Maheshpur Upazila

Maheshpur Upazila (jhenaidah district) area 417.85 sq km, located in between 23°13' and 23°25' north latitudes and in between 88°42' and 89°02' east longitudes. It is bounded by jibannagar and kotchandpur upazilas on the north, chaugachha upazila and west bengal state of India on the south, Chaugachha upazila on the east, West Bengal of India on the west.

Population Total 332514; male 166291, female 166223; Muslim 319576, Hindu 12759, Buddhist 2, Christian 64 and others 113.

Water bodies Main rivers: ichamati, Kodla, betna, bhairab; Ukhri, Purbapara, Bara, Kathgara and Dubli' beels are notable.

Administration Maheshpur Thana was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	12	144	196	27670	304844	796	53.6	44.0

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
21.27	9	16	27670	1301	53.6

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Azampur 10	7458	11647	11508	44.9
S.K.B. 83	5638	8887	9008	51.0
Kazirber 29	9366	16367	16574	43.1
Natima 53	9040	12673	12847	46.2
Nepa 59	8490	14815	14683	39.4
Pantha Para 65	6599	8787	9068	49.3
Fatehpur 17	7204	12205	12315	47.2
Banshbaria 11	9159	14503	14717	40.8
Manderbari 35	9047	14076	14040	45.4
Jadabpur 23	9664	13128	13407	42.3
Shyamkur 77	8312	13823	13299	45.2
Swaruppur 89	8022	11464	11003	37.1

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Buro Shiva Mandir (Maheshwar), Rajballav Mandir, Sundalpur Zamindar Bari, Khalishpur Neel Kuthi, tomb of Bhalai Shah, Sreepat Mandir.

War of Liberation In 1971 encounters were held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Hushorkhali, Babur Bagan, Ujjalpur, Jadabpur, Dattanagar and Puropara. In the encounter at Hushorkhali a number of Pakistani soldiers were killed and so were two freedom fighters; one freedom fighter was captured by the Pak army. In the encounter at Dattanagar a number of Pakistani soldiers were killed and one freedom fighter was wounded. A mass killing site has been discovered at Shahebdari and a memorial monument has been built at Maheshpur High School ground.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 350, temple 30. Noted religious institutions: Maheshpur Jami Mosque, Shiva Mandir, Sreepat Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 44.8%; male 45.7%, female 43.8%. Educational institutions: college 9, secondary school 44, primary school 134, community school 23, madrasa 25. Noted educational institutions: Maheshpur Government Degree College (1985), Maheshpur High School (1863), Khalishpur Multilateral Secondary School (1869), Maheshpur Secondary Girls' School (1976), Baichitala Islamia Dakhil Madrasa (1922), Natima' Senior Madrasa (1974).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Simanta Bani; periodical: Chetona, Khanakal.

Cultural organisations Library 2, club 25, cinema hall 3, theatre stage 1, theatre group 5, press club 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 74.79%, non-agricultural labourer 2.49%, commerce 12%, transport and communication 2.26%, service 2.71%, construction 0.58%, religious service 0.09%, rent and remittance 0.28% and others 4.80%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 57.64%, landless 42.36%; agricultural landowner: urban 45.22% and rural 58.69%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, sugarcane, cotton, nut, onion, garlic, tomato, potato, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Barley, khesari, gram, arahar.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, blackberry, papaya, coconut, star apple, watermelon, date.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Dairy 21, poultry 46.

Communication facilities Pucca road 152 km, semi-pucca road 190 km, mud road 521 km.

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

Noted manufactories Ice factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Weaving, wood work, bamboo work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 12, fairs 3, most noted of which are Khalishpur Hat, Purapara Hat, Talsa Hat, Shyamkur Hat, Jinnanagar Hat, Bhairaba Hat, Samanta Hat, Belemat Hat, Fatehpur Baishakhi Mela and Maheshpur Durga Puja Mela.

''Main exports ' Banana, jackfruit, date molasses, potato, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 66.7% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 96.7%, tap 1.2% and others 2.1%.

Sanitation 52.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 40.7% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 6.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 4, family planning clinic 11, community clinic 36, clinic 8, upazila family planning centre 1, union family planning centre 13.

Natural disasters Heavy water fall from the hill on 9 September 2009 caused serious flood in the region; it also caused heavy damages to semi-pucca settlements and crops of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, proshika,' Srijani, Jagarani Chakra, Ahsania Mission. [Nasir Uddin]

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