Kumarkhali Upazila

Kumarkhali Upazila (kushtia district) area 258.18 sq km, located in between 23°44' and 23°58' north latitudes and in between 89°09' and 89°22' east longitudes. It is bounded by pabna sadar upazila and the padma river on the north, shailkupa upazila on the south, khoksa upazila on the east, kushtia sadar upazila on the west.

Population Total 328457; male 163461, female 164996; Muslim 317805, Hindu 10628, Christian 15 and others 9. Indigenous communities such as Buno and Banshfor belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: Padma, Garai, Kaliganga; Dakua canal is notable.

Administration Kumarkhali Thana was formed in 1855 consisting of 13 parganas and it was upgraded into a Sub Division of Pabna District' in 1857. In 1871 Kumarkhali Sub Division was abolished and it was included in Kushtia Sub Division under Nadia District. Kumarkhali Thana was turned into an upazila in 1983. Besides, Kumarkhali Municipality, formed in 1869, is one of the earliest municipalities of the undivided Bengal.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	11	184	197	21914	306543	1272	63.6	44.0

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
10.50	9	17	21914	2087	63.6

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kaya 51	4842	16704	16848	45.0
Chandpur 19	6774	13957	14354	44.9
Chapra 25	5806	17646	17859	45.6
Jagannathpur 43	3639	11452	11130	42.5
Nandalalpur 69	6214	16630	17032	44.4
Panti 77	5832	15451	15741	47.1
Bagulat16	5801	12574	12680	49.5
Jadu Boyra 34	5519	12997	13123	42.6
Shelaidaha 94	4966	13813	14071	42.9
Sadaki 86	6142	11882	11867	41.1
Sadipur 90	5669	9531	9201	32.1

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics kangal harinath Majumdar's Printing Press (1857), Kuthibari of Rabindranath Tagore (1862), tomb of lalon shah, Baliakandi Shahi Mosque (Mughal period), Kushulibash Shahi Mosque (Mughal period), Miajan Kazi Jami Mosque (1840), Tebaria three domed Mosque (1889), Kumarkhali Bara Jami Mosque (1890), Haji Mosque at' Sherkandi (1887), Batikamara Jami Mosque, Gopinath Mandir at Khorshedpur (1735), Raja Sitram Math.

War of Liberation The flag of the independent Bangladesh was hoisted in Kumarkhali on 23 March 1971. Five freedom fighters were killed when they raided the house of a local Razakar on 6 August. Freedom fighters of the upazila had encounters with the Pak army at places like Ghaskhal, Dansha Chashi Club, Kubalibasha-Karimpur-Dhalnagar-Protapur, Malithapara, Baraichara (Jaduboyra Union) and kumarkhali Police Station. Kumarkhali upazila was liberated on 9 December. There are 39 freedom fighters and 6 Biranganas (women who were raped during the War of Liberation). 2 mass graves have been discovered in the upazila.

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

Religious institutions Baliakandi Shahi Mosque (Mughal period), Kushulibash Shahi Mosque, Miajan Kazi Jami Mosque (1840), Tebaria three domed Mosque (1889), Kumarkhali Bara Jami Mosque (1890), Haji Mosque at' Sherkandi (1887), Batikamara Jami Mosque, Uttar Jadu Boyra Jami Mosque (1902), Hashimpur Jami Mosque, Panti Bazar Jami Mosque, Gopinath Mandir (1735) at Khurshedpur, Raja Sitram Math, Mahishkhola Durga Mandir, Mirzapur Buddhist Math.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 45.3%; male 46.8%, female 43.8%. Noted educational institutions: Kumarkhali Degree College (1970), Panti Degree College (1978), Kumarkhali MN Pilot High School (1856), Khurshedpur Secondary School (1876), Jadu Boyra High School (1902), JN High School (1922), Hashimpur Multilateral Secondary School (1945), Sultanpur Mahatabia Secondary School (1945), Panti Secondary School (1957), Kumarkhali Girl's School (1963), Madhupur Collegiate School (1963), Mahendrapur Secondary School (1967), Jagannathpur Secondary School (1973), Khurshedpur Protima Girl's School (established by Tagore's daughter-in-law), Kumarkhali Senior Madrasa.

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Grambarta (1857), Bangiya Tilisamaj; Fortnightly: Hitokori; Monthly: Shoaibi; Defunct Periodical: Pratyaya, Srijanshil, Protyashar Protibimbo,' Kohinoor, Niharika.

Cultural organisations Library 36, theatre stage 3, theatre group 5, cinema hall 1, cultural and literary organisation 20, music college, playground 15.

Tourists spots Kuthibari of Rabindranath Tagore, Tomb of baul artist Lalon Shah, Homestead of Novelist Mir Mosharraf Hossain, Gopinath Mandir, Tomb of Khurshed Shah.

Main sources of income Agriculture 42.26%, non-agricultural labourer 8.06%, industry 9.63%, commerce 18.52%, transport and communication 5.32%, service 5.88%, construction 2.17%, religious service 0.22%, rent and remittance 0.29% and others 7.65%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 46.02%, landless 53.98%; agricultural landowner: urban 24.35% and rural 47.51%.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, jute, sugarcane, maize.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Kaun, barley.

Main fruits Mango, coconut, jackfruit, litchi, palm.

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

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 264 km, semi-pucca 13 km, mud road 549 km; waterway 15 km; railway 15 km.

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

Noted manufactories Bulbul Textile, Hira Textile, Rana Textile, Ilora Textile, Eastern Fabrics.

Cottage industries Weaving, embroidery, potteries, cane work, bamboo work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 24, fairs 6, most noted of which are Shakipur, Banshgram and Khurshedpur hats; Hashimpur and' Panti bazars; Shilaidaha Mela, Lalon Shai Mela, Gopinath Mela.

Main exports Textile, milk, coconut, yogurt.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 62.3% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 96.3%, tap 0.4% and others 3.3%.

Sanitation 62.6% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 34.3% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 3.1% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health centre 9, family planning centre 11, mother and child welfare centre 1, clinic 5, diagnostic centre 3.

Natural disasters The floods of 1970 and 1988 caused heavy damages to settlements, livestock and crops of two villages such as' Enayetpur and Govindapur in Jadu Boyra union.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, BRDB. [Shiek Md Badrul Alam Tipu]

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