Jhenaidah District

Jhenaidah District (khulna division) area 1964.77 sq km, located in between 23°13' and 23°46' north latitudes and in between 88°42' and 89°23' east longitudes. It is bounded by kushtia district on the north, jessore district and west bengal state of India on the south, rajbari and magura districts on the east, chuadanga district and West Bengal state of India on the west.

Population Total 1771304; male 886402, female 884902; Muslim 1601086, Hindu 167880, Buddhist 28, Christian 975 and others 1335.

Water bodies Main rivers: gorai, kumar, nabaganga, chitra, bhairab, kobadak, Betna, Kaliganga; canals: Putimari, Sonalidanga, Dakuar, Tattipur; Beels: Kannadaha, Kajli, Shikir, Patar, Ruimari, Dobila-Azampur, Urki, Uttar Beel (Magura-Tattipur); baors: Baluhar, Marjat, Sarjat, Majdia, Barphar.

Administration At the beginning of the British rule Jhenaidah was a police out post and was turned into a thana in 1793. The Jhenaidah Sub division was established in 1862 and was turned into a district in 1984. Of the 10 districts of Khulna Division Jhenaidah district occupies the 5th position and it occupies the 34th position among the 64 districts of Bangladesh. Of the six upazilas of the district jhenaidah sadar is the largest (467.75 sq km, it occupies 23.99% of the total area of the district) and kotchandpur is the smallest (165.66 sq km).

District
Area (sq km)	Upazila	Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
						Urban	Rural
1964.77	6	6	67	886	1144	280192	1491112	902	48.4

Others Information of District
Name of Upazila	Area (sq km)	Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
Kaliganj	310.19	1	11	178	198	282366	910	52.0
Kotchandpur	165.63	1	5	74	79	141121	852	50.4
Jhenaidah Sadar	470.11	1	17	248	284	455932	970	51.8
Maheshpur	417.85	1	12	144	196	332514	796	44.8
Shailkupa	373.43	1	14	168	265	361648	968	47.2
Harinakunda	227.54	1	8	74	122	197723	869	42.3

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011,Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

War of Liberation On 13 April 1971 an encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held at Mandartala of village Mohishahati under Kaliganj upazila in which 20 freedom fighters were killed and approximately 100 were wounded. Around 150 to 200 freedom fighters were killed in another encounter on 14 April at Dulalmundia of the upazila. On 16 April another encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held on the bank of the Begabati river of Bishkhali under Jhenaidah Sadar upazila in which 7 freedom fighters were killed and many were wounded. 27 freedom fighters were killed in an encounter with the Pak army at a place adjacent to the playground of Kamanna Secondary School under Shailkupa upazila. There are mass graves at 7 places and mass killing sites at 3 places of the district.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 48.4%; male 50.5%, female 46.3%. Educational institutions: university 1, college 54, polytechnic institute 1, secondary school 304, primary school 804, madrasa 283. Noted educational institutions: Islami University, Government KC College (1960), Jhenaidah Cadet College (1963), Mahtab Uddin Degree College (1966), Shailkupa Government Degree College (1969), Jhenaidah City College (1981), Maheshpur High School (1863), Harinakunda Priyanath High School (1872), Joradaha High School (1872), Jhenaidah Government High School (1877), Naldanga Bhusan Pilot Secondary School (1882), Shailkupa Pilot High School (1893), Kotchandpur Pilot Secondary School (1899), Raigram Banikanta High School (1920), Jhenaidah Government Girls' High School (1970), Jhenaidah Siddikia Alim Madrasa (1967).

Main sources of income Agriculture 67%, non-agricultural labourer 2.93%, industry 1.59%, commerce 14.24%, transport and communication 3.83%, service 4.93%, construction 1.16%, religious service 0.13%, rent and remittance 0.46% and others 3.73%.

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Jhenaidah, Jhenaidah Bani, Adhibeshan, Nabaganga, Bir Darpan, Muktasamaj, Nabachitra; weekly: Chalantika, Aunirvan, Simanter Bani, Chetana, Janatar Dak, Bir Darpan; periodicals: Kotchandpur, Kahan, Kumar, Duhsahos, Janarab, Aognishikha, Pratiti, Disha, Boipatra, Mati Mon, Shuktara, Chharapatra, Khejurtala, Sabuj Patra, Joybangla, Ullas, Chetana, Simanta, Disheri, Anurag, Bishwabani, Shailabarta.

Important installations Transmission centre of Bangladesh Television (1995). [BM Rezaul Karim]

See also The upazilas under this district.

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Jhenaidah District 2007; Cultural survey report of upazilas of Jhenaidah District 2007.