Durgapur Upazila (Netrokona District)

Durgapur Upazila (netrokona District) area 279.28 sq km, located in between 24°57' and 25°12' north latitudes and in between 90°28' and 90°47' east longitudes. It is bounded by Meghalaya state of India on the north, netrokona sadar and purbadhala upazilas on the south, kalmakanda upazila on the east, dhobaura upazila on the west. The Garo hills and valleys are on the northern part of the upazila.

Population Total 224873; male 111691, female 113182; Muslim 202613, Hindu 13210, Buddhist 7, Christian 8737 and others 306. Indigenous communities such as garo and hajongs belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: kangsa, Someshwari, Old Someshwari.

Administration Durgapur Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1874.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	7	129	210	26634	198239	805	52.3 (2001)	36.8

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
10.25 (2001)	9	28	24306	2005 (2001)	60.1

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
9.17 (2001)	2	2328	230 (2001)	41.0

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kakairgara 77	9986	19702	20038	37.0
Kullagora 86	8788	11232	11305	37.4
Gaokandia 69	11297	15132	1506	30.8
Chandigarh 25	12029	19255	19770	37.2
Durgapur 51	9097	11666	11952	37.1
Bakaljora 12	9076	13633	13955	37.8
Birisiri 17	5450	8773	9085	43.4

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Ancient mosque at village Maskandha (Sultanate period).

Historical events Hajong Revolt took place at the end of the nineteenth century under the leadership of Mona Sarder in protest against forced labor without pay in the Hatir kheda (elephant stockade). The upazila was also an area of the tonk movement (1942-43) and tebhaga movement (1946-47) under the leadership of Comrade moni singh. Later these revolutions spread all over East Bengal. Besides, the Garo rebellion (1848) is a notable event of this upazila.

War of Liberation The villagers of Gaokandia killed two Pakistani soldiers and one razakar when they entered a house of the village in 1971. In retaliation, the Pak army had later captured about 100 villagers and after taking them to a house, they burnt the villagers to death. Freedom fighters had encounters with the Pak army at Farangpara, Badambari, Birishiri-Bijoypur and some other places of the upazila.

For details: see দুর্গাপুর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৪।

Religious institutions Mosque 267, temple 18, church 5.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 39.5%; male 40.3%, female 38.7%. Noted educational institutions: Birisiri Picinal High School (1892), Birisiri Mission Girls' High School (1899), SKPS High School (1918), Gujirkona High School (1946), Durgapur Entrance School (1879), Upendra Biddyapit (1913-14).

Newspapers and periodicals Quarterly magazine: Ekush Shataker Srot, Someshwari, Jalsiri, Matir Subash; research magazine: Janira; defunct monthly: Aryanpradip, Koumudi, Aryanprava; defunct literary magazine: Smriti Kanan, Susang Barta.

Cultural organisations Library 3, club 40, cinema hall 1, women's organisation 1, playground 14, theatre stage 2, theatre group 3.

Special attraction Birishiri Tribal Cultural Academy, Bijoypur white clay mine, Durgapur Shahid Smritishoudh, Rashimoni Smritishoudh, Ranikhong Catholic Church, Garo Baptist Covention Campus, Manasapara Adventist and Seminar.

Main sources of income Agriculture 73.01%, non-agricultural labourer 3.04%, industry 0.47%, commerce 9.83%, transport and communication 1.02%, service 3.21%, construction 0.60%, religious service 0.20%, rent and remittance 0.32% and others 8.30%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 57.15%, landless 42.85%; agricultural landowner: urban 35.31% and rural 59.91%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard, peanut, garlic, corn, cotton.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Linseed, khesari, kalai, sweet potato, arhar.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, blackberry.

Communication facilities Pucca road 62.95 km, semi-pucca road 22.11 km, mud road 381.35 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Horse carriage, bullock cart and buffalo cart.

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

Cottage industries 'Goldsmith, potteries, blacksmith, weaving, embroidery, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 28, fairs 3, most noted of which are Durgapur, Zhanjail, Shivaganj, Gujir Kona, Utrail, Lakshmipur, Kapasatia, Shankarpur and Chandipur hats; Chaitra Samkranti mela.

Main exports Paddy, ceramic clay.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 22.0% of the dwelling households have access to electricity

Natural resources Ceramic clay, pebble stone, coal .

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 88.6%, tap 0.1% and others 11.3%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 44.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 42.3% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 13.2% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Sanitation 16.58% (rural 14.10% and urban 36.31%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 58.87% (rural 60.37% and urban 46.95%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 24.55% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 1, health and family welfare centre 7, clinic 3.

Natural disasters The earthquake of 12 June 1897 caused huge loss of life and damages to a lot of settlements; it also made remarkable changes to the surface of the earth.

NGO activities brac, caritas, proshika, asa, World Vision. [Syed Marufuzzaman]

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