Kaliakair Upazila

Kaliakair Upazila (gazipur district) area 314.13 sq km, located in between 24°00' and 24°15' north latitudes and in between 90°09' and 90°22' east longitudes. It is bounded by mirzapur and sakhipur upazilas on the north, savar and dhamrai upazilas on the south, gazipur sadar and sreepur upazilas on the east, Mirzapur upazila on the west.

Population Total 483308; male 248219, female 235089; Muslim 437396, Hindu 43588, Buddhist 77, Christian 1379 and others 868. Indigenous communities such as Koch and Badey belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: turag, bangshi, Salda; Boali, Hawla, Ujan and Markaj beels and Goala and Betjuri canals are notable.

Administration Kaliakair Thana was formed in 1923 and it was turned into an upazila' on 2 July 1983.'

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	9	170	272	163498	319810	1539	61.4 (2001)	56.2

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
24.66	9	18	157162	6373	69.0

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
5.38 (2001)	3	6336	3620 (2001)	69.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Atabaha 09	4437	16805	15924	62.8
Chapair 28	9685	12967	13719	55.2
Dhaljora 38	4543	10583	11157	52.3
Fulbaria 47	18382	19097	20274	42.8
Boali 19	8769	12139	12476	51.2
Madhyapara 57	8697	15797	15554	54.4
Mouchak 66	10661	53437	49220	62.7
Sreefaltali 76	2487	10955	10953	57.9
Sutrapur 85	3869	12912	12177	54.7

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Shiddhimadhav Sakashwar Buddhist Pillar, remnants of historical relics and Kotamoni Dighi of' Dholsamudra, Chandra Mosque at Mouchak.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation in 1971 freedom fighters (the Kaderia Bahini) launched an attack on the Pak army base at Uttar Para under Fulbaria Union in which one freedom fighter was killed. About 34 razakars and 12 Pak soldiers were killed when the freedom fighters launched attack on them on 9 October. A battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the Pak army on 28 October at Kachighata in which about 52 Pak soldiers were killed. On 30 October the freedom fighters killed 7 Pak soldiers in Fulbaria area. They also destroyed a bridge by mine explosion. On 6 December the freedom fighters destroyed three Pak military vehicles and killed 27 Pak soldiers; The Pak army later burnt down the entire Kachighata village of the upazila. An encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at a place near the Latifpur Bridge and subsequently, the Pak army set fire on houses of the nearby village Sreefaltali. Another encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army on 13 December at a place near the Bangshi Bridge in which two freedom fighters were killed. The Pak army was completely defeated in an encounter with the freedom fighters under Kaderia Bahini at Safipur and thereby Kaliakair was liberated.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 413, temple 92, church 7.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 60.6%; male 65.2%, female 55.6%. Educational institutions: college 6, secondary school 35, primary school 115, madrasa 15. Noted educational institutions: Kaliakair Degree College (1968), Chapair BB High School (1910), Bhingoraj Talibabad Multilateral High School (1928), Kaliakair Baraibari AKU Institute and College (1949), Akkel Ali High School (1968), Ansar VDP High School (1985), Bhupenashari Girls' High School.

Newspapers and periodicals Half-weekly: Subani, defunct: Sandhi.

Cultural organisations Library 38, club 132, cinema hall 2, theatre group 5, women society 6.

Amusement centres and Tourist spots Nandan Park, Shiddhimadhav Pillar, Ansar VDP Academy, Bangladesh Scouts' National Training Centre, Baliadi Zamindar Bari, Sreefaltali Zamindar Bari, Talibabad Satellite Ground Centre.

Main sources of income Agriculture 51.5%, non-agricultural labourer 3.6%, commerce 13.63%, transport and communication 3.39%, service 15.4% and others 12.48%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner' 58.48%, landless 41.52%; agricultural landowner: urban 54.61% and rural 68.92%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, sugarcane, mustard.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, sweet potato, arahar, cotton, wheat, china.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, papaya, litchi, blackberry, pineapple, guava.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 169, dairy 255, poultry 511.

Communication facilities Pucca road 176 km, semi-pucca road 2968 km, mud road 929 km; waterway 7 km; railway 13 km. Rail Station 1.

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

Noted manufactories Pharmaceutical, garments, jute industry, chemical industry, footwear, steel mill, brick-field.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, nakshi kantha, cane and bamboo work, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 22, fairs 9, most noted of which are Kaliakair, Safipur, Fulbaria, Baraibari, Chabagan and Benupur bazars and Raghunathpur Mela, Keshabnath Pagla Mela, Kaliakair Janmastami Mela and Pirbari Mela at Bariabaha.

Main exports Banana, papaya.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 84.5% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources About 8400 hectors (approximately 26.73% area of the upazila) area of the upazila are forest land. Part of Bhawal Garh is also located in this upazila.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 76.8%, tap 19.8% and others 3.4%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in about 40 shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 77.6% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 19.4% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 3.1% of households do not have latrine facilities.

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

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, caritas. [Ayub Rana]

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Field report of Kaliakair Upazila 2007.