Meherpur Sadar Upazila

Meherpur Sadar Upazila (meherpur district) area 276.15 sq km, located in between 23°40' and 23°52' north latitudes and in between 88°34' and 88°47' east longitudes. It is bounded by gangni upazila and west bengal state of India on the north, damurhuda and mujibnagar upazilas on the south, Gangni and alamdanga upazilas on the east, West Bengal state of India on the west.

Population Total 256642; male 127300, female 129342; Muslim 252323, Hindu 4199, Buddhist 1, Christian 114 and others 5.

Water bodies Main rivers: bhairab, Kazla; Bhatgari and Chand beels are notable.

Administration Meherpur Thana was turned into an upazila in 1984. Meherpur Municipality was formed in 1960.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	5	61	104	43133	213509	929	66.3	45.9

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
15.18	9	71	43133	2841	66.3

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Amjhupi 19	15455	26700	27886	56.0
Amda 14	8116	15040	15560	37.6
Kutubpur 57	16706	21014	21497	42.5
Pirojpur 95	13911	24376	23978	43.2
Buripota 38	10123	18386	19072	45.3

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Ballavpur Mission, Swami Nigmand Asram (Kutubpur), Amjhupi Kuthibari (Amjhupi), Mirzapur Dargah, Kalitala Mandir, tomb of Barkat Bibi (Barkondajpara).

Historical events During the British rule, the indigo planters built a neel-kuthi at Amjhupi and used the building as a torture centre.

War of Liberation On 18 April 1971 the Pak army killed 8 innocent persons at Amjhupi of Meherpur Town. Freedom fighters had an encounter with Pak army on 21 April at Buripota Pukurpar and they also attacked the camp of the Pak army at Jadavpur on 12 August. There is a mass killing site on the backyard of Meherpur College.

For details: see মেহেরপুর সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৮।

Religious institutions Mosque 334, temple 7, church 1, tomb 3. Noted religious institutions: Hiru Mollah Mosque (Pirojpur), Bagu Dewan Tomb, Mirzapur Dargah, Meherpur Shiva Mandir (Meherpur), Samadghi Mandir of Balaramhari at Malopara, Bhabanandapur Mandir (Amda), Kalitala Mandir, Alampur Shympur Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 49.4%; male 50.3%, female 48.4%. Educational institutions: college 3, secondary school 16, technical institute 2, primary school 63, madrasa 6. Noted educational institutions: Meherpur Government College (1962), Meherpur Government Mohila College (1984), Meherpur Government Boys' High School (1854), Meherpur Model High School (1859), Meherpur Government Girls' School (1940).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Azam; weekly: Parichay (1985), Chumbak (1986); defunct: weekly: Mujibnagar (1988),' Meherpur (1992); fortnightly: Pashimanchal; monthly: Sadhak (1913), Palli Shree (1935), Simanta (1962), Probaha (1979); periodical: Basumati, Nandankanan; bulletin:' Raktashaskhar (irregular), Agami (irregular).

Cultural organisations Library 4, club 15, shilpakala academy 1, shishu' academy 1,' theatre stage 2, theatre group 15, cinema hall 4, playground 8.

Tourists spots Amjhupi Kuthibari, Swami Nigmand Ashram.

Main sources of income Agriculture 65.80%, non-agricultural labourer 4.08%, industry 0.76%, commerce 14.21%, transport and communication 2.88%, service 5.08%, construction 1.15%, religious service 0.17%, rent and remittance 0.66% and others 5.21%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 56.64%, landless 43.36%; agricultural landowner: urban 40.20% and rural 59.35%.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, maize, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, betel leaf, onion, garlic, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, mustard, barely, kaun, linseed, arahar, gram.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, banana.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 16, dairy 10, poultry 23, hatchery 1.

Communication facilities Pucca road 206 km, semi-pucca road 115 km, mud road 273 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Flour mill, ice factory.

Cottage industries Blacksmith, weaving, potteries, embroidery, bamboo work, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 16, most noted of which are Amjhupi Hat, Baradi Hat, Shalika Hat, Shympur Hat, Tengramari Hat and Baliarpur Hat.

Main exports Betel leaf, onion, garlic, banana, sugarcane molasses, mango, litchi, jackfruit.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 63.0% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 91.0%, tap 6.9% and others 2.1%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in 11.37% of the shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 52.8% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 40.7% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 6.5% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 3, satellite and family welfare centre 4, clinic 5.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are asa, brac, caritas, Nari Unnayan Shakti, Nari Mukti. [Gazi Rahman]

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