Lalpur Upazila

Lalpur Upazila (natore district) area 327.92 sq km, located in between 24°07' and 24°18' north latitudes and in between 88°52' and 89°08' east longitudes. It is bounded by bagatipara and baraigram upazilas on the north, ishwardi, bheramara and daulatpur (kushtia) upazilas on the south, Baraigram upazila on the east, bagha upazila on the west.

Population Total 274405; male 138457, female 135948; Muslim 259402, Hindu 13813, Buddhist 1, Christian 337 and others 852.

Water bodies Main rivers: Mara Baral, Khalsadingi; Boalia and Basantapur beels are notable.

Administration Lalpur Thana was formed in 1869 and it was turned into an upazila on 15 April 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	10	200	217	21042	253363	837	60.3	49.8

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
14.98	9	16	21042	1405	60.3

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Arjunpur-Boromhati 57	5262	6675	6570	50.2
Arbab 17	11203	14258	13875	48.7
Ishwardi 66	5827	13657	13702	48.7
Walia 95	6840	15055	15097	61.5
Kadam Chilan 76	5749	10335	10255	52.7
Changdhupail 28	8500	15522	15303	48.8
Durduria 47	6935	13810	13311	47.6
Duaria 38	7584	12192	12212	48.2
Bilmaria 19	6892	10153	9796	42.4
Lalpur 85	12490	16140	15445	47.2

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Shahi Mosques at Mominpur, Madhabpur, Nabirpara, Salampur and Baoura, mazar and mosque of Shah Bagu Dewan (R) of Mughal period at Bhellabari, Budh Para Kali Mandir and Zamindar Bari, Sree Fakir Chand Gosai Asram at Pansi Para (BS 1217), Arbab Saraikhana and Mosque (Sher Shah,s period), Arjun Para Pond and Building, fort and military barrack at Gharer Vita, Neelkuthi at Lalpur and Bilmaria.

War of Liberation On 30 March 1971 a battle was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Moyna of the upazila in which about 80 freedom fighters were killed and 32 were wounded. In another encounter with the Pak army on 12 April at Danaidaha 10 freedom fighters were killed. On 5 May the Pak army killed about 50 employees of the North Bengal Sugar Mills and on the same day they also killed 5 persons on Lalpur Road. On 29 May the Pak army shot about 50 persons dead at village Poytarpara of Changdhupail union. On 18 July the Pak army killed 22 persons at a place near the Lalpur Nilkuthi. On 19 July they buried 4 persons alive at the same place. On 20 July the Pak army killed 5 persons at village Ramkrishnapur, where they also set many houses on fire. On 27 July the Pak army killed about 50 persons at Bilmaria Hat. They also killed 36 persons at village Maheshpur on 3 December. There is a mass grave in the upazila, a martyr memorial was built.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 267, temple 38, church 2, sacred place 4. Noted religious institutions: Mominpur Shahi Mosque, Madhabpur Shahi Mosque, Nabirpara Shahi Mosque, Salampur Shahi Mosque, Baora Shahi Mosque, mazar and mosque of Shah Bagu Dewan (R) at Bhellabaria, mazar of Hazrat Imam Shah Alam (R) at Budh Para, mazar of Hazrat Shah Sufi Borhan Uddin Bagdadi (R) at Gopalpur, mazar of Sona Pir, mazar of Panch Pir, Budh Para Kali Mandir, Sree Fakir Chand Gosai Ashrama at Pansi Para.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 50.6%; male 50.9%, female 50.3%. Educational institutions: college 13, technical college 4, SSC vocational 2, STC vocational 1, secondary school 52, primary school 99, community school 2, brac school 122, madrasa 63. Noted educational institutions: Gopalpur Degree College, Abdulpur Government College, Manjil Pukur Agriculture, Technical and Commerce College, Mazar Sharif Technical and Business Management Womens' College (2001), Gopalpur Pouro Technical and BM College (2002), Chak Nazirpur Vocational and BM Institute (2002), Lalpur Sree Sundari Pilot High School and BM College (1911), Lalpur College, Chak Nazirpur High School (1925), Balitita Islampur Ashraful Ulum Fazil Madrasa.

Cultural organisations Library 3, club 23, folklore centre 1, stadium 1, cinema hall 3, playground 28.'

Main sources of income Agriculture 62%, non-agricultural labourer 5.27%, industry 0.86%, commerce 13.35%, transport and communication 3.01%, service 6.62%, construction 1.1%, religious service 0.15%, rent and remittance 0.27% and others 7.37%.'

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 54.05%, landless 45.95%; agricultural landowner: urban 45.05% and rural 55.17%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, sugarcane, cotton, oil seed, pulse, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Barley, kaun, arahar, mulberry.

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

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 9, dairy 304, poultry 93.

Communication facilities Pucca road 165.24 km, semi-pucca road 18.21 km, mud road 605.55 km; railway 24 km. Rail station 4.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill 25, sugar mill 1, fry pan factory 2, saw mill 8, steel works 2, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, potteries, weaving, molasses factory, jute industry, bell-metal work, catechu factory, wood work, paper and flower work, mate work, nakshi kantha, hand operated fan work, toys, bamboo and cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 35, fairs 6, most noted of which are Lalpur Hat, Gopalpur Hat, Walia Hat, Bilmaria Hat, Durduria Hat, Abdulpur Hat, Kalipuja and mela of Budh Para Mandir, Durgapuja and mela of Gopalpur, Sadhinata Mela, Bijoy Mela, Boi Mela (book fair) and Brikkha' (nursery) Mela.

Main exports Sugar.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 48.7% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 96.4%, tap 0.8% and others 2.8%.

Sanitation 60.6% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 32.7% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 6.7% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health complex 10, private clinic and hospital 3, family planning clinic 10, maternity 2, veterinary hospital 5, community clinic 32.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa. [Md. Moniruzzaman]

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