Manikganj Sadar Upazila

Manikganj Sadar Upazila (manikganj district) area 215.16 sq km, located in between 23°42' and 23°55' north latitudes and in between 89°58' and 90°07' east longitudes. It is bounded by saturia upazila on the north, nawabganj (dhaka) and harirampur upazilas on the south, singair and dhamrai upazilas on the east, Harirampur and ghior upazilas on the west.

Population Total 309413; male 149407, female 160006; Muslim 277105, Hindu 32229, Christian 77, Buddhist 33 and others 2.

Water bodies Main rivers: dhaleshwari, ichamati, Kaliganga, Gazikhali, Gangdubi.

Administration Manikganj Thana was formed in 1845 and it was turned into an upazila 1984.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	10	262	315	72108	237305	1438	66.34 (2001)	52.0

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
23.13	9	50	71698	3100	69.1

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
1.32 (2001)	1	410	645 (2001)	44.2

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Atigram 13	5776	10090	10665	41.3
Krishnapur 71	6267	14432	15065	46.3
Garpara 31	3818	12027	12817	52.2
Jaigir 55	3952	15078	15247	50.9
Dighi 23	2601	9845	10249	58.3
Nabagram 87	4612	8714	9556	57.8
Putail 94	5492	9915	11382	52.8
Betila Mitara 11	4734	11464	13224	54.5
Bhararia 15	4585	9646	11264	56.8
Hatipara 39	5614	12112	14923	52.0

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Manikganj Jami Mosque, Sree Sree Anandamayee Kalibari (1895), Rajani Bhaban and Jhovat Bhaban (Gangadhar Patti), Matta Math (1894), Narayan Sadhu Asram (1348 BS), Kachari (revenue office) of Ishu Babu (Hijlain), Sivabari Mandir, Neel Kuthi at Baimail.

Historical events Garpara of this upazila is a historically important place. A severe battle was fought at Garpara between the Bengal Sultan Sikandar Shah and his son Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah, ruler of Sonargaon, in which Sikandar Shah lost his life. Mir Jumla, the Mughal subadar of Bengal, established a military outpost and administrative centre at Garpara in 1662. Garpara has been a politically important place and it was also developed as a river-port. The movement for dismantling of the embankment at Naykandi took place in the upazila area in 1987 – 88.

War of Liberation On 12 December 1971 an encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at village Kagajinagar in which one freedom fighter was killed. On 14 December one freedom fighter was killed in an encounter with the Pak army at village Manra near the Dhaka-Aricha Road. The freedom fighters retreated and again attacked the Pak army on the Dhaka Aricha Road near village Laokhanda coming through the Gangadhar Patti via Porra. The Pak army took position on the northern side of the Road and the freedom fighters on the southern side. Both the freedom fighters and the Pak army continued assault advancing through Jagir, Golra, Nayadingi and Barbaria. In this encounter one Pakistani soldier was killed. A memorial monument has been built in memory of 49 martyr freedom fighters at a place adjacent to the western side of the Manikganj Bus-stand.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 370, temple 98, tomb 10, dargah 2, sacred place 1. Noted religious institutions: Manikganj Jami Mosque, Court Mosque, Sheota Graveyard Mosque, Bus-stand Jami Mosque, Porra Mosque, Beutha Mosque, Betila Mosque, Bhat Bhaur Jami Mosque, Bazar Mosque, Uchutia Jami Mosque, Vikra Jami Mosque, tomb of Mafizuddin (Dashra), Garpara Imambari Mazar, Rahim Darbar Sharif (Bhat Bhaur), Khoda Baksh Darbar Sharif (Bhat Bhaur), Sree Sree Anandamayee Kalibari, Lakshmi-mandap, Sivabari Mandir, Garpara Mandir, Dautia Mandir, Sivabari Hindu Tirtha (sacred place).

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 56.0%; male 58.8%, female 53.4%. Educational institutions: college 9, law college 1, BED college 1, PTI 1, vocational institute 1, secondary school 43, primary school 107, kindergarten 30, madrasa 13. Noted educational institutions: Government Devendra College, Garpara Hafiz Uddin Degree College, Manikganj Government High School (1884), Manikganj Model High School (1918), Manikganj Model High School (1925), SWK Government Girls' High School (1930), Betila High School (1960), Khabaspur Lavanya Prava High School (1941), Hatipara High School (1967), Atigram Akul Chandra High School (1949), Lemubari Binoda Sundari High School (1949), Garpara High School (1959), Nabagram High School (1967).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Al-Azan (1992); weekly: Alor Bani (1981), Muktir Bahan, Karcha, Manikganjer Khabar (1995), Ababil (defunct), Manikganj (1972), Manikganj Barta (1981), Budhbar, Pataka, Chalaman (1980), Muktir Dak (1980), Navagram (1978), Jagarani (1965), Ritu-rang-man (1967), Abahaman (1978), Maitree International (1979), Bitap (1981).

Cultural organisations Library 4, club 130, women organisation 2, theatre group 17, jatra party 8, theatre stage 3, cinema hall 3.

Main sources of income Agriculture 43.43%, non-agricultural labourer 3.80%, industry 1.57%, commerce 16.30%, transport and communication 5.14%, service 16.65%, construction 1.68%, religious service 0.18%, rent and remittance 1.90% and others 9.35%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 53.08%, landless 46.92%; agricultural landowner: urban 43.51% and rural 55.48%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, jute, tobacco, potato, pulse, sugarcane, maize, oil seed, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Linseed, china, dabri, barley, kaun, pea, gram, sesame.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, papaya, guava, coconut, palm.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 15, dairy 332, poultry 649, hatchery 7.

Communication facilities Pucca road 106 km, semi-pucca road 21 km, mud road 499 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Horse carriage, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Large scale industry 8, medium industry 6, small industry 402, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving, bamboo and wood work, tailoring, conch bangle industry, bidi factory, molasses factory, candle and agarbati factory, etc.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 28, fairs 12, most noted of which are Joyra cattle market, Tora Biltu Smriti Hat, Dautia Hat, Atigram Hat, Barail Hat, Barai Vikra Hat, Ghosta Hat, Manikganj Bazar, Beutha Bazar, Bus-stand Bazar, Betila Bazar, Manikganj Bijoy Mela, Manikganj Rath Mela, Betila Rash Mela, Sivabari Mela, Panjankhara Baishakhi Mela, Garpara Imambari Maharram Mela and Krishnapur Nimai Chand Mela.

Main exports Paddy, wheat, flour, milk, pulse, oil seed, vegetables, bamboo, bidi.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 61.8% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 87.0%, tap 11.7% and others 1.3%.

Sanitation 82.4% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 16.7% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 0.9% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 1, upazila health complex 1, maternity and child care centre 1, eye hospital 1, clinic 7, satellite clinic 1, family planning centre 10.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the famine of 1943. Besides, a number of people were victims of the tornado of 1985; it also caused heavy damages to settlements and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika. [MA Ramzan]

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