Barhatta Upazila

Barhatta Upazila (netrokona district) area 220.00 sq km, located in between 24°51' and 25°00' north latitudes and in between 90°46' and 91°00' east longitudes. It is bounded by kalmakanda and dharmapasha upazilas on the north, atpara and mohanganj upazilas on the south, mohanganj and Dharmapasha upazilas on the east, netrokona sadar upazila on the west.

Population Total 180449; male 90576, female 89873; Muslim 161173, Hindu 19216, Buddhist 2, Christian 25 and others 33.

Water bodies Main rivers: Kangsha, Kaonal, Someshwari; Nimalkola, Makra, Changjian, Saidigha, Rupsa Changjan and Dharam beels are notable.

Administration Barhatta Thana was formed in 1905 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
-	7	147	239	7850	172599	820	67.3	36.1

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
3.27	3	7850	2401	67.3

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Asma 11	7353	10836	10719	32.2
Chhiram 47	7223	9484	9274	30.4
Baushi 35	7111	12819	13143	37.5
Roypur 59	7814	12415	12265	38.0
Barhatta 23	8604	16917	16690	47.9
Sahata 71	8835	14560	14513	34.5
Singdha 83	7424	13545	13269	36.5

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Twin pond at village Amghail Pirijpur, Deva Mandir at Singdha, dilapidated building at Saoudpur (Mughal period).

War of Liberation In the beginning of the war of liberation the freedom fighters destroyed the Thakurkona Railway Bridge, located on the western extremity of the upazila, by explosion in order to prevent the entry of the Pak army into the area. In the last part of the War of Liberation the freedom fighters attacked the Police Station in order to drive away the Pak army from Barhatta. In the exchange of firing between the two sides a number of civilians were killed. Barhatta upazila was liberated on 8 December 1971. The road from Barhatta to Chandrapur has been named ‘Shahid Mukshed Road’ in memory of martyr Mukshed Mia.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 164, temple 65, tomb 6.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 37.6%; Male 38.4%, female 36.7%. Noted educational institutions: Barhatta CKP High School (1914), Baushi Aurdhachandra High School (1939), Hafiz Uddin High School (1960), Nischintapur High School (1966).'

Newspapers and periodicals Monthly Makorsa.

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 30, theatre group 1, women's organisation 1, playground 14.

Main sources of income Agriculture 73.53%, non-agricultural labourer 2.85%, industry 0.56%, commerce 11.51%, transport and communication 1.85%, service 2.27%, construction 0.69%, religious service '0.27%, rent and remittance 0.16% and others 6.31%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 60.29%, landless 39.71%; agricultural landowner: urban' 57.07% and rural 60.51%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, potato, kalai, mustard, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Tobacco, linseed, sesame, Khesari, Masuri.

Main fruits Mango, black berry, jackfruit, banana, papaya, guava, watermelon, plum.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 38, dairy 13, poultry 280.

Communication facilities Pucca road 40 km, semi-pucca road 10 km, mud road 446 km; waterway 70 km; railway 15 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

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

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

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 14, fairs 2, most noted of which are Golpur, Baushi, Geria, Naihati, Nischintapur, Monaz bazars and Aushtami Tithi Mela.

Main exports Paddy, rice, fish, egg.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 23.9% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 89.8%, tap 0.5% and others 9.7%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in shallow tube-well of this upazila.

Sanitation 43.9% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 44.5% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 11. 6% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 1, family planning centre 6, health and family planning centre 7.'

NGO activities brac, asa, Bangladesh Nari Progoti Sangha. [Md. Abdus Shahid]

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