Beanibazar Upazila

Beanibazar Upazila (sylhet district) area 253.24 sq km, located in between 24°45' and 24°57' north latitudes and in between 92°03' and 92°15' east longitudes. It is bounded by kanaighat and zakiganj upazilas on the north, barlekha on the south, Zakiganj upazila and assam (India) on the east, golapganj upazila on the west. The upazila has 12.01 km long international boundary with India. Total forest area is 15.54 sq km; Tilas (hillocks) 170.

Population Total 253616; male 123939, female 129677; Muslim 244453, Hindu 9147, Buddhist 2, Christian 6 and others 8.

Water bodies Main rivers: surma, kushiyara and Sonai; Kalauchi and Sada canals are notable.'

Administration Beanibazar' Thana was formed in 1938 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983.'

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	10	134	174	42030	211586	1001	63.5	58.9

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
12.39	9	37	42030	3392	63.5

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Alinagar 08	5709	10470	10959	60.8
Kurar Bazar 43	4115	11695	12177	60.7
Charkhai 25	9055	15340	15235	59.0
Tilpara 94	6463	8327	9037	63.7
Dobhag 34	6312	10746	11457	53.9
Beanibazar 17	3671	7352	7353	66.9
Mathiura 60	8824	13046	14291	56.7
Muria 77	2827	5453	5909	65.2
Mollahpur 14	4803	11119	11834	51.3
Lauta 51	6740	9359	10427	57.8
Sheola 86	5709	10470	10959	60.8

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Sree Sree Basu Deva Bari (house) and Basu Deva image (made of black basalt) at village Supatala, six out of seven pieces of copper plates of king Bhaskar Barma (7th century) and an imperial elephant embossed stamp, ruins of Rajbari at Tengra.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation the Pak army used to capture innocent people at different places of the upazila and killed them at mass killing sites such as the backyard of the Dak bungalow of the Thana Sadar, the Thana compound and the area now known as Shahid Tila. The freedom fighters of the upazila had built up resistance against the Pak army on the southern bank of the Surma river across the area covering Kulaura, Baralekha, Beanibazar, Shaola and Golapganj. There were two encounters between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Shalutikar and Lakkatura. Two massive encounters in Beanibazar took place at Sutarkandi and Sarpara. There are 4 mass killing 4 sites (at the backyard of the dak bungalow, Thana Compound, Shahid Tila and Sarpar Camp) and a mass grave at C&B road; a memorial monument has been constructed at Shahid Tila.

For details: see বিয়ানীবাজার উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৭।

Religious institutions Mosque 388, temple 19, sacred place 1, tomb 7. Noted religious institutions: Patan Baghmara Jami Masjid, tomb of Golab Shah (Bashba known as 'Imam Bari'), Shree Shree Kali Mandir, Shree Shree Mahapravhu Bigraha Akhra (Jaldhup).

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 59.7%; male 61.6%, female 57.9%. Educational institutions: college 4, secondary school 34, primary school 134, community school 6, kindergarten 4, madrasa 345. Noted educational institutions: Lauta High School (1871), Panchakandha Hargovinda High School (1917), Khasa Government Primary School (1895), Jaldhup Government Primary School (1909).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Beanibazar Barta, Dibalok, Nabadwip, Agami Projanma, Saptaha, Samvabona.

Cultural organisations Club 75, library 2, community centre 13,' women's organisation, playground 15.

Noted installations and tourist spots Beanibazar Gas Field, Baro Haler Dighi, Tomb of Golab Shah.'

Main sources of income Agriculture 26.39%, non-agricultural labourer 6.80%, industry 0.78%, commerce 12.20%, transport and communication 3.09%, service 4.16%, construction 3.74%, religious service 0.51%, rent and remittance 28.37% and others 13.96%.

Main crops Paddy, potato, sesame, cassia leaf.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Mustard seed, linseed, arahar, ground nut.

Main fruits Jackfruit, orange, litchi, guava, satkora, amloki, olive, shaddock.

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

Communication facilities Pucca road 125 km, semi-pucca road 29 km, mud road 397 km; waterway 11.7 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Ice-cream factory 21, rice mill 55, saw mill 25, welding factory 41.

Cottage industries Goldsmith 50, blacksmith 40, potteries 10, bamboo and wood work 104, tailoring 201, wool knitting 5, leather work 1.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 38, fairs 3, most noted of which are Beanibazar, Mathiura (Vatar) Bazar, Bairagi Bazar, Thana Bazar at Jaldhup, Rath Jatrar Mela of Vasudev Bari and Deulgram Akhra Mela.

Main exports Orange, jackfruit, cassia leaf, gas.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 71.9% dwellings have access to electricity.

Natural resources Natural gas.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 82.1%, tap 8.6% and others 9.3%.

Sanitation 76.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 22.7% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 0.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health centre 1, family planning centre 4, union health centre 5.

NGO activities brac, asa, CARE. [Azizur Rahman]

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