Khoksa Upazila

Khoksa Upazila (kushtia district) area 104.85 sq km, located in between 23'44' and 23'53' north latitudes and in between 89'15' and 89'22' east longitudes. It is bounded by kumarkhali and pabna sadar upazilas on the north, shailkupa upazila on the south, pangsha upazila on the east, Kumarkhali upazila on the west.

Population Total 129555; male 64496, female 65059; Muslim 117306, Hindu 12233, Christian 11 and others 5.

Water bodies Main river: gorai.

Administration Khoksa Thana was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	9	83	102	22194	107361	1236	49.9 (2001)	42.1

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
12.50 (2001)	9	18	17607	-	58.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
12.54 (2001)	3	4587	1699 (2001)	51.3

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Ambaria 43	1857	6283	6044	39.2
Osmanpur	3586	7196	7624	45.6
Khoksa 47	889	3338	3377	39.1
Gopagram	1592	7275	7400	42.0
Janipur 23	3444	5289	5271	46.1
Jayanti Hajra	3512	6627	6645	36.2
Betbaria	3110	5478	5595	41.0
Shimulia	2512	6435	6660	43.4
Samaspur 71	3804	7726	7685	47.3

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Kali temple and Neelkuthi.

War of Liberation Freedom fighters had encounters with the Pak army and their local collaborators at various places including Moragacha Razakar camp, Chandot mosque, Bashigram Razakar Camp, Shomashpur High School ground, Dhokraka and Khoksa Police Station. Three educational institutions of the upazila are named after two freedom fighters.

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

Religious institutions Roypur Pirbari Jami Mosque, Fulbari Jami Mosque, Chadot Jami Mosque, Hijlabat Jami Mosque, Uthali Beparipara Jami Mosque, Miabari Jami Mosque, Khoksa Kali Mandir and Fulbari Mandir are notable.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 44.7%; male 47.2%, female 42.2%. Noted educational institutions: Khoksa Degree College (1972), Janipur Pilot High School (1900), Fulbari High School (1900), Sengram High School (1907), Iswardi Secondary School (1964).

Newspapers and periodicals Droho (weekly).

Cultural organisations Library 13, theatre group 2, jatra party 2, cinema hall 3, women's organisation 3.

Main sources of income Agriculture 51.90%, non-agricultural labourer 4.68%, industry 10.23%, commerce 15.32%, transport and communication 3.97%, service 6.35%, construction 1.29%, religious service 0.08%, rent and remittance 0.16% and others 6.02%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 51.46%, landless 48.54%; agricultural landowner: urban 24.12% and rural 58.16%.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, jute, potato, sugarcane.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Kaun, barley.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, banana, jackfruit, papaya, litchi.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries This upazila has a number of fisheries, poultries and hatcheries.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 131 km, semi-pucca 8 km, mud road 165 km; waterway 3 km; railway 8 km. Railstation 1.

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

Noted manufactories Ice factory, rice mill, oil mill,' flour mill, saw mill.

Cottage industries Weaving, potteries, bamboo work, nakshi kantha.

Hats, bazars and fairs Ektarpur Hat, Gadai Hat, Moragachha Hat, Sengram Hat, Ambaria Hat, Fulbaria Hat, Mahish Bathan Rash Mela and Khoksa Kali Mela.

Main exports Jute, sugarcane.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 52.5% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 96.3%, tap 0.4% and others 3.3%.

Sanitation 81.6% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 15.6% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 2.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 2, family planning centre 1, community clinic 9.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac asa. [Kamruzzaman]

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