Shyamnagar Upazila

Shyamnagar Upazila (satkhira district) area 1968.23 sq km, located in between 21°36' and 22°24' north latitudes and in between 89°00' and 89°19' east longitudes. It is bounded by kaliganj (Satkhira) and assasuni upazilas on the north, west bengal state of India and the bay of bengal on the south, koyra and Assasuni upazilas on the east, West Bengal state of India on the west.

Population Total 318254; male 153441, female 164813; Muslim 252545, Hindu 64816, Buddhist 3, Christian 30 and others 860. Indigenous communities such as munda, Bhabene, Charal and Kaiborta belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: jamuna, raymangal, arpangachhia, Malancha, Hariabhanga, Chunar; Bhet Canal is notable.

Administration Shyamnagar Thana, now an upazila, was formed on 1897.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	13	126	218	17254	301000	162	66.87	47.5

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
10.89	5	17254	1584	66.8

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Atulia 11	1106	13978	16434	50.1
Ishwaripur 39	12634	16026	16805	48.8
Kashimari 55	8025	11880	14777	50.4
Kaikhali 47	11026	11427	13181	49.9
Gabura 31	10195	15398	15717	35.9
Nurnagar 71	6751	8824	9210	50.4
Padma Pukur 79	10129	12489	12164	46.8
Buri Goalini 23	10651	12237	12676	45.5
Bhurulia 15	6037	9573	10466	44.3
Munshiganj 63	10142	15417	16415	50.1
Ramjan Nagar 87	15227	10700	11231	47.3
Shyamnagar 94	7558	15492	15737	61.7
Satkhira Range 97	1106	13978	16434	50.1

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Five domed Tenga Mosque at Bangshipur (Mughal period), Tomb of Nurullah Khan at Nurnagar, Shyamnagar Zamindar bari, six domed Hammankhana at Bangshipur, Joseshwari Mandir at Ishwaripur, Chanda Bhairab Mandir at Ishwaripur (a triangular temple, built during the Sena period), Christ Church (1599), Govinda Dev Mandir at Gopalpur (1593), Jahajghata Durga at Khanpur.

War of Liberation On 6 May 1971 a battle was fought at Garura between the Pak army and the freedom fighters under Major M. A Jalil, Commander of Sector 9 of the war of liberation. 11 freedom fighters were killed in this battle. Another encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held at Gopalpur on 19 August in which freedom fighters Subedar Elias Khan, Abul Kalam Azad, Abdul Kader and Abdul Jabbar were killed. On 3 September the freedom fighters led by Nababdi Fakir destroyed the Pak military gunboats and forced them to retreat. On 9 September the Pak army, in collaboration with the razakars, launched attack on Harinagar Bazar and killed 28 innocent people; the Pak army also sacked the market. On 12 October the freedom fighters raided the Bhetkhali Razakar camp and forced the razakars to evacuate the camp. The freedom fighters had later burnt the camp by explosion. There are 2 mass killing sites at Harinagar and Katkhali; 2 memorial monuments had been built at Gopalpur and Harinagar.

For details: see শ্যামনগর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৯।

Religious institutions Mosque 251, temple 98, church 1, tomb 4, sacred place 2. Noted religious institutions: Bangshipur Shahi Jami Mosque (Tenga Mosque), tomb of Nurullah Khan at Nurnagar, Joseshwari Mandir, Chanda Bhairab Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 48.6%; male 53.8%, female 43.9%. Educational institutions: college 9, secondary school 42, primary school 183, community school 3, madrasa 46. Noted educational institutions: Shyamnagar Mohsin College (1972), Nakipur Haricharan Secondary High School (1899), Nurnagar Ashalata High School (1955), Bhurulia Nagbati Secondary School (1945), Patakhali Secondary School (1954), Patakhali Senior Madrasa (1945), Jainagar Hamidia Senior Madrasa (1963).

Newspapers and periodicals Ayan (1997), Pratya (2001).

Cultural organisations Library 7, club 82, theatre group 4, circus party 1, theatre stage 1, cinema hall 2, women organisation 3.

Main sources of income Agriculture 64.98%, non-agricultural labourer 6.02%, industry 0.61%, commerce 14.60%, transport and communication 1.58%, service 3.53%, construction 0.94%, religious service 0.16%, rent and remittance 0.20% and others 7.34%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 56.69%, landless 43.31%; agricultural landowner: urban 54.58% and rural 56.79%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, potato, mustard, sesame, linseed, pulse, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Local varieties of paddy such as Patnai paddy, Talmugur paddy, etc.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 20, dairy 52, poultry 81, hatchery 29.

Communication facilities Pucca road 89 km, semi-pucca road 69 km, mud road 1249 km.

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

Noted manufactories Manufacture of leather industry, ice factory, oil mill.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving, embroidery, bamboo work, wood work. Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 42, fairs 6, most noted of which are Shyamnagar Hat, Nawabeki Hat, Bhetkhali Hat, Harinagar Hat, Munshiganj Hat, Gabura Hat, Nurnagar Bazar, Baruni Mela at Ishwaripur, Katakhali Shiva Mela and Baishakhi Mela at Shyamnagar.

Main exports Paddy, jute, shrimp.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 29.8% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources A major portion of the largest mangrove forest SUNDARBANS belong to this upazila. Besides, varieties of flora and fauna are available in the upazila.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 43.0%, tap 0.8% and others 56.2%.

Sanitation 62.7% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 33.0% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 4.3% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health and family planning centre 10, clinic 38.

Natural disasters The tidal bore Aila of 21 May 2009 caused heavy damages to settlements, and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, caritas, Progati. [Mizanur Rahman]

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