Kaliganj Upazila (Jhenaidah District)

Kaliganj Upazila (jhenaidah district) area 310.19 sq km, located in between 23'16' and 23'28' north latitudes and in between 89'02' and 89'16' east longitudes. It is bounded by jhenaidah sadar upazila on the north, jessore sadar and chaugachha upazilas on the south, salikha and bagherpara upazilas on the east, kotchandpur and Chaugachha upazilas on the west.

Population 282366; male 141287, female 141079; Muslim 236453, Hindu 45179, Christian 658 and others 76.

Water bodies Main rivers: chitra, bhairab, Begabati; Simla Baors, Sakot, Uttar, Dighar,' Arua Salva and Tentul beels are notable.

Administration Kaliganj Thana was formed in 1863 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	178	198	45341	237025	910	65.1	49.4

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
15.89	9	20	45341	2853	65.1

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kashtabhanga 40	6255	10170	10085	48.1
Kola 47	8028	11151	11386	52.3
Jamal 20	6355	8747	8675	43.8
Trilochanpur 94	7548	11986	12202	48.9
Niamatpur 61	5464	10699	10564	52.2
Bara Bazar 10	8682	16401	16362	51.0
Maliat 54	5770	8673	8887	48.3
Rakhalgachhi 81	8223	11640	11768	48.7
Roygram 74	6938	12487	12233	52.1
Simla Rokonpur 88	4182	7552	7450	49.7
Sundarpur Durgapur 33	5279	8815	9092	45.4

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Many archaeological relics of the sultanate period have been discovered at Bara Bazar of this upazila. These include Ghorar Mosque, Jore Bangla Mosque, Jore Bangla Dighi (fifteenth century); Galakata Mosque, Monohar Mosque, Nungola Mosque, Pir Pukur Mosque, Cheragdani Mosque, 36-domed Satgachhia Mosque, Shukur Mallick Mosque, Badedihi Mosque, Ghoper Dhibi and Ghazir Dhibi. Other archaeological relics include ancient dighis (ponds) like Pir Pukur, Has Pukur, Sat Pukur, Mirer Pukur, Ghoramari Pukur, Cheragdani Pukur, Rajmatar Dighi, Sawdagar Dighi, Galakata Dighi, Kanai Dighi, Panch Pir Dighi, Biswaser Dighi, Ber Dighi, Jal Dhala Dighi, Sreeram Raja Dighi. Besides, Sree Krishna Balaram Dev Bigraha Mandir (Balarampur), the graves of Gazi Kalu and Champabati on the south bank of the Dighi of Sreeram Raja are also notable.

War of Liberation A battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the Pak army on 13 April 1971 at Mandartala of village Mahishahati (on the border of jessore and Jhenaidaha) in which about 100 Pak soldiers were killed and so were 20 freedom fighters. Next day, on 14 April, the freedom fighters retreated from Mandartala and took shelter at Dulalmudia. The Pak army attacked them from behind and killed 150 to 200 freedom fighters. A memorial monument has been built in the upazila.

For details: see কালীগঞ্জ উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ২।

Religious institutions Mosque 288, temple 75, church 4, tomb 2. Noted religious institutions: Badshahi Mosque, Pir Pukur Mosque, Galakata Mosque, Naldanga Kali Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 52.0%; male 54.5%, female 49.5%. Educational institutions: college 8, secondary school 46, primary school 132, orphanage 3, madrasa 31. Noted educational institutions: Mahtab Uddin Degree College (1966), Naldanga Bhusan Pilot High School (1882), Raygram Banikanta Secondary School (1920), Hat Bara Bazar Secondary School (1937), Salimunnesa Secondary Girls' School (1953), Kolabazar Sammilita Secondary School (1961), Chaprail Secondary School (1963), Panch Kahunia Secondary School (1966), Shoyabnagar Fazil Madrasa (1957), Belat Doulatpur Alim Madrasa (1947).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily Nabachitra.

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 12, cinema hall 3, women's organisation 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 64.40%, non-agricultural labourer 2.35%, industry 1.10%, commerce 15.07%, transport and communication 5.25%, service 5.64%, construction 1.30%, religious service 0.12%, rent and remittance 0.69% and others 4.08%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 63.46%, landless 36.54%; agricultural landowner: urban 44.40% and rural 66.58%.

Main crops Paddy, sugarcane, jute, wheat, betel leaf, mustard, sesame, verities of' pulse,' vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Tobacco, khesari, gram, barley, kaun.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, black berry, star apple, litchi, guava, date.

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

Communication facilities Pucca road 85 km, semi-pucca road 35 km, mud road 380 km; railway 9 km.

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

Noted manufactories Sugar mill, ice factory, rice mill, oil mill, flour mill, pulse mill, welding factory, saw mill.

Cottage industries Weaving, bamboo and cane work, factory for manufacture of bullock cart wheel.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 31, fairs 2, Kaliganj, Baro bazar, Kola, Baliadanga, Chaprail, Kala and Tattipur Bazars; Baishaki Mela at Barfa and Shashan Mela (Angit) are notable.

Main exports Sugar, paddy, banana, betel leaf, pulse, date molasses, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 54.5% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 96.0%, tap 1.1% and others 2.9%.

Sanitation 60.4% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 35.0% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 4.6% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health and family welfare centre 8, satellite clinic 2, veterinary hospital 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, Srejani. [Md Zulfiker Ali Bhutto]

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