Agailjhara Upazila

Agailjhara Upazila (barisal district) area 155.47 sq km, located in between 22°54' and 23°03' north latitudes and in between 90°03' and 90°13' east longitudes. It is bounded by gaurnadi upazila on the north east, wazirpur upazila on the south, kotalipara upazila on the west.

Population Total 155661; male 78193; female 77468; Muslim 82995, Hindu 68566, Buddhist 3920, Christian 127 and others 53.

Water bodies Bisarkandi, Gaur and Nanda rivers and Doparparer beel are notable.

Administration Agailjhara Thana was formed on 16 June 1981 and it was turned into an upazila on 7 November 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	5	78	96	10643	145018	1001	68.6	58.6

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
7.40	4	10643	1382	68.66

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Gaila 47	6298	16755	16913	63.77
Bakal 15	7956	13472	12983	62.19
Bagdha 07	8713	15777	15520	53.14
Ratnapur 87	6514	15607	15684	57.24
Rajiher 79	8937	16582	16368	59.81

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001,Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Manasa Mandir at Fulushree (Sultanate period, built by Poet Bijoy Gupta), ancient fort at Gaila, Dharadhar Dighi (known as Behular Dighi) and Chhabikharpar Dighi.

History of the War of Liberation During the War of Liberation 8 persons including Laskhan Das (proprietor of Laskhan Das Circus) of village Kodaldhoa were killed by the Pak army.

Marks of War of Liberation Mass killing site 1 (Katira), Mass grave 1 (Ranta); Munshibari Andha Koop (torture cell) at Gaila.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 59.3%; male 63.1%, female 55.4%. Noted educational institutions: Shaheed Abdur Rab Serniabat Degree College (1972), Agailjhara College, Kabindra College (Sanskrit College), Bhegai Haldar Public Academy (1919), Gaila High School (1893), Bagdha High School (1922), Bahadurpur High School (1924), Agailjhara High School, Paisar Hat High School, Seral High School, Jobarpar Christian Missionary School, Ghorar Par Christian Missionary School, Purba Sujonkathi Government Primary School.

Cultural organizations Library 4, club 35, cinema hall 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 60.8%, non-agricultural labourer 1.96%, commerce 15.4%, transport and communication 2.0%, service 8.5%, construction 4.1% and others 7.24%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 82.11%, landless 17.89%; agricultural landowner:' urban 1.91% and rural 82.88%.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, jute, banana, betel leaf, mustard, pulse.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops China, kaun, linseed, arahar.

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

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

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport palanquin, horse carriage, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Flour mill, rice mill, saw mill, oil mill, ice factory.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 21, fairs 2, most noted of which are Shaheber Hat, Paisar Hat, Ashkar Kalibari Hat, Bakal Hat, Gaila Bazar and Kodaldhoa Baruni Mela.

Main exports Betel leaf, jute, paper made of water-hyacinth.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazilla are under rural electricity net-work. However 26.91% (rural 25.57% and urban 44.74%) of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 91.84%, pond 4.82%, tap 1.08% and others 2.26%.

Sanitation 80.02% (rural 79.18% and urban 91.08%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 14.34% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 5.64% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 4, union health and family planning centre 7, family welfare centre 5, satellite clinic 6.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are CARE, brac, caritas, asa, proshika. [Apurba Lal Haldar]

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