Bakshiganj Upazila

Bakshiganj Upazila (jamalpur district) area 238.29 sq km, located in between 25°06' and 25°18' north latitudes and in between 89°47' and 89°57' east longitudes. It is bounded by Meghalaya state of India on the north, islampur upazila on the south, sreebardi upazila on the east, dewanganj upazila on the west. The garo Hills are on the north east part of the upazila.

Population Total 218930; male 107718, female 111212; Muslim 215780, Hindu 2525, Buddhist 2, Christian 576 and others 47. Indigenous community such as garo belongs to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: old brahmaputra, Dashani, Jirjira; Singijan beel, Kuiya beel' and Jirjira beel are notable.

Administration Bakshiganj Thana was formed on 30 April 1982 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	25	199	28890	190040	919	46.6	31.0

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
12.62	2	28890	2289	46.6

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Dhanua 47	6865	9278	9792	38.7
Nilakshmia 71	5227	12896	13041	26.1
Bakshiganj 23	7572	24471	24766	41.5
Bagar Char 11	8854	19328	20638	29.2
Battajore 35	6306	13743	14608	39.2
Merur Char 59	10281	16217	16291	27.2
Shadhur Para 83	13781	11785	12076	25.4

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation the freedom fighters attacked Kamalpur Pak army camp many times by crossing the Indian border and coming through Bakshiganj upazila. On 31 July 1971 the freedom fighters, under the command of Major Moinul Hussain Chowdhury (Battalion Commanding Officer of the 1st East Bengal Regiment of Sector 11) attacked the Kamalpur Pak army camp in which the Pak army suffered heavy causality. 35 freedom fighters including Captain Salahuddin Momtaz, Ahaduzzaman and Abul Kalam Azad were killed in encounters with Pak army during the War of Liberation. On 14 November 1971, Col. Abu Taher got seriously wounded by an explosion in an encounter with the Pak army. Bakshiganj Upazila was liberated on 5 December 1971. Mass graves have been discovered at 7 places (Bakshiganj High School playground, Kamalpur health centre, Kamalpur Bazar, Battajore, Dhanua, Bakshiganj cattle market, Bakshiganj Bazar) of the upazila; one memorial monument has been built.

For details: see বকশীগঞ্জ উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৬।

Religious institutions Mosque 275, temple 2, church 2. Noted religious institutions: Bakshiganj Mosque, Dhanua Mosque, Kamalpur Mosque, Battajore Mosque.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 33.1%; Male 35.5%, female 30.8%. Educational institutions: college 3, secondary school 18, primary school 90, community school 5, textile and vocational school 1, madrasa 22. Noted educational institutions: Bakshiganj Govt. KU College (1972), Sarmara Nasir Uddin High School (1911), Bakshiganj Nur Mohammad High School (1935), Nilakhsmia Pilot High School (1935), Dhanua Kamalpur High School (1964), Battajore KRI Senior Madrasa (1937).

Cultural organisations Club 35, cinema hall 2, women organisation 5, playground 22.

Tourist spots Picnic spot at Lauchapara, memorial monument of martyr freedom fighters at Kamalpur, Goro hill, remnants of neelkhuthis at Nilakshmia and Charkauria and land port of Dhanua Kamalpur.

Main sources of income Agriculture 69.06%, non-agricultural labourer 3.01%, industry 0.38%, commerce 11.90%, transport and communication 2.27%, service 3.82%, construction 1.22%, religious service' 0.23%, rent and remittance 0.13% and others 7.98%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 50.34%, landless 49.66%; agricultural landowner: urban' 26.53% and rural 51.60%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, cotton, mustard, sugarcane, sweet potato, gram, lentil, turmeric, onion, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Corn, sesame, linseed, kaun.

Main fruits Water melon, black berry, banana, papaya, pineapple.

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

Communication facilities Pucca road 66 km, semi-pucca road 3 km, mud road 356 km.

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

Cottage industries Goldsmith, weaving, bamboo work, cane work, nakshi kantha.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 10, fairs 4, most noted of which are Nayim Miar Hat, Kamalpur Bazar and Sarmara Austami Mela, Battajore Akhra Mela and Shah Kamal (R) Mela at Kamalpur.

Main exports Paddy, jute, mustard, cotton, onion, turmeric, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 24.6% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 97.3%, tap 0.1% and others 2.6%. The presence of arsenic has been detected almost 70% in shallow tube-well water of this upazila.

Natural resources Stone, white clay.

Sanitation 57.0% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 34.3% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 8.7% of households do not have latrine facilities.

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

Natural disasters There were heavy damages to settlements, livestock and crops due to earth quake of 1930 and floods of 1931 and 1988.

NGO activities brac, asa, care, Unnayan Sangha. [Sayed Md Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury]

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