Kazipur Upazila

Kazipur Upazila (sirajganj district) area 328.79 sq km, located in between 24°32' and 24°46' north latitudes and in between 89°32' and 89°48' east longitudes. It is bounded by dhunat, sariakandi and sarishabari upazilas on the north, sirajganj sadar upazila on the south, Sarishabari upazila and the jamuna river on the east, Dhunat upazila on the west. Many old inhabitation including Mallickpara, Dhulaura, Maijbari, Manik Patal, Kazipur, Meghai, Tarakandi, Tengalahata are gradually getting extinct by river erosions.

Population Total 274679; male 134992, female 139687; Muslim 267476, Hindu 7181, Christian 1 and others 21.

Water bodies Main river: Jamuna.

Administration Kazipur Thana was formed in 1920 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	12	112	172	16540	258139	835	46.2 (2001)	37.0

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
8.49 (2001)	9	11	12637	1601 (2001)	46.9

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
8.70 (2001)	2	3903	1637 (2001)	42.0

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kazipur 34	6058	10196	10532	45.8
Khas Rajbari 43	8072	4866	4955	23.2
Gandail 25	5557	13159	14192	41.6
Char Girish 15	5464	10632	10657	35.0
Chalitadanga 17	6291	16219	17596	39.2
Tekani 94	7700	6892	7060	38.6
Natuarpara 60	6821	9187	9105	37.7
Nishchintapur 69	8020	9210	9381	34.0
Mansurnagar	9186	11511	11074	23.4
Maijbari 51	4353	12686	12818	37.9
Subhagachha 86	6325	6987	7425	47.1
Sonamukhi 77	5966	17443	18259	35.6

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

War of Liberation In 1971 the Pak army conducted mass killing and plundering at different places of the upazila; they also set many houses on fire. In December 1971 a battle was fought between the Pak army and the freedom fighters at village Baraitala of Gandail Union in which several freedom fighters lost their lives. There is a mass grave at Baraitala); three memorial monuments (one at Baraitala and the other two at Alampur and Pipulbaria) had been established.

For details: see কাজিপুর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ২।

Religious institutions Mosque 231, temple 45, tomb 3.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 37.5%; male 40.7%, female 34.4%. Educational institutions: college 12, secondary school 51, primary school 216, madrasa 10. Noted Educational institutions: Kazipur Government Mansur Ali College, Natuarpara Degree College,' Kazipur Mahila College, Meghai UUI Multilateral High School (1919), Meghai High School (1920), Gandhail High School (1920), Rani Dinamoni High School (1957), Kazipur Government Girls' High School, Sonamukhi Senior Fazil Madrasa.

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 32, playground 12.

Main sources of income Agriculture 67.44%, non-agricultural labourer 1.96%, industry 1.72%, commerce 11.31%, transport and communication 1.71%, service 6.75%, construction 2.55%, religious service 0.19%, rent and remittance 0.15% and others 6.22%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 68.53%, landless 31.87%; agricultural landowner: urban 60.42% and rural 69.56%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, pulse, chilli, mustard, linseed,' tobacco, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Aus 'paddy.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, papaya, guava, coconut, litchi, banana.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries This upazila has a number of fisheries, dairies, poultries, hatcheries and artificial breeding centre.

Communication facilities Pucca road 87 km, semi-pucca road 3 km, mud road 294 km. Culvert 241, bridge 107.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, dhuli, horse carriage.

Cottage industries Blacksmith, weaving.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 37, fairs 3, most noted of which are Natuarpara, Sonamukhi, Harinathpur, Bhanudanga, Chalitadanga, Mathail Chapar, Gandail and Panagari hats and Sonamukhi Mela.

Main exports Paddy, jute, chilli, mustard.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 28.2% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 97.0%, tap 0.4% and others 2.6%.

Sanitation 83.4% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 15.6% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 1.0% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, health centre 9, clinic 1, union health and family welfare centre 11, veterinary hospital 1.

Natural disasters A large number of people were victims of the famines of 1897, 1943 and 1974. Besides, the earthquakes of 1885 and 1897 caused heavy damages to settlements and other properties of the upazila.'

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, TMSS, Ujjiban. [Rafiqul Islam]

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