Bagatipara Upazila

Bagatipara Upazila (natore district) area 139.85 sq km, located in between 24°15' and 24°22' north latitudes and in between 89°13' and 89°26' east longitudes. It is bounded by natore sadar upazila on the north, lalpur upazila on the south, baraigram upazila on the east, charghat, bagha and puthia upazilas on the west.

Population Total 131004; male 65054, female 65950; Muslim 124208, Hindu 6423, Christian 346, Buddhist 4 and others 23. Indigenous communities such as santal, Bagti, Phahari, oraon belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main river: baral.

Administration Bagatipara Thana was formed in 1906 and it was turned into an upazila on 15 April 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	5	83	134	9975	121029	937	62.1	56.1

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
9.06	9	17	9975	1101	62.1

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Jamnagar 76	7814	13721	14194	51.4
Dayarampur 38	6481	16003	15331	65.5
Panka 57	7826	13219	13440	52.0
Fhaguardiar 42	5096	8058	8208	52.3
Bagatipara 19	5088	9193	9662	56.4

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Dayarampur Rajbari (1891), Galimpur Zamindarbari (1926), Begunia Zamindarbari (1911), Bara Bagha Mazar Sharif (1851), Neelkuthibari (Noashera), Nurpur Zamindarbari (1882), Mazar of Hazrat Shah Mokarram Danishmand (R).

War of Liberation On 22 November 1971, 16 Pak soldiers were killed in an encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at village Nabirpara adjacent to the railway line. Freedom fighters had encounters with Pak army also at Galimpur on the bank of Baral river and at Goylar Ghope.

For details: see বাগাতিপাড়া উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৬।

Religious institutions Mosque 182, temple 21, church 1, tomb 2. Noted religious institutions: Barabagha Tomb, Moidulha of Basudevpur Gangasnana (holy bathing place).

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 56.5%; Male 59.7%, female 53.5%. Educational institutions: college 13, technical college 5, agricultural college1, secondary school 41, primary school 46, vocational school 9, kindergarten 3, madrasa 7. Noted educational institutions: Takinagar Ideal High School and College (1994), Bagatipara Pilot High School (1959), Jigari High School (1959), Cantonment Public High School (1975).

Newspapers and periodicals Aunkur (1983), Utsa (2003), Kaler Garaj (2004), Raktabij, Unmesh (2004), Sharakpatra (2004).

Cultural organisations Library 3, theatre group 4, cinema hall 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 69.19%, non-agricultural labourer 3.63%, industry 0.86%, commerce 10.83%, transport and communication 2.82%, service 6.70%, construction 0.85%, religious service '0.13%, rent and remittance 0.25% and others 4.74%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 57.06%, landless 42.94%; agricultural landowner: urban' 57.06%, rural 42.94%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, sugarcane, wheat, pulse, potato, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Barley, kaun, aus paddy, arahar.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, black berry, banana, papaya, guava, date.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries This upazila has a number of fisheries, dairies and poultries.

Communication facilities Pucca road 109 km, semi-pucca road 8 km, mud road 354 km; railways 12 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport 'Palanquin.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, saw mill.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, bamboo work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 17, fairs 6, most noted of which are Sonapur Hat, Dayarampur Hat, Lokmanpur Hat, Nazirpur Bazar, Barapukuria Gate Bazar, Malanchi Bazar and Barabagha Mela.

Main exports sugarcane molasses, date molasses, mango, jackfruit.

Access to electricity All the unions of this upazila are under electricity net-work. However 52.2% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 96.6%, tap 0.5% and others 2.9%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in the tube well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 67.9% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 23.6% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 8.5% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Heath centres 'Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 4, community clinic 5, clinic 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, Nijera Kari. [Md Moniruzzaman Moni]

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