Mirsharai Upazila

Mirsharai Upazila (chittagong district) area 482.88 sq km, located in between 22°39' and 22°59' north latitudes and in between 91°27' and 91°39' east longitudes. It is bounded by tripura state of India, chhagalnaiya and feni sadar upazilas on the north, sitakunda upazila and bay of bengal on the south, fatikchhari upazila on the east, sonagazi and companiganj (noakhali) upazilas on the west.

Population Total 398716; male 187323, female 211393; Muslim 343374, Hindu 49266, Buddhist 4852, Christian 70 and others 1154.

Water bodies Main river: feni; Sandwip Channel; Isakhali, Mahamaya, Domkhali, Hinguli and Mayani canals are notable.

Administration Mirsharai Thana was formed in 1901 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
2	16	109	218	31206	367510	826	51.7 (2001)	54.9

Baroiarhat Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
-	9	14	11602	-	55.7

Mirsharai Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
-	9	27	16218	-	60.1

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
1.73 (2001)	1	3386	7438 (2001)	44.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Ichhakhali 29	15754	12792	15188	47.7
Wahedpur 89	4682	6645	8000o	60.0
Osmanpur 77	5034	11850	13131	58.4
Karerhat 35	39144	17173	18294	46.8
Katachhara 41	3446	10730	12866	56.5
Khaiyachhara 47	1483	11081	12342	49.4
Zorwarganj 95	5517	17829	18353	61.4
Durgapur 11	3742	10077	11051	58.9
Dhum 10	5587	7706	9064	60.4
Maghadia 71	2626	10761	12645	50.7
Mayani 53	4590	8511	9774	59.6
Mithanala 65	5338	10395	12714	55.6
Mirsharai 59	2816	7953	8875	54.4
Saherkhali 83	8609	7576	9336	54.3
Haitkandi 17	3271	8739	10312	57.1
Hinguli 23	4562	13827	15306	52.7

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Dhum Shila Pathar (Shantir Hat), Chhuti Khan Mosque, Paragal Khan Dighi, Nai Duari Mosque, Jagannath Dham (Abu Torab), Kali Mandir (Karerhat), Shantiniketan Vihara, Abhay Charan Vihara.

Historical events Sultan Fakhruddin Mobarak Shah conquered Chittagong in 1340 AD and established the Muslime rule in this region. Later, during the reign of Gaur Sultans Hossain Shah and Nusrat Shah, Paragal Khan and Chhuti Khan were the rulers of this area. Subsequently Nizam Shah, brother of the emperor of Delhi Sher Shah, was the ruler of this area. Nizampur Pargana was named after Nizam Shah and the whole area of Mirsharai came under the control of Nizampur Pargana. From the beginning of the 16th century this region was very rich in Bangla literature. Most of the time between 1580 and 1666 this region was under the control of the Arakanese. The place (of the present Mirsharai Thana) at which Bujurga Umed Khan, son of Subedar Syesta Khan, landed after crossing the Feni River was named Bujurga Umedpur. With his conquest of Chittagong, this region came permanently under the Mughal rule. Towards the end of British rule in India, Durgapur and Karerhat areas of Mirsharai upazila were the centres of of revolutionary activities of Chittagong.

War of Liberation A fierce battle was fought between the freedom fighters (under Captain Wali Ahmed) and the Pak army at a place adjacent to the Fenafuni Bridge on the south of Mirsharai Sadar in which about 100 Pak soldiers were killed. Besides, direct encounters were held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at many places including Shuvapur Bridge, Hinguli Bridge, Aochi Mia Bridge and Mostan Nagar. Mass killing sites have been discocered at 5 places (Mirsharai Wireless, Talbaria, Loharpool, Mastan Nagar Hospital, Jhulanta Bridge) of the upazila and there is a mass grave at Karerhat Bazar; one monument has been built near the Hizuli Bridge.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 640, temple 137, tomb 50. Noted religious institutions: Chhuti Khan Mosque (16th century), Daulat Bibi Mosque (16th century), Mahadia Mosque (1780), Nai Duari Mosque (18th century), Hamidullah Khan Mosque (19th century), tomb of Shah Zayed (R) (806 AH), tomb of Awal Kazi Moakkel (R), tomb of Hazrat Shah Badal (R), tomb of Hazrat Chinki Montana (R), tomb of Hazrat Mia Noor Ali Shah (R), tomb of Sufi Noor Mohammad Nizampuri (R), tomb of Hazrat Mir Gaffar Khan, Jagannath Mandir (Abu Torab Bazar), Kali Mandir (Karerhat), Hazisharai Mandir, Newanpur Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 55.1%; male 57.1%%, female 53.3%. Educational institutions: college 4, secondary school 50, primary school 200, satellite school 8, kindergarten 8, madrasa 39. Noted educational institutions: Nizampur College (1964), Mirsharai College (1973), Baraiahat College (1974), Textile Engineering College (1980), Durgapur Nagendra Chandra High School (1908), Abu Torab Multilateral High School (1914), Zorwarganj Model Multilateral High School (1914), Sarkar Hat NR High School (1939), Mithachhara High School (1947), Mirsharai Pilot High School (1962), Mirsharai Latifia Kamil Madrasa (1884), Sufia Nuria Fazil Madrasa (1904), Mirzabazar Islamia Dakhil Madrasa (1910).

Newspapers and periodicals Monthly: Mirsharai, Jogajog; fortnightly: Khoborika, Mirsharai Chitra, Mirsharai Kantho, Alokito Campus (irregular); defunct: Mirsharai Barta, Mirsharai Darpan.

Cultural organisations Library 2, club 63, press club 1, theatre group 2, music school 3, playground 70, stadium 1.

Amusement centres Muhuri Project, Karerhat Forest Range.

Main sources of income Agriculture 38.93%, non-agricultural labourer 3.61%, industry 0.57%, commerce 13.26%, transport and communication 2.93%, service 18%, construction 1.19%, religious service 0.34%, rent and remittance 8.84% and others 12.33%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 51.30%, landless 48.70%; agricultural landowner: urban 38.82% and rural 52.09%.

Main crops Paddy, pulse, potato, brinjal, vegetables, bamboo.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sugarcane, jute, arahar, mustard, sesame, linseed, ground nut.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, banana, papaya, litchi, pineapple, water-melon.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 226, dairy 29, poultry 576, hatchery 2.

Communication facilities Pucca road 260 km, semi-pucca road 227 km, mud road 1484 km; railway 12 km; waterway 53 km. Rail junction 4.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Carpet industry, pipe mill, ice factory, rice mill, bakery, brick-field, steel furniture, fish- poultry' feed' factory, bidi factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving, tailoring, bamboo and wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 52, fairs 5, most noted of which are Abu Torab Bazar, Kamar Ali Bazar, Bara Daroga Hat, Mahajan Hat, Karer Hat, Baraia Hat, Shantir Hat, Zorwarganj Baishakhi Mela, Baruni Snan Mela and Shadhinata Mela.

Main exports Bamboo, fish, paddy, potato, banana, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 56.0% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 93.9%, tap 1.6% and others 4.5%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in 39% of the shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 76.2% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 21.7% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 2.1% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 16, satellite clinic 11.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, Sheba, CARE, Hunger Project. [Ahmed Momtaz]

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