Kushtia Sadar Upazila

Kushtia Sadar Upazila (kushtia district) area 318.22 sq km, located in between 23°42' and 23°59' north latitudes and in between 88°55' and 89°04' east longitudes. It is bounded by pabna sadar and ishwardi upazilas on the north, harinakunda and shailkupa upazilas on the south, kumarkhali upazila on the east, mirpur (Kushtia) and alamdanga upazilas on the west.

Population Total 502255; male 253499, female 248756; Muslim 481665, Hindu 19452, Buddhist 29, Christian 142 and others 967. Indigenous communities such as Baghdi, Buno and banshphod belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: padma, Kaliganga, Garai, kumar; Sagarkhali Canal is notable.

Administration Kushtia Sadar Thana was formed in 1823 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983. Municipality was formed in 1969.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	14	114	167	108423	393832	1578	70.5 (2001)	48.0

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
13.31 (2001)	12	36	102988	6285 (2001)	74.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
1.01 (2001)	1	5435	15888 (2001)	69.2

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Ailchara 17	5307	10558	10484	46.8
Abdulpur 16	6202	14048	13689	41.3
Alampur 18	6650	13863	13797	48.0
Ujangram 94	5292	11934	11754	45.1
Gosind Durgapur 31	5544	10089	10147	35.0
Jiarakhi 56	5732	13441	13694	41.4
Jhaudia 63	6602	12176	11849	38.2
Paitkabari 88	4224	9584	9900	48.0
Battail 50	5173	22859	22791	52.4
Barakhada 25	4200	21408	20847	56.1
Mazampur 75	2835	21653	21562	61.4
Manohardia 82	5243	10469	10344	45.3
Harinarayanpur 37	3804	13543	13086	51.2
Hatas Haripur 44	8501	14987	14711	45.1

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Jhaudia Mosque (Mughal period) and Swastipur Mosque (Shayesta Khani period).

Historical events Like other parts of Bengal indigo resistance movement spread over Kushtia.

War of Liberation A group of 147 Pak soldiers faced heavy resistance from the local EPR Police, Ansar, students and general public on their entry to Kushtia on 25 March 1971. On 30 March 1971, the flag of the independent Bangladesh was hoisted in Kushtia. An encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Bangshitala of the Kushtia Sadar on 5 September in which a number of freedom fighters were killed. The Pak army killed 12 persons of a single family at ‘Kohinoor Lodge’ in Mill Para. The freedom fighters carried out operations at Kushtia Zila School, Garaganj, Kamarpara and some other places of the upazila. Mass graves have been discovered at three palces of the upazila (Kushtia Zila School, Kushtia Police Line and on the bank of the Garai river). One sculpture (Mukta Bangla at Kushtia Islami University) and a memorial monument (Bangshitala) have been built.

For details: see কুষ্টিয়া সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ২।

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass grave 3 (Kushtia Zila School, Kushtia Police Line and on the bank of the Garai river; sculpture 1 (Muktabangla at Kushtia Islamic University); memorial monument 1 (Bangshitala).

Religious institutions Mosque of Shah Suja, Paitkabari Shahi Mosque, Kuti Para Puratan Jami Mosque, Lahini Karikarpara two-stored Jami Mosque, Kushtia Boro Jami Mosque, Islampur Shahi Mosque, Gosind Durgapur Radha Raman Mandir, Lahini Sarbajanin Puja Mandir, Church of Bangladesh.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 53.9%, male 56.2%, female 51.5%. Educational institutions: university 1, college 16, secondary school 74, primary school 140, madrasa 18. Noted educational institutions: Islamic University (1979), Kushtia Government College (1946), Kushtia Government University College (1947), Kushtia Technical College (1964), Kushtia Government Mahila College (1967), Kushtia Islamia College (1967), Kushtia Nursing Training Institute, Kushtia PTI, Goswami Durgapur High School (1860), Harinarayanpur Secondary School (1891), Kushtia High School (1910), Dinmani Secondary School (1930), Mohini Mohan High School (1944), Kushtia Technical School (1958), Kushtia Zila School (1960), Mission Primary School (1898).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Bangladesh Barta, Andoloner Bazar, Ajker Alo, Bajrapat, Kushtia, Ajker Sutrapat, Deshbhumi, Deshtathya, Haowa, Shikal; weekly: Ispat, Deshbrati.

Cultural organisations Library 10, theatre stage 2, cinema hall 4, literary organisation 4, women organisation 9.

Amusement centres Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman Shishu Park.

Main sources of income Agriculture 41.12%, non-agricultural labourer 4.58%, industry 3.16%, commerce 2.12%, transport and communication 4.94%, service 13.31%, construction 2.09%, religious service 0.13%, rent and remittance 0.62% and others 27.93%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 47.66%, landless 52.34%; agricultural landowner: urban 31.30% and rural 52.32%.

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

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Indigo.

Main fruits Mango, banana, jackfruit, litchi.

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

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 296 km, semi-pucca 38 km, mud road 249 km; waterway 5 km; railway 8 km. Rail station 3.

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

Noted manufactories Rubber industry, plastic industry, aluminum industry, garments industry, ice cream factory, pharmaceutical industry, sugar mill.

Cottage industries Blacksmith, potteries, nakshi kantha, bamboo and cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Kamalapur Hat, Ziarokhi Hat, Harinarayanpur Hat, Jhaudia Hat, Rath Mela and Baishakhi Mela.

Main exports Tobacco, betel leaf, banana, sugarcane.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 77.5% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.0%, tap 4.1% and others 1.9%. The presence of arsenic has been detected 8.04% in shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 71.9% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 23.7% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 4.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, health and family planning centre 1, maternity and child care centre 1, TB hospital 1, diabetic centre 1, eye hospital 1, child hospital 1, private hospital 2, upazila health and family planning centre 14, diagnostic centre 50.

Natural disasters A few thousands of people were victims of the famines of 1876 and 1897.'

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are' brac, asa, Swanirvar Bangladesh, Jagarani, Dristi. [SM Rakib Nehal]

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