Shahjadpur Upazila

Shahjadpur Upazila (sirajganj district) area 324.47 sq km, located in between 24°04' and 24°25' north latitudes and in between 89°31' and 89°31' east longitudes. It is bounded by ullahpara and belkuchi upazilas on the north, bera and santhia upazilas on the south, chauhali upazila on the east, faridpur (pabna) and Ullahpara upazilas on the west.

Population Total 472505; male 247019, female 225486; Muslim 452929, Hindu 19472, Buddhist 24, Christian 28 and others 52.

Water bodies Main rivers: jamuna, karatoya, hurasagar, baral, Gohala; Panadaha Beel is notable.

Administration Shahjadpur Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1845.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	13	187	296	57991	414514	1456	47.4	35.5

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
11.00	9	31	50698	4609	50.56

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
3.43	1	7293	2126	23.91

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kayempur 43	9012	20619	19715	36.80
Kaijuri 36	7115	28272	25461	29.11
Khukni 51	3561	25899	22889	40.62
Garadaha 21	4149	12650	11816	42.93
Gala 14	7521	20994	19749	27.44
Jalalpur 29	4010	8755	7893	30.38
Narnia 58	2517	10771	10071	39.22
Potajia 73	8087	15787	14204	42.77
Porjana 65	7005	24202	22218	29.79
Beltail 12	5722	18540	17064	40.59
Rupabati 80	7082	13544	12304	33.14
Habibulla Nagar 87	1902	14650	13239	40.66
Sonatani 94	7676	5431	5070	20.93

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Mosque and tomb of Makhdum Shahdoulah (thirteenth century), revenue office of poet Rabindranath Tagore, Nabaratna Mandir (Potajia union).

Historical events Tenant movement was initiated in this upazila in 1873. The revolutionary leader Ishan Chandra Roy led the movement from his native village during the period from 1873 to 1876. Besides, the people of this upazila took part in various movements including anti British Movement, anti Pakistan Movement, language movement of 1952, mass upsurge of 1969 and the war of liberation in 1971.

Religious institutions Mosque 358, temple 53, tomb 23, sacred place 1. Noted religious institutions: Shahjadpur Jami Mosque, Badruddin Mosque, Nabaratna Mandir at Potajia.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 36.98%; male 42.40%, female 31.06%. Educational institutions: college 13, vocational institutions 1, secondary school 48, primary school 215, community school 2, madrasa 57. Noted educational institutions: Shahjadpur Government College, Porjana Mukundanath High School (1880), Shahjadpur Pilot High School (1882), Potajia High School (1894), Sonatani High School (1905), Sthal Pakgashi institution (1864), Khassatbaria High School (1904), Jamirta High School (1900).

Newspapers and periodicals Monthly: Bibartan, Sahitya Darpan; defunct weekly: Ganabangla; weekly Mausumi.

Cultural organisations Library 5, club 127, museum 1, cinema hall 5, theatre group 11, theatre 1, jatra party 3, open stage 1, women's organisation 11.

Main sources of income Agriculture 42.73%, non-agricultural labourer 5.90%, industry 17.49%, commerce 16.03%, transport and communication 2.44%, service 4.77%, construction 0.99%, religious service 0.20%, rent and remittance 0.29% and others 9.16%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 51.78%, landless 48.22%; agricultural landowner: urban 34.31% and rural 54.11%.'

Main crops Paddy, mustard, pulse, wheat, jute, sugarcane, chilli, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops China, kaun, lentil, gram, linseed, sesame, barley, sweet potato.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, papaya, guava, coconut.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 23, dairy 4788, poultry 185, artificial breeding centre 1.

Communication facilities Pucca road 86 km, semi-pucca road 16 km, mud road 685 km; waterway 77 nautical miles.

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

Noted manufactories Cement factory, dying factory, electricity producing centre, flour and rice mill, oil mill, textile mill, ice factory, welding factory, cold storage.

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

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 63, fairs 7, most noted of which are Shahjadpur Bazar, Kaijuri Bazar, Mulkandi Bazar, Shibrampur Bazar, Betkandhi Bazar, Kashinathpur Bazar, Talgachhi Cattle Market, Basanti Mela, Dole Mela and Baruni Mela.

Main exports Cotton fabrics.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 35.13% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Clams and mussels, Pearl.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.55%, tap 0.51%, pond 0.22% and others 4.72%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 13.70% (rural 10.22% and urban 39.83%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 83.27% (rural 86.86% and urban 56.31%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 3.03% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, health and family welfare centre 11, satellite clinic 6, child hospital 1, eye hospital 1.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the famines of 1897 and 1943. 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, asa, proshika, thengamara mahila sabuj sangha, Ujjiban. [AR Siddiqui]

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