Gauripur Upazila

Gauripur Upazila (mymensingh district) area 276.74 sq km, located in between 24°38' and 24°50' north latitudes and in between 90°27' and 90°44' east longitudes. It is bounded by purbadhala and netrokona sadar upazilas on the north, ishwarganj upazila on the south, kendua and Netrokona Sadar upazilas on the east, mymensingh sadar and phulpur upazilas on the west.

Population Total 323057; male 159722, female 163335; Muslim 310045, Hindu 12654, Buddhist 3, Christian 62 and others 293.

Water bodies Main rivers: old brahmaputra, Soai, Suriya, Sapra; Sidhla Beel, Bara Beel, Kachuri Beel and Dalia Beel are notable.

Administration Gauripur Thana was formed in 1981 and it was turned into an upazila on 8 February 1981. Municipality was formed in 1927.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	10	240	289	25570	297487	1167	64.7	41.7

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
8.80	9	34	25570	2906	64.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Achintapur 15	7125	13962	14640	43.8
Gauripur 31	5743	13030	13842	37.2
Dowhakhala 27	5796	16591	17215	46.1
Bokainagar 22	6854	16156	16228	38.1
Bhangnamari 18	6823	12563	12902	43.6
Mailakanda 49	6048	14058	14426	44.6
Maoha 58	6693	13305	13197	36.1
Ramgopalpur 72	7455	18449	18746	49.8
Sahanati 81	6725	15607	15733	33.7
Sidhla 85	6957	13219	13618	41.9

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Mud-built defense wall of the capital of Umar Khan (seventeenth century), tomb of heroin Sakina at Maoha (seventeenth century), Kellah Bokainagar Shahi Mosque (built by Khwaja Usman Gani during the reign of Emperor Alamgir); single domed Isulia Jami Mosque and Muhuria Jami Mosque (Mughal period), Mosque at village Kumrigram (built by Dewan Umar Khan).

Historical events The capital of the Afghan hero Khwaja Usman (who fought against the Mughal) was at Bokainagar (Kellah Bokainagar). In 1601/1602 Mughal commander-in-chief Mansingh attacked Bokainagar, Usman Khan was defeated and fled to Sylhet. Kellah Tajpur of Maoha was the capital of Umar Khan during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The love story of Sakhina, the daughter of Umar Khan, with Feroj Khan, the grandson of Isha Khan and its satiric end in a war is still a legend. During the mass upsurge in 1969 police opened fire on the agitated civilian who took part in procession breaking with the Section 144; in this incident Harun of Gauripur Government College was killed. “Martyr Harun Park” was later established in his memory.

War of Liberation On 20 August 1971 the Pak army brutally killed 14 persons at village Shalihar. On 21 November, the freedom fighters of the upazila carried out an operation on razakars and militia at a place named Kareha. The Pakistan army raided Palashkandha at the Gauripur-Ishwarganj boarder on 30 November and killed a number of people including Mati, Monju, Siraj and Jasim of Mujib Bahini. There is a mass grave in the upazila.

For details: see গৌরীপুর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৩।

Religious institutions Mosque 352, temple 97, tomb 5. Noted religious institutions: Bokainagar and Gujikhan Keramatia Mosque, Govinda Jeo temple at Gauripur and tomb of Nizam Uddin Aoulia at Bokainagar.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 43.6%; male 45.5%, female 41.8%. Educational institutions: college 3, secondary school 32, primary school 9, vocational training institute 1, weaving school 1, madrasa 12. Noted educational institutions: Gauripur Mahila College, Ramgopalpur Power Joyendra Kishore High School (1906), Gauripur Rajendra Kishore Government High School (1911), Dowhakhala High School (1913), Government Girls' High School, Shahganj High School, Shyamganj High School (1940), Nurul Amin Khan High School, Lankakhola High School, Sarajubala Government Primary School (1932).

Newspapers and periodicals Subarna Bangla; Mashik Pata (extinct), Nagarik Barta (quarterly), Drishti.

Cultural organisations Library 2, club 16, cinema hall 2, community centre 11, stadium 1, theatre group 2.

Tourist spots Gauripur Rajbari, Puja Mandap, Revolving Theatre Stage, Gol Pukur (round pond) and Artificial Lake.

Main sources of income Agriculture 71.21%, non-agricultural labourer 2.93%, industry 0.76%, commerce 9.91%, transport and communication 3.21%, service 4.32%, construction 1%, religious service 0.16%, rent and remittance 0.19% and others 6.31%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 62.71%, landless 37.29%; agricultural landowner: urban 64.07% and rural 44.64%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, mustard, mulberry tree, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, jute, tobacco, arahar.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, banana, water-melon, papaya.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 74 km, mud road 681 km; waterway 12 km; railway 30 km.

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

Noted manufactories Textile mill, rice mill, saw mill, flour mill, spinning mill, ice factory, bidi factory, welding factory, lathe machine.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, bamboo work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats, bazars and fairs are 50, most noted of which are Gauripur Bazar, Shyamganj Bazar, Bhutiarkona Bazar, Gobindapur Bazar, Shahaganj Bazar, Pachhar Bazar, Dowhakhala Bazar, Bhuiya Bazar, Kaltapara Bazar, Anantaganj Bazar, Naobhanga Bazar, Ramgopalpur Bazar, Sidhla Bazar and Baishakhi Mela at Bokainagar.

Main exports Paddy, rice, yarn.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 32.9% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 96.5%, tap 0.3% and others 3.2%.

Sanitation 47.2% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 39.8% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 13.0% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, hospital 1, satellite clinic 5, family planning centre 4, community clinic 4.'

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are' CARE, brac, asa, Jatiya Mahila Unnayan Sanghstha, Bangladesh Mahila Unnayan Samiti. [Sahidur Rahman]

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