Faridganj Upazila

Faridganj Upazila (chandpur district) area 231.54 sq km, located in between 23°03' and 23°14' north latitudes and in between 90°41' and 90°53' east longitudes. It is bounded by chandpur sadar and hajiganj upazilas on the north, raipur upazila on the south, ramganj upazila on the east, haimchar and Chandpur Sadar upazilas on the west.

Population Total 374760; male 182124, female 192636; Muslim 356480, Hindu 18164, Buddhist 66 and others 50.

Water bodies dakatia river and Guptir Beel are notable.

Administration Faridganj Thana, now an upazila, was formed on 7 October 1918.'

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	15	178	175	6824	367936	1619	62.46	53.64

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
15.75	-	-	26095	1657	58.56

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
2.47	1	6824	2763	62.46

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Uttar Gobindapur 41	3828	13846	14310	48.31
Uttar Paikpara 65	3933	11339	12369	57.23
Uttar Rupsa 77	4004	13271	13961	52.42
Dakshin Gobindapur 47	2894	12246	12752	48.13
Dakshin Paikpara 71	3115	10814	11785	56.81
Dakshin Faridganj 35	3986	10335	11133	49.09
Dakshin Rupsa 83	2858	9462	10378	56.24
Paschim Gupti 59	2669	9586	10385	59.01
Purba Gupti 53	3571	10055	10442	55.86
Paschim Char Dukhia 23	2778	11088	11082	47.25
Purba Char Dukhia 17	4041	11820	12615	50.53
Paschim Baluthupa 11	4107	11323	11819	56.41
Purba Baluthupa 05	3969	12292	13593	56.53
Paschim Subidpur 95	3560	10998	11168	55.63
Purba Subidpur 89	3965	10714	11684	54.87

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Neelkuthi (indigo factory) at Sahebganj, Math at Lohagara, Rupsa Zamindar Bari, Rupsa Mosque.

History of the War of Liberation During the War of Liberation in 1971, 64 freedom fighters and a number of local people were killed in encounters with the Pak army. Faridganj was liberated on 14 December.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass grave 1, memorial monument 1.

Religious institutions Mosque 575, temple 11, church 1, math 1.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 53.8%; male 54.7%, female 53%. Educational institutions: college 8, secondary school 47, primary school 252, community school 13, madrasa 237. Noted educational institutions: Faridganj Degree College (1970), Chandra Imam Ali College (1994), Gallak Adarsha College (1994), Gredakalindia Hajera Hasmath Degree College (1995), Baragaon High School (1899), Chandra Imam Ali High School (1918), Grehakalindia High School (1926), Paikpara U.G High School (1913), Basara High School (1926), Rupsa Ahmadia High School (1913), Kaonia Shaheed Habibullah High School (1926), Hansa Fazil Madrasa (1902).

Newspapers and periodicals Faridganj Barta, Palli Kahini.

Cultural organisations Library 4, club 48, cinema hall 1, women's organisation 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 42.90%, non-agricultural labourer 2.64%, industry 0.86%, commerce 15.24%, transport and communication 2.63%, service 13.80%, construction 3.50%, religious service 0.43%, rent and remittance 5.39% and others 12.61%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 60.78%, landless 39.22%; agricultural landowner: urban 33.63% and rural 61.30%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, sugarcane, betel leaf.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, linseed, kaun, mustard, khesari pulse.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, coconut, banana, betel nut.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 19, dairy 71, poultry 134.

Communication facilities Pucca road 125 km, semi-pucca road 40 km, mud road 325 km; waterway 19 nautical miles.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill, ice factory, ice-cream factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, embroidery, wood work, bamboo work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 45, fairs 6, most noted of which are Rupsa Hat, Gallak Hat, Gredakalindia Hat, Chandra Hat and Baishakhi Mela.

Main exports Sugarcane, betel leaf, potato.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 24.98% (urban 62.87% and rural 24.25%) of the dwellings have access to electricity.'

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 77.44%, tap 0.45%, pond 17.43% and others 4.68%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in the shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 53.57% (urban 81.87% and rural 53.03%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 34.59% (urban 10.60% and rural 35.05%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 11.84% (urban 7.53% and rural 11.92%) of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family welfare centre 11, satellite clinic 1, maternity centre 1.

NGO activities brac, asa, proshika, BRDB, Mahila Unnayan Sangstha. [Musammat Rahima Begum]

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