Muradnagar Upazila

Muradnagar Upazila (comilla district) area 340.73 sq km, located in between 23°30' and 23°48' north latitudes and in between 90°52' and 91°04' east longitudes. It is bounded by nabinagar upazila on the north, chandina and debidwar upazilas on the south, Debidwar, brahmanpara and kasba upazilas on the east, daudkandi, homna and banchharampur upazilas on the west.

Population Total 523556; male 247591, female 275965; Muslim 485689, Hindu 37783, Buddhist 19, Christian 14 and others 51.

Water bodies Main rivers: gumti, Buri; Curzon Canal is notable.

Administration Muradnagar Thana was formed in 1858 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	22	154	305	32644	490912	1537	52.8	48.5

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
13.41	4	32644	2434	52.8

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Akubpur 10	6316	15926	18729	57.8
Andikot 11	5835	14011	16057	49.6
Kanalla 49	3385	8680	10113	40.3
Chapitala 22	2795	7139	8031	53.5
Chhaliakandi 31	2885	7930	8923	41.1
Jahapur 40	4353	15226	15770	45.7
Tanki 91	2487	8261	9685	45.8
Darora 27	2922	8005	9365	45.8
Dhamghar 36	5911	17459	19774	60.9
Paschim Nabipur 63	2175	14065	14261	52.8
Purba Nabipur 58	3428	15354	15542	53.5
Paharpur 67	3649	9327	10681	43.3
Paschim Purbadhair 81	2740	8155	9089	48.2
Purba Purbadhair 76	3174	7409	8323	46.4
Paschim Bangara 18	4408	9276	10453	57.2
Purba Bangara 13	2752	8148	9358	58.0
Babuti Para 72	3452	10742	12188	47.7
Muradnagar 54	4920	17840	20001	47.1
Jatrapur 45	3565	9855	11331	44.3
Uttar Ramchandrapur 85	2495	9791	9927	42.9
Dakshin Ramchandrapur 90	2985	8106	9194	31.3
Sreekail 94	7635	16886	19170	43.3

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Single domed Paharpur Mosque, Sheikh Lal Mosque (Purbadhair), Pir Kasimpur Mosque, Sculpture of Berdeshari (Muradnagar).

Historical events During the reign of Mughal Empire, Muradnagar was under Balda Khal Pargana. The people of this upazila took part in peasant and anti British movements.

War of Liberation A few direct encounters between the freedom fighters and the Pak army were held during the war of liberation in different places of the upazila in which a number of freedom fighters were killed. Two significant encounters that took place between the freedom fighters and the Pak army in the upazila were at Pantibazar and Chapitala. 29 Pakistani soldiers and 5 razakars were killed in the encounter at Pantibazar.

For details: see মুরাদনগর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৮।

Religious institutions Mosque 280, temple 46, tomb 8, sacred place 1. Noted religious institutions: Bhutail Sarkarbari Mosque, Sonakandha Pirbari Mosque, Kasimpur Pirbari Mosque, Muradnagar Mosque, Nabipur Mandir, Sreekail Kalibari, Ramchandrapur Kalibari.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 48.8%; male 50.0%, female 47.8%. Educational institutions: college 22, secondary school 50, primary school 192, community school 29, madrasa 43. Noted educational institutions: Jahapur KK Academy and College (1914), Sreekail College (1942), DR Government High School (1864), Bangara High School (1887), Gomta Isakia High School, (1910), Ramchandrapur High School (1918).

Newspapers and periodicals Monthly: Bihanga, Muradnagar.

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 40, press club 2, cinema hall 5, playground 32.

Main sources of income Agriculture 50.24%, non-agricultural labourer 2.55%, industry 1.34%, commerce 16.25%, transport and communication 2.72%, service 8.47%, construction 1.09%, religious service 0.42%, rent and remittance 4.80% and others 12.12%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 66.44%, landless 33.56%; agricultural landowner: urban 58.70% and rural 66.88%.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, masur, kalai, mustard, sesame, linseed.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Jute.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, blackberry, banana.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 1, dairy 2, nursery 14.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 429 km, semi-pucca 15 km, mud road 240 km; waterway 35 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, ice factory, bidi factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, embroidery, weaving, bamboo work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 80, most noted of which are Ramchandrapur Hat, Companiganj Hat, Hatkhola and Piparia Hat.

Main exports Rice, mustard.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 58.9% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.7%, tap 0.8% and others 4.5%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in the shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 73.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 23.2% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 3.3% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 17, satellite clinic 7, clinic 42.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs is brac. [Golam Kibria Bhuiyan]

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