Kachua Upazila (Bagerhat District)

Kachua Upazila (bagerhat district) area 131.62 sq km, located in between 22°34' and 22°45' north latitudes and in between 89°49' and 89°56' east longitudes. It is bounded by chitalmari upazila on the north, morrelganj upazila on the south, nazirpur and pirojpur sadar upazilas on the east, bagerhat sadar upazila on the west.

Population Total 100093; male 50766, female 49327; Muslim 79238, Hindu 20830, Buddhist 16 and others 9.

Water bodies Main rivers: Baleshwari, Taleswar, bishkhali; Larar Canal are notable.

Administration Kachua Thana was formed in 1886 and it was turned into an upazila on 14 September 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	7	78	101	9632	90461	760	58.7	62.3

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
8.32	3	9632	1158	58.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kachua 57	3731	7510	7112	59.54
Gazalia 38	4945	8511	8499	56.45
Gopalpur 47	3316	4902	4844	61.10
Dhopakhali 28	3135	6629	6748	59.18
Badhal 15	5246	7629	7211	60.59
Maghia 66	4908	6772	6546	68.53
Raripara 76	5225	8813	8367	68.01

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001,Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Shibpur Shivabari (1300 AD), Kali Mandir adjacent to the Zamindar Bari at Maghia.

History of the War of Liberation On 3 May 1971, the Pak army brutally killed 42 villagers at Shankharikathi Hat of Badhal union. The Pak army in collaboration with the razakars captured 60 persons from the Bhasa Bazar of Maghia union and later shot them dead at a place near the Bhasarhat Bridge of village Maghia.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass grave 7 (Sakharikati, Maghia and Kachua); memorial monument 2.Religious institutions Mosque 169, temple 47, sacred place 2.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 62.0%; male 63.7%, female 60.2%. Educational institutions: college 3, secondary school 17, primary school 94, madrasa 8. Noted educational institutions: Kachua Degree College, Kachua Mahila Degree College, Majeda Begum Krishi Projukti College, Moshni Secondary School (1915), Goalmath Rashikpal High School (1916), Baroikhali Government Primary School (1918), Madhabkati Ahmadia Fazil Degree Madrasa (1915).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Khanjahan, Sujanesu International, Dipayan, Tritiya Nayan, Sundarban, Kabikantha, Partha Sarathi (religious peroidical); periodical: Muktijuddhe Kachua (1999).

Cultural organisations Library 4, club 58, cinema hall 1, theatre group 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 58.66%, non-agricultural labourer 3.67%, industry 0.6%, commerce 17.57%, transport and communication 5.43%, service 7.05%, construction 1.48%, religious service 0.20%, rent and remittance 0.29% and others 5.05%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 63.75%, landless 36.25%; agricultural landowner: urban 41.50% and rural 66.13%.

Main crops Paddy, sugarcane, wheat, jute, cotton, betel leaf, pulse, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Mustard, sesame, sweet potato, ground-nut, tobacco.

Main fruits Coconut, banana, sapodilla, water-melon, betel nut, plam.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries This upazila has a number of fisheries, dairies and poultries.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, saw mill.

Cottage industries Jute work, nakshi kantha, cane work, bamboo work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 14, fairs 11, most noted of which are Kachua Hat, Bairagi Hat, Signboard Bazar, Goalmat Bazar, Bishkhali Baruni Mela and Shivabari Mela.

Main exports Coconut, betel nut, banana, palm molasses.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 17.33% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 75.74%, tap 2.75%, pond 20.20% and others 1.31%.

Sanitation 48.31% (rural 51.47% and urban 18.67%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 46.60% (rural 43.37% and urban 76.83%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 5.09% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 1, union health and family welfare centre 7, satellite clinic 2, community clinic 10, clinic 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are Onnesha, Prodeepan, asa, brac, CARE, CODEC. [Partho Dev Shaha]

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