Raninagar Upazila

Raninagar Upazila (naogaon district) area 258.32 sq km, located in between 24°38' and 24°47' north latitudes and in between 88°51' and 89°10' east longitudes. It is bounded by naogaon sadar and adamdighi upazilas on the north, atrai upazila on the south, nandigram and singra upazilas on the east and manda upazila on the west.

Population Total 184778; male 91631, female 93147; Muslim 164795, Hindu 19923, Christian 55 and others 5. Indigenous communities such as oraon and santal belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: little jamuna, atrai, nagar; Kaugari Beel is notable.

Administration Raninagar Thana was formed in 1916 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	8	187	174	6808	177970	715	52.3	45.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
1.70	1	6808	4005	52.3

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Ekdala 21	11011	13671	13777	46.6
Kaligram 42	9785	13415	13358	44.8
Kashimpur 52	2479	9831	9982	46.2
Gona 31	6165	9612	10150	44.0
Parail 73	12232	12957	12900	51.0
Bargachha 10	11422	11122	11243	42.8
Mirat 63	6837	9226	9701	41.1
Raninagar 84	3901	11797	12036	49.8

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Kashimpur Zamindar Bari, 'Old Mandir at village' Karana, Khanpukur Dighi, Panchpir Dargah.

War of Liberation On 24 April the Pak army raided the village Ataikula and killed 78 innocent people of the village. Freedom fighters attacked on the Pak army at Kaligram and killed a number of Pakistani soldiers and razakars. The Pak army launched a surprise attack at village Kashimpur and killed 55 innocent villagers. On 2 December the freedom fighters led by Commander Gajamat Khali launched an attack on the Pak army at Raninagar Upazila town in which 3 freedom fighters were killed and many were wounded. Mass graves have been discovered at 2 places (Kashimpur, Ataikula) of the upazila.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 290, temple 18. Noted religious institutions: Raninagar Mosque, Parail Mosque, Kashimpur Jami Mosque, Mandir at Village Karana.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 46.0%; male 50.1%, female 42.1%. Educational institutions: college 3, secondary school 32, primary school 95, madrasa 21. Noted educational institutions: Sher-E-Bangla College (1972), Raninagar Mohila College (1995), Ratual RN High School (1913), Kamta SN High School (1913), Raninagar Pilot High School (1937), Palsa Krishnapur High School (1968), Ghoshgram Kafilia High School (1945).

Cultural organisations Library 3, club 14, cinema hall 1, women's organisation 3, theatre group 3, playground 19.

Main sources of income Agriculture 75.89%, non-agricultural labourer 1.98%, industry 0.53%, commerce 10.38%, transport and communication 2.19%, service 2.95%, construction 0.47%, religious service 0.18%, rent and remittance 0.57% and others 4.86%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 60.39%, landless 39.61%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, mustard, onion, garlic.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, linseed, kaun, arahar.

Main fruits Mango, banana, jackfruit, papaya.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Dairy 16, poultry 57, hatchery 11, nursery 18.

Communication facilities Pucca road 139 km, semi-pucca road 21 km, mud road 243 km; railway 5 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, ice factory, biscuit factory.

Cottage industries Blacksmith, potteries, weaving, nakshi kantha, cane work, mat work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 36, fairs 2, most noted of which are Trimohoni Hat, Betgari Hat, Kuijal Hat, Lohachura Hat, Ratual Hat, Abadpukur Hat, Kharpukur Hat, Katrasingh Hat, Krishnapur Hat, Parail Hat and Chumuhani Hat.

Main exports Paddy, wheat, potato, mat.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 53.5% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.9%, tap 0.7% and others 3.4%.

Sanitation 47.7% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 35.2% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 17.1% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health centre 1, union health and family planning centre 7, union family welfare centre 3, community clinic 22.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, CARE, Ujjiban. [Md. Mukhlesur Rahman]

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