Tahirpur Upazila

Tahirpur Upazila (sunamganj district) area 315.33 sq km, located in between 25°01' and 25°12' north latitudes and in between 91°02' and 91°19' east longitudes. It is bounded by Meghalaya state of India on the north, jamalganj and dharmapasha upazilas on the south, bishwambarpur upazila on the east, Dharmapasha upazila on the west.

Population Total 215200; male 110555, female 104645; Muslim 197445, Hindu 16921, Buddhist 1, Christian 692 and others 141. Indigenous communities such as garo and hajong belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: Baulai, Patnal, Rakti; Tanguar Haor,' Matian Beel, Sangsar Beel, Arbiakona Beel, Rauar Beel, Sonar Beel, Chipti Beel, Sonatala Beel, Palair Beel, Ghoriakuri Beel, Botkai Beel, Shailadigha Beel, Nabai Beel, Kupaura Beel, Golaghat Beel are notable.

Administration Tahirpur Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1924.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	7	128	243	9450	205750	682	48.7	29.5

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
4.13	1	9450	2288	48.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Uttar Badaghat 71	9108	23525	23340	35.7
Uttar Sreepur 92	23394	26807	23254	28.9
Tahirpur 64	12962	9726	9251	41.2
Dakshin Badal 43	4604	11320	10852	22.6
Dakshin Sreepur 33	13819	10751	9987	30.2
Balijuri 10	3716	9758	9580	36.2
Badal 82	8361	18668	18381	21.2

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Remnants of the residence of Raja Bijoy Singh (16th century).

Historical events In 1997-98 Bhasan Pani Movement was held in Tahirpur in which 10 peasants were killed and many were arrested and were kept confined.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation in 1971, a number of refugee camps were established at the foot of the Khasia Jainta hills near Tahirpur. Freedom fighters of the upazila attacked on Pakistani soldiers patrolling in Sreepur area and Binnagar and other places of the upazila. They also carried out an operation on a camp of the aggressor army at Tahirpur Police Station towards the end of November and the enemies were forced to flee the area.

For details: see তাহিরপুর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৪।

Religious institutions Mosque 233, temple 45, church 1, tomb 3, sacred place 1.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 30.4%; male 33.2%, female 27.5%. Noted educational institutions: Zainal Abedin College (1992), Badaghat College (1994), Tahirpur Government High School (1950), Tahirpur Girls' High School (1988), Badaghat High School (1962), Takerghat Chunapathar Khani Prokalpa High School (1966), Janata High School (1989), Balijuri High School (1965), Tahirpur Hifzul Ulam Senior Madrasa (1973), Rahmania Senior Madrasa (1973).

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 10, women organisation 1, playground 3.

Tourist spots Tanguar Haor, Janmadham (birth place) of Sree Sree Adaita Prabhu, Pana Tirtha and Barek Tila.

Main sources of income Agriculture 68.05%, non-agricultural labourer 7.53%, industry 0.35%, commerce 11.56%, transport and communication 1.07%, service 2.30%, construction 0.57%, religious service 0.32%, rent and remittance 0.22% and others 8.03%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 59.34%, landless 40.66%; agricultural landowner: urban 60.84% and rural 59.27%.

Main crops Paddy, nut, wheat, mustard.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Tobacco, kaun.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, papaya, lemon, watermelon.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 10, dairy 20, poultry 70.

Communication facilities Pucca road 39 km, semi-pucca road 20 km, mud road 200 km; waterway 52 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Cottage industries Weaving, bamboo work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 20, fairs 2, most noted of which are Badaghat Bazar, Tahirpur Bazar, Balijuri Bazar, Anwarpur Bazar, Panatirtha Baruni Mela at Rajargaon and Shah Arefin Mela at Laurergarh.

Main exports Paddy, fish, lime stone.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 25.5% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Lime stone, sand and coal.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 90.7%, tap 0.3% and others 9.0%.

Sanitation 17.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 62.5% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 62.5% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health centre 1, family planning centre 7, satellite clinic 1.

Natural disasters The floods of 1974, 1988 and 1998 caused heavy damages to cattle and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa. [Jayanta Singh Roy]

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