Sunamganj Sadar Upazila

Sunamganj Sadar Upazila (sunamganj district) area 290.71 sq km, located in between 24°49' and 25°10' north latitudes and in between 91°14' and 91°27' east longitudes. It is bounded by bishwambarpur upazila and Meghalaya state of India on the north, dakshin sunamganj upazila on the south, dowarabazar upazila on the east, Bishwambarpur upazila on the west.

Population Total 279019; male 139561, female 139458; Muslim 251254, Hindu 26669, Buddhist 16, Christian 688 and others 392. Indigenous communities such as hajong, manipuri and garo belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: surma, Dhamalia; Kandar Haor; Bahana, Raua, Sofela, Surya, Roua, Santal, Chatar, Ufa, Laiyar Kitta and Hakati beels are notable.

Administration Sunamganj Sadar Thana was formed in 1877 and it was turned into an upazila in 1984. Municipality was formed in 1960.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	9	120	268	70126	208893	960	57.89 (2001)	31.6

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
17.39 (2001)	9	44	65332	2913 (2001)	60.5

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
-	3	4794	-	29.1

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Aftabnagar 10	5893	10339	10497	31.7
Katair	5481	8202	8564	29.0
Gourararang 27	12625	18851	18645	33.1
Jahangirnagar	5765	13668	13727	34.4
Mollah Para 55	8420	10894	11102	29.9
Mohanpur 50	6151	8527	8833	32.8
Rangar Char 72	11146	11938	12712	28.9
Lakshmansree 39	6005	7829	7848	29.0
Surma	6062	15793	15718	32.4

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Remnants of ancient mosque at Gutigaon (Mangalkata), Pagla Jami Mosque, Mazar of Syed Umed Harun Bagdadi at Mohammadpur, residence and tomb of hasan raja, old building of Jubilee School.

War of Liberation In 1971 the Pak army conducted mass killing, violation of women and burning at different places including at Sunamganj Town, Krishnanagar and Ahsanmara Ferry Ghat. The Pak army killed three freedom fighters at Sunamganj Circuit House and Ahsanmara areas during the peoples’ resistance movement. During the war of liberation 48 freedom fighters were killed at Krishnagar of Mongal Kot. They were buried at Dalura. There is a mass grave in the upazila; 3 memorial monuments have been built.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 113, temple 78, church 2, tomb 2. Noted religious institutions: Court Jami Mosque, Pagla Jami Mosque, Patharia Baishnab Akhra, tomb of Mohammadpur Syed Umed Harun Bogdadi.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 38.8%; male 41.3%, female 36.2%. Educational institutions: college 5, technical college 2, secondary school 32, primary school 195, kindergarten 8, community school 26, madrasa 7. Noted educational institutions: Sunamganj Government College (1944), Sunamganj Government Mohila College (1984), Sunamganj Paura College (1995), Mainul Haque College (2004), Government Jubilee High School (1887), Satish Chandra Government Girls' High School (1940), Rangar Char Harinapati High School (1942), Narayantala Mission High School (1972), Sunamganj Girls' High School (1980), Krishnanagar Government Primary School, Saidpur Government Primary School, Hossainpur Government Primary School, Niamatpur Government Primary School, Sunamganj Dini Madrasa (1974), Damadartapi Islamia Dakhil Madrasa (1965).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Haor Barta, Desh Prantho (2006); weekly: Shajan (1991), Sunam Kantha (2000), Sunam Express (2006), Sunamganj Report (2005), Sunamganjer Janapath (2006), Sunamganj Samgbad (1991), Sunamganj Barta (1985), Aunal (1991), Grambanglar Katha (2007); defunct weekly: Surma (1984), Din Jai (1992), Sunamganjer Kagoj (1991).

Cultural organisations Library 4, press club 1, theatre group 6, women organisation 5, shilpakala academy 1, rest house 3, auditorium 3, shishu academy 1, music school 4, theatre stage 2, stadium 2, playground 35, cultural organisation 8.

Main sources of income Agriculture 62.06%, non-agricultural labourer 6.45%, industry 0.85%, commerce 10.96%, transport and communication 1.65%, service 5.01%, construction 0.69%, religious service 0.42%, rent and remittance 2.08% and others 9.83%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 47.60%, landless 52.40%; agricultural landowner: urban 42.66% and rural 48.45%.'

Main crops Rice, wheat, jute, mustard, sugarcane, ground nut, potato, onion, garlic, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, kaun, arahar, tobacco.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, banana, pineapple, guava.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 170, dairy 110, poultry 210, hatchery 1.

Communication facilities Pucca road 85 km, semi-pucca road 15 km, mud road 80 km; waterway 45 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, ice factory, saw mill, cold storage, fish processing centre, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, wood work, bamboo work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 30, fairs 2, most noted of which are Pagla Bazar, Tuker Bazar, Mangalkata Bazar, Munshiganj Bazar, Muradpur Bazar, Patharia Bazar, Joy Nagar Bazar, Harinapati Bazar, Rangar Char Bazar, Banagaon Bazar, Choumuhani Bazar, Hasaura Bazar, Baithakhali Bazar, Joy Kalash Bazar, Noakhali Bazar, Ganiganj Bazar and Bitganj Bazar.

Main exports Paddy, fish, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 47.4% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Natural gas.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 88.7%, tap 2.9% and others 8.4%. As per the report of the District Public Health Office the presence of arsenic has been detected in the water of 926 tube wells out of 5771 tube wells. So far 95 arsenic affected patients have been detected in the upazila.

Sanitation 37.3% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 51.4% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 11.3% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 2, satellite clinic 2, child and maternity welfare centre 2, family welfare centre 8, clinic 2, maternity 1.

Natural disasters Nearly 287 persons were victims of the earthquake of 1897; it also caused heavy damages to settlements of the upazila. Besides, the floods of 1974, 1988 and 2004 caused heavy damages to settlements, livestock and crops of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, BARD. [Alok Ghosh Chowdhury]

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