Singra Upazila

Singra Upazila (natore district) area 528.47 sq km, located in between 24°24' and 24°41' north latitudes and in between 89°03' and 89°20' east longitudes. It is bounded by nandigram upazila on the north, gurudaspur upazila on the south, tarash and sherpur (bogra) upazilas on the east, natore sadar, atrai and raninagar' (Naogaon) upazilas on the west.

Population Total 364382; male 182586, female 181796; Muslim 332413, Hindu 31579, Christian 189 and others 201. Indigenous community such as santal belongs to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: Gur, atrai, Gumani, nagar.

Administration Singra Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1869. Singra Municipality was formed in 2003.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	12	397	424	33192	331190	689	56.8	41.5

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
29.39	12	36	33192	1129	56.8

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Italy 47	16096	15180	14871	42.2
Kalam 55	5969	14392	14180	42.8
Chamari 12	7400	15739	15841	40.1
Chaugram 23	11505	10674	10558	47.6
Chhatar Dighi 15	9675	12909	12640	39.7
Tajpur 87	8429	6469	6512	42.0
Dahia 31	17795	16226	16033	35.1
Ramananda Khajura 71	11911	15493	15276	41.8
Lalore 63	7518	12494	12461	43.1
Sherkole 79	8665	15166	15380	45.8
Sukash 94	13549	17486	17486	36.4
Hatibandaha 39	8237	13676	14048	44.9

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Temple of Sree Sree Radharaman, Sree Sree Narayan Bigraha Thakur' and Deb Bigraha (1890).

Historical events In 1658 Singra area was under the reign of Barabkabad Sarkar of Suba Bangla and the headquarters of the Chaugram Pargana was at Singra. In 1748 this region came under the zamindari of rani bhabani. Natore Circle was formed in 1914 including natore, baraigram and Singra.

War of Liberation Freedom fighters carried out operations at the razakar camp established in the house of the Zamindar of Chougram. They also ambushed at a place by the side of the Chalan beel to attack Pakistani soldiers. There is a mass grave at Kumar Para.

For details: see সিংড়া উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ১০।

Religious institutions Mosque 423, temple 76, church 2, tomb 4. Noted religious institutions: Singra Jami Mosque, Jamtali Mosque, tomb of Ghasipir at Dahia, temple of Sree Sree Radharaman, Sree Sree Narayan Bigraha Thakur and Deb Bigraha.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 42.9%; male 46.3%, female 39.6%. Educational institutions: college 7, technical school 17, secondary school 53, primary school 200, madrasa 12. Noted educational institutions: Kalam Degree College, Bilhalti Trimohani Degree College (Dangapara), Rahmat Iqbal Degree College (Bomihal), Chaugram High School and College (1913), Singra Damdama School and College (1901), Lalore High School (1901), Kalam High School (1924), Ayesha Bashirul Dakhil Madrasa, Golak Para Dakhil Madrasa, Bhulbaria Alhaj Islamia Dakhil Madrasa.

Cultural organisations Library 2, club 14, cinema hall 3, theatre stage 1, women organisation 5, jatra party 1, playground 14.

Main sources of income Agriculture 79.79%, non-agricultural labourer 3%, industry 0.53%, commerce 7.99%, transport and communication 1.28%, service 2.97%, construction 0.43%, religious service 0.18%, rent and remittance 0.12% and others 3.71%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 60.48%, landless 39.52%; agricultural landowner: urban 47.11% and rural 61.46%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, maize, mustard, potato, garlic, onion, bamboo.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Tobacco, sesame, jute.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, guava, date, watermelon.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 14, dairy 41, poultry 106.

Communication facilities Pucca road 268 km, semi-pucca road 10 km, mud road 569 km; waterway 500 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, ice factory, biscuit factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, brass and bell metal work, wood work, chatai making.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 29, fairs 9, most noted of which are Singra Hat, Kaliganj Hat, Bildahar Hat, Jamtali Hat, Dahia Hat, Pakuria Hat, Durgapur Hat, Bandar Hat, Sherkole Hat, Tajpur Hat, Battalar Mela, Tisikhela Urs Mela and Durga Bisharjan (sacrifice) Mela on the bank of the river Nagar.

Main exports Rice, paddy, fish, date molasses, chatai, brass and bell metal utensils.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 42.6% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 91.0%, tap 2.1% and others 6.9%.

Sanitation 63.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 29.8% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 6.7% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 1, satellite clinic 5, family welfare centre 7, clinic 2.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, CARE. [MG Newaz]

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