Sreepur Upazila (Gazipur District)

Sreepur Upazila (gazipur district)  area 462.94 sq km, located in between 24°01' and 24°21' north latitudes and in between 90°18' and 90°33' east longitudes. It is bounded by bhaluka and gaffargaon upazilas on the north, gazipur sadar and kaliganj upazilas on the south, kapasia upazila on the east, kaliakair and sakhipur upazilas on the west.

Population Total 492792; male 251298, female 241494; Muslim 475998, Hindu 15339, Buddhist 52, Christian 488 and others 915. Indigenous communities such as santal, Koch, rajbangshi, Mandi, Nunia and Bhangar belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: banar, Kaoraid, Labandaha.

Administration Sreepur Thana was formed in 1933 and it was turned into an upazila in 1984.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	8	75	172	126249	366543	1064	63.3	51.8

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
-	9	20	126249	-	63.3

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kaoraid 38	13435	25119	25085	47.0
Gazipur 19	11420	26816	25451	46.6
Gosinga 28	14018	16684	16849	54.5
Telihati 85	9860	22980	22291	56.6
Prahladpur 57	9613	12292	13319	56.3
Barmi 21	12852	32548	32447	53.1
Maona 47	18838	25924	25186	45.6
Rajabari 66	12753	21775	21777	59.2
Sreepur 76	13435	25119	25085	47.0

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Palace of the Chandal kings at Chinashukhania, remnants of the capital of Raja Shishu Paul at Shailat, remnants of the capital of the Das kings at Shait Halia, Singar Dighi, Burmese Fort and Kuthibari, Kaoraid Kali Mandir (1340 BS), cemetery of the Gupta familyat Kaoraid, Sreepur Molla Mosque (1801).

War of Liberation At the end of March 1971, 60 freedom fighters launched an attack on Rajendrapur, Joydebpur Peelkhana and at the ordinance factory and captured a huge amount of arms and ammunitions. The Pak army conducted mass killing at Sreepur College Campus and at Satkhamair on 17 June. Many people were victims of explosions of 7 bombs on 10 December in the upazila. Two mass graves (at Sreepur College compound and Satkhamar area) had been discovered in the upazila.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 660, temple 12, church 2, tomb 4. Noted religious institutions: tomb of Shah Saheb at Sreepur, Satkhamar Dargah, Akandabari Mosque at Kaoraid.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 54.8%; male 57.6%, female 51.8%. Educational institutions: college 7, technical college 1, vocational school 1, secondary school 50, primary school 164, NGO operated school 44, madrasa 56. Noted educational institutions: Sreepur University College (1968), Kaoraid Kali Narayan High School (1929), Sreepur Pilot High School (1942), Barmi Bazar High School (1955).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Apnar Kantha (2004); monthly: Mukti (1989); defunct daily: Sreepur Barta (1983); monthly defunct: Durjay (1988).

Cultural organisations Library 37, club 10, cinema hall 3, theatre group 6, women society 9.

Tourist spots Seagirl (Maona), Banya Dighi (Karnapur), Waddah Dighi (Tengra), Jivantya Swarga (Kaoraid), Boiragir Chala (Adarsha Gram), old market and monkey grazing centre at Burmese Bazar, Rabindra Bungalow and Mandir at Kaoraid and Ganga Sarabor sacred place.

Main sources of income Agriculture 54.62%, non-agricultural labourer 3.67%, industry 0.79%, commerce 15.63%, transport and communication 4.98%, service 8.52%, construction 1.52%, religious service 0.19%, rent and remittance 2.02% and others 7.71%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 65.80%, landless 34.20%; agricultural landowner: urban 55.40% and rural 66.37%.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, jute, mustard, ginger, turmeric, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Betel leaf.

Main fruits Jackfruit, papaya, pineapple, banana, mango, litchi, guava.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 35, dairy 109, poultry 772, hatchery 1.

Communication facilities Pucca road 1660 km, semi-pucca road 35 km, mud road 952 km; railway 29 km; waterway 16 km.

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

Noted manufactories Garments industry, glass industry, ceramic industry, rice mill, bakery, ice factory, saw mill.

Cottage industries Blacksmith, wood work, bamboo work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 25, fairs 10, most noted of which are Sreepur Hat, Maona Hat, Barmi Hat, Rajabari Hat, Kaoraid Hat, Eid Mela at Rajabari, Maona, Sreepur and Baishakhi Mela at Barmi.

Main exports Paddy, mustard, jute.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 69.7% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Silicate and sand of Bhawal Garh.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 88.4%, tap 8.6% and others 2.9%.

Sanitation 76.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 20.8% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 2.6% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health centre 4, family welfare centre 6, satellite clinic 5, clinic 53, Ganoshastha centre 1, hospital 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika. [Tapan Bagchi]

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