Gosairhat Upazila

Gosairhat Upazila (shariatpur district) area 196.72 sq km, located in between 23°05' and 23°10' north latitudes and in between 90°20' and 90°34' east longitudes. It is bounded by damudya and bhedarganj upazilas on the north, muladi and hizla upazilas on the south, haimchar upazila on the east, kalkini upazila on the west.

Population Total 157665; male 76076, female 81589; Muslim 151873, Hindu 5753, Buddhist 10, Christian 18 and others 11.

Water bodies Main rivers: meghna, Jayanti.

Administration Gosairhat Thana was formed in 1921 and it was turned into an upazila in1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	8	107	221	10969	146696	801	58.7	40.9

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
1.47	2	10969	7462	58.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Alawalpur 11	10068	9076	9480	32.5
Idilpur 35	6953	18105	19536	48.9
Kodalpur 47	9620	9876	10470	35.8
Gariber Char 11	4058	5512	5995	43.9
Gosairhat 23	2426	6225	7303	37.8
Nalmuri 71	6256	12263	13640	51.2
Nager Para 59	2099	4195	4676	49.9
Samantasar 83	7131	10824	10489	31.3
Kuchaipatti	10068	9076	9480	32.5

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011,Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Haturia Miahbari Jami Mosque (1878).

War of Liberation During the war of liberation five freedom fighters of this upazila were killed in encounters with the Pak army. The razakars killed many people of the upazila; they also conducted indiscriminate destructions. A memorial monument has been built in the upazila.

For details: see গোঁসাইরহাট উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৩।

Religious institutions Mosque 450, temple 30, ashram 2.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 42.1%; male 43.0%, female 41.3%. Educational institutions: college 1, primary teachers training institute 1, secondary school 12, primary school 77, community school 14, kindergarten 5, madrasa 5. Noted educational institutions: Shamsur Rahman Degree College, Idilpur Pilot High School (1894), Nager Para Secondary School, Idilpur Government Primary School.

Cultural organisations Library 2, club 2, community centre 1, music academy 1, shilpakala academy 1, cinema hall 1, auditorium 1, cultural organisation 1, women's organisation 2, playground 2.

Main sources of income Agriculture 71.08%, non-agricultural labourer 3.88%, industry 0.52%, commerce 9.86%, transport and communication 1.29%, service 4.70%, construction 0.66%, religious service 0.31%, rent and remittance 0.50% and others 7.20%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 63.61%, landless 36.39%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, betel leaf, mustard, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Linseed, blackcumin, sweet potato.

Main fruits Jackfruit, mango.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 24, dairy 28, poultry 70.

Communication facilities Pucca road 124.33 km, semi-pucca road 26 km, mud road 364 km; waterway 7 km. culvert 312, bridge 170.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, ice cream factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, embroidery.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 20, fairs 2, most noted of which are Gosairhat Hat, Haturia Bazar, Nager Para Bazar.

Main exports Betel leaf, jute, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 29.1% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 93.5%, tap 0.6% and others 5.9%. The presence of arsenic in an intolerable level has been detected in 1400 shallow tube-wells (50% of the total tube-well) of the upazila.

Sanitation 78.9% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 18.7% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 2.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 6, clinic 8, charitable dispensary 1, diagnostic centre 5, veterinary hospital 1.

NGO activities brac, asa, SKS, SDS. [Majedul Haque]

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