious institutions: Sultanpur Shahi Mosque, tomb of Maichampa, Old Satkhira Kali Mandir, Kal Bhairav Mandir at Brahma Rajpur.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 56.5%; male 59.8%, female 53.2%. Educational institutions: college 11, primary teachers training institute 1, vocational training institute 1, private technical school 1, homeopathy college 1, law college 1, secondary school 72, primary school 288, kindergarten 11, madrasa 48. Noted educational institutions: Satkhira Government College, Satkhira Government Mohila College, Satkhira Day-Night College, Satkhira City College, Palli Mangal School and College, Satkhira Polytechnic Institute, Satkhira Prananath Secondary School (1846), Satkhira Government Boys' High School, Satkhira Government Girls' High School, Nabarun Girls' High School (1969), Polashpole Adarsha High School, Satkhira PNP Collegiate School (1846), GN Government Primary School (1818), Satkhira Alia Kamil Madrasa (1928), Ahsania Alim Madrasa, Jhaudanga Fazil Madrasa.

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Kafela, Satkhira Chitra, Patradut; weekly: Dakhinayan, Satkhira Digest, Sahajatri, Ajker Satkhira; fortnightly: Annesan (defunct); monthly: Chharar Dak; quarterly: Ikkhan, Dakhiner Janala, Saumma;' defunct periodicals: Masjid (1917), Annandamaye (1926), Korak (1962). Besides, during the period from 1965 to 1999 about 300 little magazines were also published.

Cultural organisations Library 5, club 31, women organisation 5, shilpakala academy 1, theatre stage 1, theatre group 21, jatra party 3, circus party 1, cinema hall 3.

Main sources of income Agriculture 56.89%, non-agricultural labourer 3.55%, industry 1.08%, commerce 15.57%, transport and communication 4.56%, service 7.85%, construction 1.39%, religious service 0.22%, rent and remittance 0.46% and others 8.43%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 49.94%, landless 50.06%; agricultural landowner: urban 34.74% and rural 54.24%.'

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

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Local aus paddy, boro paddy.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, banana, papaya, coconut, plum, litchi, star apple, guava, sapodilla, plum, lemon.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 1068, dairy 20, poultry 150.

Communication facilities Pucca road 372 km, semi-pucca road 62 km, mud road 420 km.

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

Noted manufactories Textile mill, flour mill, ice factory, biscuit factory, fish processing factory, leather goods, cold storage.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving, wood work, mat work, bamboo work, jute work, tailoring.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 67, fairs 7, most noted of which are Abader Hat, Bangdaha Hat, Jhaudanga Bazar, Sultanpur Bazar, Gurpukur Mela of Polashpole, Bhairab Mela, Rakhal Mela, Chaitra Sankranti Mela and Rath Mela.

Main exports Paddy, rice, shrimp, cotton, handicrafts, plum.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 58.3% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 83.1%, tap 14.3% and others 2.6%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 54.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 41.8% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 3.7% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 2, child hospital 1, health and family welfare centre 14, maternity and child welfare centre 1, clinic 25.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, CARE, Bangladesh Vision, caritas, World Vision. [Tripti Mohan Mallik]

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