Nageshwari Upazila

Nageshwari Upazila (kurigram district) area 415.80 sq km, located in between 25°59' and 26°13' north latitudes and in between 89°35' and 89°52' east longitudes. It is bounded by bhurungamari upazila and west bengal state of India on the north, kurigram sadar upazila on the south, assam state of India on the east, phulbari upazila on the west.

Population Total 322339; male 161800, female 160539; Muslim 305011, Hindu 16921, Buddhist 56, Christian 101 and others 250. Indigenous community such as Buno (a genre of the Santals) lives on the bank of the Naodanga River.

Water bodies Main rivers: brahmaputra, dudhkumar; Naodanga, Payradanga, Madaikhal and Gushalka beels are notable.

Administration Nageshwari Thana was formed in 1793 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	15	79	369	46143	276196	775	40.62	27.97

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
35.20	5	46143	1311	40.62

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kedar 50	6036	10830	10906	22.50
Kachakata 37	6526	7781	8593	18.85
Kaliganj 44	5291	8233	8472	24.33
Nageshwari 56	8697	23458	22685	40.62
Narayanpur 63	13575	9010	8812	19.44
Noonkhawa 75	8807	5676	5404	17.96
Newashi 69	6307	12752	12354	39.51
Ballabher Khas 06	8226	10716	10766	19.44
Bamandanga 12	5208	7316	6959	29.12
Berubari 18	5074	8059	8449	27.59
Bhitarband 25	4537	10130	9923	31.49
Ramkhana 88	6573	13170	12976	31.13
Royganj 82	5560	10589	10513	32.60
Santoshpur 94	7453	15024	14622	33.38
Hasnabad 31	4368	9056	9105	28.02

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001,Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Remnants of Zamindar Bari at Bhitarband, Devi Chowdhurani Math at Payradanga.

Historical events Maulana abdul hamid khan bhasani organized a protest meeting against 'Bangal Khedao' (drive away Bengalis) at Raiganj of the upazila in 1954. On 2 September 1971, the Razakars while attempting to destroy the Kumarpur Bridge arrested freedom fighters Shamser Ali Basunia, Rustom Ali, Abdul Khaleque, Jamsed Ali and Mizanur Rahman. On 19 November an encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at a place near the Raiganj Bridge in which Lt. Col. Samad, Mizan and Ali Hossain were killed. During the war of liberation the Pak army killed 62 persons in Nilur Khamar Mouza under Santoshpur union. Besides, the Pak army burnt alive 35 persons to death at a place on the northwest of Nageshwari Health Complex.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass grave 1 (adjacent to the Central Shaheed Minar and near the Dharka Beel), memorial monument 1 (Chandipur).

Religious institutions Mosque 850, temple 17, sacred place 2. Noted religious institutions: Nageshwari Bus Stand and Bazar Jami Mosque, Madaikhal Kali Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 29.84%; male 36.19%, female 23.52%. Noted educational institutions: Nageshwari Degree College (1967), Madarganj High School (1961), Newashi Multilateral High School (1971), Purba Ramkhana Government Primary School (1900), Pagla Government Primary School (1900), Newashi Government Primary School (1903), Payradanga Government Primary School (1907), Nageshwari Alia Madrasa (1960), Newashi Alim Madrasa (1960), Bhitarband JD Academy (1945), Nageshwari Dayamoye Academy High School (1945), DM Academy (1946).

Newspapers and periodicals Irregular: Dudhkumar.

Cultural organisations Library 2, club 97, cinema hall 2, theatre group 2, literary society 3, sports organisation 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 76.05%, non-agricultural labourer 3.59%, industry 0.38%, commerce 7.55%, transport and communication 2.32%, service 3.30%, construction 0.59%, religious service 0.13%, rent and remittance 0.04% and others 6.05%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 58.92%, landless 41.08%; agricultural landowner: urban 49.95% and' rural 60.38%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard, sesame, linseed, kaun, onion, garlic, chilli, ground- nut.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Barley, china, tobacco, arahar, mesta jute, sweet potato.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, papaya, coconut, blackberry, litchi, watermelon, betel nut.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 2, dairy 85, poultry 20, hatchery 3.

Communication facilities Pucca road 72 km, semi-pucca road 2 km, mud road 1280 km; waterway 14 nautical miles.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Biscuit factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, manufacture of jute goods industry, embroidery, hand fan, mat, bamboo work, nakshi kantha.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 26, fairs 4, most noted of which are Raiganj Bazar, Andharir Jhar Bazar, Newashi Bazar, Austami Snan Mela, Kali Puja Mela at Madaikhal and Baruni Mela at Berubari.

Main exports Paddy, jute, bamboo, rice, onion, garlic, ground-nut, betel nut.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 5.97% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.30%, tap 0.36%, pond 0.27% and others 5.07%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in the shallow tube-well water of the upazila

Sanitation 29.28% (rural 27.63% and urban 39.34%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 27.05% (rural 28.05% and urban 20.87%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 43.68% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 2, satellite clinic 4, family planning centre 6, clinic 2.

Natural disasters The floods of 1988 and 1990 caused heavy damages to settlements, livestock and crops of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, CARE, NBRDS. [Harchandra Barman]

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