Madhukhali Upazila

Madhukhali Upazila (faridpur district) area 230.73 sq km, located in between 23°28' and 23°37' north latitudes and in between 89°29' and 89°44' east longitudes. It is bounded by baliakandi and rajbari sadar upazilas on the north, boalmari and mohammadpur (magura) upazilas on the south, faridpur sadar upazila on the east, magura sadar and sreepur (Magura) upazilas on the west.

Population Total 204492; male 101719, female 102773; Muslim 172030, Hindu 32232, Buddhist 2, Christian 35 and others 193.

Water bodies Main rivers: gorai-madhumati, kumar, chandana, Barasia.

Administration Madhukhali Thana was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	9	130	242	13400	191092	886	63.6	51.7

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
3.57	3	13400	3754	63.6

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kamarkhali 42	4994	9256	9718	53.1
Gajna 31	8298	15268	15139	51.3
Jahapur 37	3763	6487	6325	51.8
Dumain 21	6276	11272	11627	54.2
Noapara 73	6220	13056	12714	55.8
Bagat 10	3971	8310	8532	54.0
Madhukhali 52	6858	15530	15768	50.9
Megchami 63	8444	10589	10468	50.9
Raipur 84	8281	11951	12482	50.8

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Seventy feet high wall at Mathurapur (c 16th century), Kachari (zamindar's revenue office) and Dighi (pond) of Mukunda Ray (Sitaram) at Bhusna, Belton Neel Kuthi.

War of Liberation In 1971 an encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army and local razakars was held on the bank of the Chandana Barasia river in which one Pakistani soldier was killed. The Pak army stationed at Madhukhali Camp quickly came to the spot to take revenge, but finding no freedom fighter at the place, they set many house of the nearby locality on fire. A memorial monument has been built in the upazila.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 250, temple 140, church 1, tomb 4. Noted religious institutions: Mosque and tomb at Banamalidia, Mosque at Pashchim Ghora Khola, Mosque and Tomb at Makrail, Madhukhali Bazar Jami Mosque.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 52.5%; male 54.2%, female 50.7%. Educational institutions: college 5, secondary school 15, primary school 77, satellite school 14, madrasa 56. Noted educational institutions: Korokdi Rasbihari Multilateral High School (1901), Arpara High School (1926).

Cultural organisations Library 7, club 45, cinema hall 2, women organisation 4.

Main sources of income Agriculture 61.54%, non-agricultural labourer 2.76%, industry 0.74%, commerce 13.38%, transport and communication 5.03%, service 9.74%, construction 1.61%, religious service 0.20%, rent and remittance 0.43% and others 4.57%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 60.76%, landless 39.24%; agricultural landowner: urban 37.46% and rural 62.39%.'

Main crops Sugarcane, jute, paddy, wheat, gram, mustard, chilli, betel leaf, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Kaun, sweet potato, barley, linseed, sesame, arahar.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, papaya, wood-apple, palm, date, coconut.

Communication facilities Pucca road 163 km, semi-pucca road 40 km, mud road 227 km; railway 10 km; waterway 20 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Sugar mill, ice factory, flour mill, rice mill.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving, bamboo work, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 20, fairs 7, most noted of which are Madhukhali Hat, Kamarkhali Hat, Bagat Hat and Thana Ghat Mela.

Main exports Sugar, chilli, coconut, date molasses, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 42.0% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.8%, tap 0.4% and others 3.8%.

Sanitation 80.1% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 17.1% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 2.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 8, satellite clinic 4, clinic 4.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa. [Sirajul Ehsan]

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