Panchagarh Sadar Upazila

Panchagarh Sadar Upazila (panchagarh district) area 347.09 sq km, located in between 26°17' and 26°29' north latitudes and in between 88°31' and 88°46' east longitudes. It is bounded by west bengal state of India on the north and east, boda and debiganj upazilas on the south, atwari and tentulia upazilas and West Bengal state of India on the west. The upazila has two enclaves; the Indian enclaves in the upazila are Garati and Singimari.

Population Total 271707; male 136850, female 134857; Muslim 254612, Hindu 16855, Buddhist 4, Christian 163 and others 73.

Water bodies Main rivers: karatoya, Talma, Chawai.

Administration Panchagarh thana was established under Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal during the British rule. It was under the Thakurgaon sub-division of dinajpur district at the time of the partition of 1947 and had been a thana under Panchagarh sub-division since 1980. Panchagarh Thana was formed in 1909 and it wa s turned into an upazila in 1984.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	10	75	195	46038	225669	783	61.4 (2001)	49.6

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
-	9	32	45589	-	70.3

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
-	1	449	-	65.2

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Amarkhana 11	8366	11389	11410	45.7
Kamat Kajal Dighi 59	5748	8380	8244	51.9
Garinabari 43	7106	10678	10278	55.6
Chaklarhat 23	10001	11094	11472	49.2
Dhakkamara 36	7887	12845	12708	58.7
Panchagarh Sadar 71	8080	13227	12972	49.4
Magura 65	5774	8731	8307	52.2
Satmara 83	11034	14219	13839	41.6
Haribhasa 47	10855	13267	13467	44.2
Hafizabad 35	5799	9779	9812	50.7

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Historical events A large number of the Muslim population migrated and settled at Panchagarh Town and nearby villages following the Hindu Muslim riot in Jalpaiguri Town in 1949-1950. The people of this upazila took part in various movements such as fakir-sannyasi resistance (1762 to 1800), tebhaga movement (1938 to 1939 and 1946 to 1947), language movement, movement for turning Panchagarh into a sub-division (1949 to 1980), movement against the oppression of the EPR on the border area, mass upsurge in 1969, etc.

War of Liberation At the beginning of the war of liberation two members of the EPR were shot dead by the Pak army. Freedom fighters killed 18 Pak soldiers in an encounter with them. The freedom fighters also destroyed the bridge near the Amarkhana Camp on the Chawai river to obstruct the entry of the Pak army from the north. During the period from 19 April to 30 April 1971 the Pak army killed about fifty persons in the Upazila Town and Mirgarh. In July the Pak army killed 16 persons at Amarkhana. Freedom fighters had carried out operations at Mirgarh, Amarkhana and some other places of the upazila. There is a mass grave at a place on the bank of the Karatoya; the grave of Martyr Freedom Fighter Sakimuddin is in front of the Baitul Aman Mosque of Jagdal Hat. A memorial monument (Shaheed Farooque Ahmad Memorial Monumen) has been built at Dhakkamara of Panchagarh Town.

For details: see পঞ্চগড় সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৫।

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 53.2%; male 56.2%, female 50.2%. Educational institutions: college 12, vocational training institute 1, business education institution 2, secondary school 60, primary school 477, kindergarten 10. Noted educational institutions: Bishnu Prasad High School (1944), Mirgarh Government Primary School (1918), Mayna Primary School (1928).

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Panchagarh Barta; fortnightly: Ei Samay; defunct: Uttar Asa, Karatoya, Pancharupa, Aloran Barta, Unmesh, Durjay, Pilsuj.

Cultural organisations Library 6, club 3, shilpakala institute 1, auditorium 1, stadium 1, circuit house 1, cinema hall 4.

Tourist spots Maharaj Dighi and Garh at Bhitar Garh, Rocks Museum in Panchagarh Government Mohila College, Kajla Dighi at Tunir Hat, Panchagarh Forest in the suburb of the Town.

Main sources of income Agriculture 59.73%, non-agricultural labourer 6.44%, industry 0.63%, commerce 11.85%, transport and communication 4.63%, service 8.15%, construction 0.84%, religious service 0.16%, rent and remittance 0.19% and others 7.38%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 53.43%, landless 46.57%; agricultural landowner: urban 39.47% and rural 56.2%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, sugarcane, potato, sesame, linseed, water-melon, bamboo, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Tobacco, arahar, aus paddy, dhemsi.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, guava, banana, pomegranate, pineapple, custard apple, watermelon, betel nut.

Communication facilities Pucca road 68 km, semi-pucca road 1 km, mud road 734 km; railway 8 km; waterway 84 km.

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

Noted manufactories Sugar mill, rice mill, husking mill, saw mill, electric pole manufacturing industry, distillery (industrial spirit), homeo laboratory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving, bamboo and wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 37, fairs 5, most noted of which are Rajnagar Hat, Jagdal Hat, Jhalai Hat, Haribhasa Hat, Model Hat, Futkibari Hat, Magura-dalua Hat, Chaklarhat, Goleha Hat, Talma Hat, Mirgarh Hat, Ziabari Hat, Tunir Hat, Dewan Hat, Kazir Hat, Zila Parishad Chattar Mela, Panchagarh Sadar Mela and Amlahar Mela.

Main exports Paddy, wheat, jute, betel nut, water melon, sugar, electric pole, alcohol, bamboo and bamboo mat.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 32.0% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Nuri stone and sand have been found in this upazila.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 91.4%, tap 3.4% and others 5.2%.

Sanitation 83.7% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 7.5% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 8.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Sadar hospital 1, upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 3, family planning centre 8, diabetic hospital 1, hospital 1, clinic 10.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, Swanirvar Bangladesh, rangpur dinajpur rural service. [Md. Ahsan Habib]

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Panchagarh Sadar Upazila 2007.