Rajbari Sadar Upazila

Rajbari Sadar Upazila (rajbari district) area 313 sq km, located in between 23°35' and 23°49' north latitudes and in between 89°35' and 89°45' east longitudes. It is bounded by sujanagar and bera upazilas and padma (ganges) river on the north, faridpur sadar and madhukhali upazilas on the south, goalanda and Faridpur Sadar upazilas on the east, pangsha and baliakandi upazilas on the west.

Population Total 295370; male 150567, female 144803; Muslim 267514, Hindu 27547, Buddhist 125 and others 184.

Water bodies Main river: Padma; Rajapur canal is notable.

Administration Rajbari Thana was formed in 1888 and it was turned into an upazila in 1984. Rajbari municipality was formed in 1923.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	14	213	212	48981	246389	944	65.5	36.3

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
11.66	9	31	47219	4050	66.4

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
0.49	4	1762	3596	39.34

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Alipur 12	4897	8938	8897	39.69
Khankhanapur 43	4386	10285	10050	42.22
Khanganj 45	3789	6395	5912	40.49
Chandani 32	4614	8077	7754	32.36
Dadshi 36	3511	8196	8005	36.32
Panchuria 65	2861	5764	5741	40.58
Barat 21	4337	9791	9357	37.71
Basantapur 29	7865	13064	12477	31.49
Banibaha 14	5278	8985	8765	33.90
Mizanpur 51	12412	15960	15811	35.66
Mulghar 58	4712	6577	6480	28.09
Ramkantapur 80	4370	8121	7762	42.52
Shahid Wahabpur 87	4543	7787	7002	34.89
Sultanpur 94	6565	8218	7980	34.82

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Barbakpur Zamindar Bari, Sanmancha and Dolmancha at Rathkhola, Ram Mandir at Belgachhi, Chand Sawdagar's Mound, Tomb of Jangi Shah.

Historical events During the last part of the eighteenth century many people of the upazila were involved in the fakir-sannyasi resistance. The ruins of a dilapidated house at a place called Rath bear the memories of this Fakir-Sannyasi resistance. In November 1971 an encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held at village Alhadipur in which 9 Pak soldiers were killed.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass grave 1 (Khankhanapur); mass killing site 1 (Alipur); memorial monument 1 '(the sculpture Atandra Prohari).

Religious institutions Mosque 257, temple 132, church 1, tomb 15, sacred place 1. Noted religious institutions: Gayebi Mosque, Ram Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 41.4%; male 45.1%, female 37.5%. Educational institutions: homeopath college 1, college 5, vocational training institute 1, secondary school 27, primary school 104, community school 3, madrasa 15. Noted educational institutions: Rajbari Government High School (1892), Yasin High School (1950), Raja Surjakumar Institute (1888), Government Girls' School (1961), Bazar Pathshala Government Primary School (1908).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Gatakal (1984); weekly: Anushandhan (1984), Rajbari Kantha (1990); defunct: Khathak (1893), Shikha (1930), Chandana (1972), Samgsar (19th century), Rajbari Patrika (19th century), Matrikantha, Anushandhan (1984), Rajbari Sangbad (1986), Saptahik Bani (1906), Sahaj Katha (1922), Saptahik Barta, Shahashi Samaya.

Cultural organisations Library 21, club 15, stadium 1, children's park 1, press club 1, theatre group 10, theatre stage 4, women organisation 4, literature and social welfare organisation 17, children's organisation 2, community centre 3, cinema hall 5, playground 14.

Main sources of income Agriculture 50.78%, non-agricultural labourer 3.66%, industry 1.15%, commerce 16.58%, transport and communication 5.79%, service 9.41%, construction 3.18%, religious service 0.16%, rent and remittance 0.99% and others 8.3%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 33.49%, landless 66.51%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, sugarcane, sesame, ground nut, catechu.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Watermelon, karpas cotton.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, litchi.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 2, dairy 68, poultry 244, hatchery 2, nursery 253.

Communication facilities Pucca road 70 km, semi-pucca road 44 km, mud road 883 km; railway 31 km; waterway 113 nautical miles.

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

Noted manufactories Goalanda Textile Mills, Bio-Gas Production Centre, Bangladesh Oxygen Plant.

Cottage industries Weaving, silk industry.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 19, fairs 6, most noted of which are Khankhanapur Hat, Belgachhi Hat, Rajbari Hat, Banibaha Hat, Kholar Hat and annual fairs are organised on occasions of Durgapuja, Baishakhi and Dolmancha festivals.

Main exports Jute, sesame, catechu.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 19.89% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 96.82%, tap 0.69%, pond 0.24% and others 2.25%.

Sanitation 35.13% (rural 29.33% and urban 65.67%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 57.06% (rural 62.03% and urban 30.68%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 7.81% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, health and family planning centre 9, hospital 1, child welfare centre 1, homeopathic hospital 1, clinic 12, maternity welfare centre 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, BRDB. [Badrul Alam Tipu]

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