Gaffargaon Upazila

Gaffargaon Upazila (mymensingh district) area 398.30 sq km, located in between 24°15' and 24°33' north latitudes and in between 90°27' and 90°39' east longitudes. It is bounded by trishal and nandail upazilas on the north, kapasia and sreepur (gazipur) upazilas on the south, hossainpur and pakundia upazilas on the east, Trishal, bhaluka and Sreepur (Gazipur) upazilas on the west.

Population Total 430746; male 210624, female 220122; Muslim 424228, Hindu 6152, Buddhist 6, Christian 17 and others 343.

Water bodies Main rivers: old brahmaputra and Kaoraid; Raona, Taltala, Subi, Mulapalia, Baragup and Hoara beels are notable.

Administration Gaffargaon Thana was formed in 1897 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	15	199	214	42641	388105	1081	54.8 (2001)	49.3

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
5.39 (2001)	9	19	29325	4070 (2001)	67.7

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
6.82 (2001)	6	13316	1622 (2001)	60.2

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Usthi 94	4862	11060	11776	49.8
Gaffargaon 25	5584	14131	14454	64.0
Char Algi 12	7969	14320	14528	30.8
Tengaba 88	8397	14007	15358	49.6
Datter Bazar 18	8397	14838	15851	47.9
Nigair 50	8789	17154	17690	49.6
Paithal 56	6471	11815	12505	51.6
Panchbhag 63	6840	13681	14310	42.3
Barabaria 11	3665	8710	9461	46.8
Mashakhali 44	7718	13881	14737	47.4
Jessora 31	5440	12224	12897	43.6
Rasulpur 69	4586	11396	12047	38.9
Raona 75	7032	12913	13141	47.0
Langair 37	6710	11245	11911	46.7
Saltia 82	4630	14558	14822	58.3

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Tomb and dighi of Kalu Shah, Dui Satiner Dighi (dighi of two fellow wives), Dighir Par Mosque (1392 AD), Lakshmi Narayan Jeu Mandir (1335 BS), Kali Mandir at Shibganj (Sultanate period).

Historical events During the fakir-sannyasi resistance movement in 1766 there was one abode of the sanyasis and a dargah of Shah Madar at village Dubhasia of Gaffargaon upazila. In 1800, Aratun, an Armenian, first established a Neelkuthi in Gaffargaon Town. In order to get rid of suppression of indigo planters, the people of the upazila participated in the indigo resistance movement.

War of Liberation On 17 April 1971 two fighter planes of the Pakistan army opened fire by machine gun on Gaffargaon in which 17 people were killed and more than one hundred were wounded. Freedom fighters of the upazila had encounters with Pak army at Kanyamandal, Sutarchapar, Charbaria, Shilar bazaar and Niguari. There are mass killing sites at 2 places of the upazila (Launch Ghat near the Bazar and Char Algi Union); a memorial monument has been built.

For details: see গফরগাঁও উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৩।

Religious institutions Mosque 612, temple 12, tomb 3.Noted religious institutions: Mosque of Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah at Dighir Par, Gaffargaon Station Mosque, Gayeshpur Bazar Jami Mosque, Sutar Chap Jami Mosque, Panchbhag Jami Mosque, Atharodana Sheikhbari Mosque, Malmal Sarkerbari Mosque, Satarbari Miahbari Mosque, Lakshmi Narayan Jeo Mandir, Shibganj Kali Mandir.'

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 49.3%; male 49.1%, female 49.4%. Educational institutions: college 8, secondary school 77, primary school 329, community school 26. Noted educational institutions: Dhala High School (1893), Gaffargaon Islamia Government High School (1902), Biroi Taltala Girls' High School (1902), Kandipara Askar High School (1906), Shibganj B Das High School (1915), Dhanikhola' Osmania Multilateral High School (1916), Panchbhag Islamia Fazil Madrasa (1921), Maisbari Dhakhil Madrasa (1918).

Newspapers and periodicals Defunct: Anirban, Pous, Agnishila (monthly), Amader Kagaj (quarterly).

Cultural organisations Club 80, library 6, cinema hall 7, theatre group 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 64.14%, non-agricultural labourer 3.24%, industry 0.47%, commerce 11.36%, transport and communication 2.75%, service 7.59%, construction 1.05%, religious service 0.25%, rent and remittance 1.19% and others 7.96%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 67.56%, landless 32.44%; agricultural landowner: urban 49.81% and rural 68.98%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, potato, ground nut, sugarcane, mustard, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, black berry, litchi, papaya, banana.

Communication facilities Pucca road 129 km, mud road 1079 km; waterway 12 km; railway 23 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, oil mill, saw mill, printing press, ice factory, soap factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, weaving, blacksmith, embroidery, bamboo work, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 57, most noted of which are Salti Bazar, Dutter Bazar and Mukhir Mela.

Main exports Paddy, jute.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification network. However 43.1% of the dwellings have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 90.5%, tap 2.2% and others 7.3%.

Sanitation 41.2% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 46.6% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 12.2% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, rural medical centre 4, family welfare centre 9.

Natural disasters Three fourth of the total area of Gaffargaon upazila was submerged into water during the floods of 1954 and 1955; it also caused huge damages to settlements and properties of the upazila.

NGO activities brac, asa, proshika, SSS. [Shafiqul Kader]

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