Rajarhat Upazila

Rajarhat Upazila (kurigram district) area 166.64 sq km, located in between 25°38' and 25°53' north latitudes and in between 89°27' and 89°38' east longitudes. It is bounded by phulbari (Kurigram) and lalmonirhat sadar upazilas on the north, ulipur and pirgachha upazilas on the south, kurigram sadar upazila on the east, Lalmonirhat Sadar and kaunia upazilas on the west.

Population Total 182981; male 88818, female 94163; Muslim 147247, Hindu 35700, Christian 8 and others 26.

Water bodies Main rivers: dharla, tista; Sarala Beel, Chakirpashar Beel and Gharialdanga 'Beel are notable.

Administration Rajarhat Thana was formed in 1981 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	110	180	9292	173689	1098	57.6	51.7

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
4.46	3	9292	2083	57.6

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Omar Majid 84	5743	12745	14254	51.6
Gharialdanga 42	6548	14415	14572	51.5
Chakirpashar 21	5886	14209	14867	48.0
Chhinai 31	5786	13640	14238	57.0
Nazimkhan 52	4439	9515	10620	51.9
Bidyananda 10	5041	8399	8801	43.9
Rajarhat 73	7736	15895	16811	56.6

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Panga Rajbari, Gharialdanga Zamindar Bari, Shiva Mandir at Koteshwar, two cannons ascribed to Fate Khan and Kalu Khan (Panga Rajbari), Chandamari Mosque (Rajarhat union), Sindurmati Dighi, Beparipara Shahi Mosque (Mughal period).

War of Liberation During the War of Liberation, the freedom fighters had reencounters with Pak army at various places of the upazila. There were mass killing sites and mass graves at Thatmari bridge area, Paikpara, Majapara, Protap, Nakhonda and Shigerdabri and some other locations.

For details: see রাজারহাট উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৯।

Religious institutions Mosque 337, temple 36. Noted religious institutions: Rajarhat Jami Mosque, Khanpara Jami Mosque, Chandamari Mosque, Mekurtari Shahi Mosque, Shiva Mandir at Koteshwar, Square shaped Shiva Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 52.0%; male 56.5%, female 47.9%. Educational institutions: college 8, secondary school 41, primary school 121, madrasa 29. Noted educational institutions: Mir Ismail Hossain Degree College (1973), Rajarhat Mohila Degree College (1995), Nazimkhan High School (1930), Panga Rani Multilateral High School (1939), Rajarhat Pilot High School (1949), Ratiram Government Primary School (1940), Rajarhat Model Government Primary School (1897), Rajarhat Fazil Madrasa (1963).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Gramantar; literary periodical: Uttar Chaiti (irregular).

Cultural organisations Library 3, women's organisation 3, press club 1, theatre group 2, playground 16.

Main sources of income Agriculture 70.32%, non-agricultural labourer 4.91%, industry 0.74%, commerce 10.75%, transport and communication 1.90%, service 5.20%, construction 0.45%, religious service 0.15%, rent and remittance 0.16% and others 5.42%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 53.64%, landless 46.36%; agricultural landowner: urban 50.03% and rural 53.82%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, maize, wheat, musur, potato, vegetables, peanut, bamboo.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops China, aus paddy, kaun.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, star apple, papaya, kamranga, betel nut.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 21, dairy 43, poultry 27, fish hatchery 4.

Communication facilities Pucca road 97 km, mud road 353 km; railway 11 km.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, ice factory, biscuit factory, saw mill, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, jute work, weaving, wood work, bamboo work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 15, fairs 4, most noted of which are Rajarhat, Nazimkhan Hat, Singer Dabri Hat, Bidyananda Bazar, Charak Mela at Fulkhan Chakla, Sindurmati Mela, Mashan Kura Mela.

Main exports Paddy, jute, potato, betel nut, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 22.3% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 99.0%, tap 0.1% and others 0.9%.

Sanitation 55.9% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 37.6% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 6.5% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, health and family welfare centre 7, clinic 9, diagnostic centre 3.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the earthquake of 1304, the famine of 1944 and the flood of 1991; these natural disasters also caused heavy damages to settlements, crops and livestock of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are asa, CARE, brac. [Md. Kamal Hossain]

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