Bhaluka Upazila

Bhaluka Upazila (mymensingh district) area 444.05 sq km, located in between 24°16' and 24°29' north latitudes and in between 90°14' and 90°29' east longitudes. It is bounded by fulbaria and trishal upazilas on the north, sreepur (gazipur) upazila on the south, gaffargaon upazila on the east, sakhipur and ghatail upazilas on the west.

Population Total 430320; male 217134, female 213186; Muslim 410745, Hindu 17381, Buddhist 35, Christian 1473 and others 686. Indigenous communities such as garo, Bangshi and Mandai belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: Sutia, Lalti, Bajua, Miabua, banar, Salda; Harala Beel is also notable.

Administration Bhaluka Thana was formed in 1917 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	11	87	110	61588	368732	969	49.8 (2001)	46.6

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
5.10 (2001)	9	18	38774	2485 (2001)	73.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
24.93 (2001)	3	22814	727 (2001)	47.8

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Uthura 94	10703	13888	14290	38.3
Kachina 60	13928	19941	21267	41.0
Dhakatia 34	15903	19808	21666	34.2
Dhitpur 43	5743	10767	11242	47.3
Birunia 25	6738	11835	11888	40.1
Bharadoba 17	5702	13072	12740	51.0
Bhaluka 14	6098	9819	9571	52.8
Mallikbari 69	10887	21306	21140	45.3
Meduary 77	8412	12066	12311	42.9
Rajai 86	8166	11799	12525	46.8
Harirbari 51	14882	52594	46011	57.1

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Ruins of Neelkuthi at Birunia, Neshaiganj Mosque, Mosque at Bhaluka Bazar on the bank of river Khiru.

Hisrocal events During the reign of Pala and Sena dynasty Mymensingh and Bhaluka region was under the administration of Samanta ruler. This region came under the Muslim rule during the reign of Alauddin Hossain Shah in the fourteenth century. During the British period Mymensingh region was divided into a number of Sub Divisions. Bhaluka Thana, now an upazila, was included into Mymensingh Sadar Sub Division.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation Afsar Uddin Ahmed, Sub Sector Commander of Sector 11, locally trained freedom fighters and collected arms and ammunitions and challenged the Pak army. The Pak army established military camps at Mallikbari, Ashka, Tamat, and Bhaluka. They conducted mass killing, torture and plundering in the upazila; the Pak army also set many houses of the upazila on fire. Freedom fighters had more than 100 encounters with the Pak army in the upazila and notable among the encounters were at Bhawaliabazu, Seed Store, Chanpur, Mamarishpur, Bhaluka Police Station, Mallikbari, Chanderati and Paragaon. There is a memorial monument at haluka Bus Stand.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 639, temple 28, church 4. Noted religious institutions: Uthura Jami Mosque, Mallikbari Jami Mosque, Neshaiganj Jami Mosque, Bhaluka Bazar Jami Mosque, Harirbari Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 49.1%; Male 52.0%, female 46.2%. Educational institutions: college 5, secondary school 42, primary school 127, community school 24, satellite school 7, technical school 1, madrasa 38. Noted educational institutions: Bhaluka Degree College (1972), Batajore College (1977), Uthura College (1990), Bharadoba High School (1948), Bhaluka Pilot High School (1950), Kayadi High School (1960), Harirbari Sonarbangla High School (1972), Bhaluka Government Girl's School (1985), Rampur Senior Madrasa (1948), Goair Senior Madrasa (1948).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Jagrota Bangla; Monthly: Manobata, Alor Chhaya.

Cultural organisations Club 90, library 6, cinema hall 2, women's organisation 15.

Special attractions Crocodile breeding centre at village Hatiber of Uthura union, Arabian date cultivation farm at village Paragaon, Rabbit breeding centre in Harirbari union and Tepantar and Paradise Point.

Main sources of income Agriculture 69.72%, non-agricultural labourer 3.14%, industry 0.54%, commerce 9.48%, transport and communication 2.61%, service 5.91%, construction 1.04%, religious service '0.17%, rent and remittance 5.99% and others 1.40%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 71.69%, landless 28.31%; agricultural landowner: urban' 59.59% and rural 73.01%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, sugarcane, potato, pulse, mustard, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, arahar, futi.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, guava, litchi, pineapple, palm, amra, black berry, olive, papaya, custard apple, coconut.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 25,' poultry 35, hatchery 2.

Communication facilities Pucca road 124 km, semi-pucca road 19 km, mud road 729 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, textile mill, spinning mill, fish feed manufacturing factory, ceramic industries, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, wood work, bamboo work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs 'Hats and bazars are 50, fairs 4, most noted of which are Mallikbari, Bhaluka, Seedstore, Batajore, Kachina, Uthura, Birunia and Chamaidi bazars, Chaitra Samkranti and Baishakhi Mela.

Main exports Banana, jackfruit, guava, sugarcane, vegetables, cotton, egg, chicken.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 53.8% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 91.8%, tap 3.1% and others 5.1%.

Sanitation 66.7% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 26.1% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 7.2% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Heath centres Upazila health complex 1, hospital 2, health and family welfare centre 6, satellite clinic 4,' community clinic 4.

NGO activities caritas, brac, asa, proshika, CARE, HDP, NGO Forum. [AKM Amanullah Badal]

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