Raipur Upazila

Raipur Upazila (lakshmipur district) area 247.40 sq km, located in between 22°53' and 23°04' north latitudes and in between 90°38' and 90°50' east longitudes. It is bounded by faridganj and ramganj upazilas on the north, lakshmipur sadar and mehendiganj upazilas on the south, Lakshmipur Sadar upazila on the east, hizla and haimchar upazilas and meghna river on the west.

Population Total 236965; male 118562, female 118403; Muslim 228361, Hindu 8566, Christian 23 and others 15.

Water bodies Main river: Meghna.

Administration Raipur Thana was formed in 1877 and it was turned into an upazila on 24 March 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	10	49	81	53365	183600	958	55.9	38.2

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
10.02	9	15	25738	2569	52.67

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
22.06	4	27627	1252	58.90

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
North Char Ababil 23	8002	11805	11567	29.90
North Char Bangshi 35	16722	16322	15391	32.90
Keroa 59	4940	14221	14860	59.91
Char Mohana 47	6139	9669	9890	40.26
Char Pata 52	2078	7595	7366	51.81
South Char Ababil 28	4317	10261	10333	30.93
South Char Bangshi 38	6870	9674	9500	25.07
Bamni 11	3610	11299	12257	49.09
Raipur 71	4078	5360	5154	40.25
Sonapur 83	2589	9064	9639	45.15

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Three domed Jinn's Mosque (18th century) at village Keroa, Zamindar Bari at Shayestanagar.

History of the War of Liberation The Pak army established a Razakar Camp in the Raipur Aliya Madrasa during the war of liberation. The razakars used to kill many people including freedom fighers in this camp. Encounters between the freedom fighters and the Pak army were held at Kafilatali and on the bank of Kazir Dighi. One of the important events of the War of Liberation of this upazila is the attack of the freedom fighters on the Pak army camp at Raipur LM High School.

Marks of the War of Liberation Memorial monument 1 (in front of the Upazila Parisad Auditorium).

Religious institutions Mosque 308, temple 9, tomb 5, dargah 1. Noted religious institutions: Raipur Bara Mosque, Jinn's Mosque, Pirbari Mosque, Dargah of Bara Mian Saheb.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 42.3%; male 44.4%, female 40.2%. Educational institutions: college 3, secondary school 26, primary school 80, madrasa 21. Noted educational institutions: Raipur Womens' College (1963), Raipur Government College (1970), Char Ababil SC High School (1910), Raipur LM Pilot High School (1911), Char Ababil Rachim Uddin High School (1914), North Keroa Government Primary School (1895), Raipur Aliya Madrasa (1886), Lamchari Karamatia Fazil Madrasa (1922).

Newspapers and periodicals Fortnightly: Abasar, monthly: Dakatia, quaterly: Raipur Darpan (1998), Prothom Jagaran.

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 1, press club 1, society and organisation 78, women organisation 53, music school 1, theatre group 1, cinema hall 2. Noted Cultural organisation: Khelaghar.

Main sources of income Agriculture 47.16%, non-agricultural labourer 2.85%, industry 0.70%, commerce 14.01%, transport and communication 4.14%, service 9.69%, construction 2.28%, religious service 0.47%, rent and remittance 8.71% and others 9.99%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 51.92%, landless 48.08%; agricultural landowner: urban 51.45% and rural 52.06%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, sugarcane, mustard, potato, soybean, maize.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Kaun, joar, sesame, linseed, khesari, kalai.

Main fruits Coconut, betel nut, mango, jackfruit, banana, hog-plum, lemon.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 8, poultry 72, hatchery 9, dairy farm 14.

Communication facilities Pucca road 64 km, semi-pucca road 59 km, mud road 827 km. Embankment 96.5 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.'

Noted manufactories Textile mill 1, rice mill 62, flour mill 25, biscuit factory 14, ice factory 7, bidi factory 2, saw mill 30, oil mill 5, welding factory 25, aluminium factory 1, brick-field 4.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, bamboo and cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 28, most noted of which are Raipur Bazar, Haiderganj Bazar, Khaser Hat, Rakhalia Hat.

Main exports Coconut, betel nut, soybean, maize.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 26.45% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 90.41%, pond 4.88%, tap 0.93% and others 3.78%.

Sanitation 58.87% (rural 53.38% and urban 77.87%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 32.44% (rural 37.02% and urban 16.6%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 8.69% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 2, family planning centre 7, clinic 6.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa. [Nazmul Ahsan Raju]

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