Shahjahanpur Upazila

Shahjahanpur Upazila (bogra district) area 221.69 sq km, located in between 24°41' and 24°50' north latitudes and in between 89°16' and 89°29' east longitudes. It is bounded by bogra sadar upazila on the north, sherpur upazila on the south, gabtali and dhunat upazilas on the east, kahaloo and nandigram upazilas on the west.

Population Total 289804; male 149458, female 140346; Muslim 278139, Hindu 11557, Buddhist 42, Christian 41 and others 25.

Water bodies Main rivers: Bhadai, Bangali.

Administration Shahjahanpur upazila was formed on 21 January 2003.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	9	120	166	62140	227664	1307	73.6	53.3

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
22.63	1+2 (partly)	16	62140	2746	73.6

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Aria 17	5829	18710	18710	65.8
Amrool 16	6106	11633	11633	47.7
Asekpur 18	6301	14296	14296	57.5
Khotta Para 43	3752	11589	11259	48.7
Kharna 38	9033	14064	14108	47.9
Gohail 30	8428	13047	13047	43.7
Chopinagar 19	4048	11237	11237	51.1
Majhira 56	2264	10435	10017	62.1
Madla 51	3174	9360	9161	49.0
Sultanganj 90	5829	18710	18710	65.8

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Khadash Rajbari (Gohail), three doomed Gohail Jami Mosque built by Pandit Shah, Buddhist Math (Bergari), Jami Mosque (Ullah Akanda Para).

War of Liberation On 23 April the Pak army entered the Bogra Town and in collaboration with the local Biharis, they conducted killing and tortured and burnt settlements. On 11 November the Pak army and razakars captured 21 persons from Thanthania Khandar area and later killed 14 of them by gun shot at a place called Babur Puklur, whre there is a mass grave.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 371, temple 45, math 1.Noted Religious institutions: Gohail Jami Mosque, Jami Mosque, Buddhist Math.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 57.7%, male 60.5%, female 54.7%. Educational institutions: BEd college 1, agricultural college 1, technical institution 3, college 5, secondary school 31, primary school 121, madrasa 62. Noted educational institutions: Cantonment Public School and College (1979), Cantonment Board High School and College (1986), Ranirhat Technical College (2000), Khotta Para Siddiqua Senior Fazil Madrasa (1905), Domonpur Amiya Fazil Madrasa (1908), Jora Nazmul Ulm Fazil Madrasa (1910), Behigram ADU Central Fazil Madrasa (1921).

Cultural organisations Library 6, cinema hall 2.

Special attractions 'Bijayangan' (War of Liberation Museum), Park on the triangular corner on the Dhaka Natore Road.

Main sources of income Agriculture 55.48%, non-agricultural labourer 2.52%, industry 1.37%, commerce 13.01%, transport and communication 6.49%, service 10.98%, construction 2.50%, religious service 0.17%, rent and remittance 0.39% and others 7.09%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 57.35%, landless 42.65%.

Main crops paddy, pulses, potato, corn, vegetables.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Dairy 62, poultry 65, artificial breeding centre 3.

Communication facilities Pucca road 102.25 km, semi pucca road 3.78 km, mud road 791.97 km.

Manufactories Metal works, furniture factory.

Cottage industries Weaving, pottery, wood work, embroidery, bamboo and cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 9, fairs 3, most noted of which are Durlagari Hat, Sultanganj Hat, Ranir Hat, Nagar Hat, Domon Pukur Hat, Madla Bazar, Atia Bazar, Majhira Bazar, Majhira Mandir Mela (held on the Krishnapakkha of 30th day of Falgun, BS), Jamanna Mela at village Aria, Demajani Mela in Amrool union.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification network. However 66.9% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 90.6%, tap 7.9% and others 1.5%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in the shallow tube well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 71.8% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 22.6% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 5.6% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health centre 1, union satellite clinic 2, maternity and child welfare centre 10, community clinic 30.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the floods of 1955, 1969, 1970, 1984 and the cyclone of 1864. These natural disasters also caused heavy damages to settlements, crops and livestock of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are Palli Unnayan Prakalpa, Grameen Unnayan Prakalpa. [AKM Jasimuddin]

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