Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila

Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila (lalmonirhat district) area 263.83 sq km, located in between 25°46' and 26°00' north latitudes and in between 89°20' and 89°36' east longitudes. It is bounded by west bengal state of India and aditmari upazila on the north, kaunia and rajarhat upazilas on the south, phulbari (kurigram) and rajarhat upazilas on the east, Aditmari and gangachara upazilas on the west.

Population Total 333166; male 166763, female 166403; Muslim 282584, Hindu 49979, Buddhist 2, Christian 387 and others 214.

Water bodies Main rivers: dharla, tista, Swarnamati.

Administration Lalmonirhat Thana was formed in 1901 and it was turned into an upazila in 1984. Lalmonirhat Municipality was formed in 1873. Lalmonirhat was the headquarters of the Western Railway since the British period.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	9	118	173	60322	272844	1263	66.0	43.1

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
17.62	9	64	60322	3423	66.0

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kulaghat 51	6866	13947	14036	43.9
Khuniagachh 43	6168	15347	14939	26.5
Gokunda 29	6564	17900	18309	46.7
Panchagram 83	6763	14608	14875	50.6
Barabari 20	6530	13581	13598	48.3
Mahendranagar 73	8056	18078	17664	47.6
Mogalhat 65	7524	16964	17564	44.4
Rajpur 94	6907	9712	9449	29.9
Harati 36	5497	16130	16143	43.0

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Subadar Monsur Khan Mosque (Nidaria Mosque); Harano Mosque, Sindurmati Pond, Hussain Sarabor (dry tank).'

War of Liberation In 1971 Lalmonirhat Sadar was under Mogalhat Sub-sector of Sector 6. On 4 April the Pak army took position at the Lalmonirhat Airport. On 5 they, in collaboration with the Biharis, sacked the area. On 9 November the Pak army captured a number of persons and killed them at the premises of the Araikhamar Dakbangalow. During the war of liberation the Pak army killed many officers and other staff of Bangal Railway. The Pak army was forced to leave Lalmonirhat on the face of the heavy attack by the freedom fighters on 4 and 5 December. The upazila was liberated on 6 December. There are mass graves at 3 places (pond on the backyard of the Rifle Battallion, backyard of Railway Main Building, and an well in the backyard of the Science Laboratory of the Lalmonirhat Government High School) and 2 memorial monument in the upazila2; A road on the west side of the Railway over-bridge has been named after Martyr Dr. Zoha.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 607, temple 121, church 4, sacred place 3. Noted religious institutions: Nidaria Mosque, Central Jami Mosque, Thanapara Jami Mosque, Baitul Majud Jami Mosque, Kali Mandir at Telipara, Shree Shree Bridheshwari Mandir, Puranbazar Church of God, Khata Para Bara Dargah, Sindurmati Tirtha, Bania Dighi Tirtha.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 47.4%; male 51.4%, female 43.4%. Educational institutions: college 10, secondary school 60, primary school 133, madrasa 59. Noted educational institutions: Lalmonirhat Government College (1964), Majida Khatun Government Women's College (1988), Sheikh Shafi Uddin Commerce College (1991), Lalmonirhat Government Ideal Degree College (1994), Government Technical School and College (1978), Lalmonirhat Government High School (1919), Lalmonirhat Government Girls' High School (1930), Church of God High School (1946), Kashipur Bilateral High School (1959), Railway Children Park Government High School (1960), Kobi Sheikh Fazlul Karim Girls' High School (1986), Nesaria Alia Madrasa (1965).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Lalprovat (2000); weekly: Lalmonirhat Barta (1991), Janajani (1984); literary periodical: quarterly Chalaman (1984), Raktasurya' (1977), Ashikar (1978); Bikash (1986), Sahitya Parishad Patrika (1990), Lalposter (1995), Monthly Roddur (2001), Sampriti (2005); defunct: Chalaman, Akata,' Daruchini, Chharpatra, Idaning, Aurenna Radan.

Cultural organisations Library 79, club 175, cultural organisation 12, women's organisation 2, auditorium 2, jatra party 4, magic performance group 1, theatre party 2, cinema hall 2.

Tourists spots Air Base, Mogalhat Zero Point, Tista Railway Bridge, Railway Park and Open Stage, Kutubkhana,' Sindurmati, Lalmonirhat District Museum.

Main sources of income Agriculture 62.45%, non-agricultural labourer 3.46%, industry 0.55%, commerce 13.57%, transport and communication 3.06%, service 8.18%, construction 1.08%, religious service 0.17%, rent and remittance 0.35% and others 7.13%.

Main crops Paddy, tobacco, sugarcane, potato, maize, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Jute, china, kaun.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, betel nut, papaya, shaddock, coconut.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 19, poultry 36, hatchery 7.

Communication facilities Pucca road 183 km, mud road 406 km; railway 19 km; waterway 16 km. Rail station 4.

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

Noted manufactories Flour mill, oil mill, saw mill, ice factory, biscuit factory.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 23, fairs 14, most noted of which are Goshala Hat, Nababer Hat, Mahendranagar Hat, Burir Bazar, Tista Hat, Kulaghat' Hat, Rajpur Hat, Sindurmati Mela, Sukan Dighi Mela, Garkata Mashan Mela and Durga Puja Mela.

Main exports Tobacco, sugarcane, betel nut, papaya, potato, maize, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under electrification net-work. However 29.6% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Quality stone with silicate and manganese, akaric (raw) iron and oil mine have been traced in the upazila.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.6%, tap 1.7% and others 2.7%.

Sanitation 52.1% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 37.1% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 10.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 3, union health centre 4, maternity centre 1, clinic 6.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, rdrs. [Tanzimul Nayan]

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