Boalmari Upazila

Boalmari Upazila (faridpur district) area 271.73 sq km, located in between 23°17' and 23°32' north latitudes and in between 89°36' and 89°48' east longitudes. It is bounded by madhukhali upazila on the north, alfadanga and kashiani upazilas on the south, saltha and faridpur sadar upazilas on the east and mohammadpur and Alfadanga upazilas on the west.

Population Total 256658; male 126428, female 130230; Muslim 226716, Hindu 29782, Buddhist 25, Christian 25 and others 110.

Water bodies Main rivers: madhumati, Old Kumar, Barashia; Chapradah, Nader Chand and Chitlia beels are notable.

Administration Boalmari Thana was formed in 1906 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
1	11	171	251	27595	229063	945	54.6	46.4

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
13.42	9	18	27595	2056	54.6

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Gunbaha 40	4715	10466	10958	50.5
Ghoshpur 35	6410	10708	10871	51.4
Chatul 25	5980	9695	10243	40.1
Chandpur 20	4055	7650	7949	47.1
Dadpur 30	6709	11419	11737	44.6
Parameshwardi 75	5892	9465	9802	43.4
Boalmari 15	2189	4601	4615	36.1
Moyna 60	7374	12826	13294	46.2
Rupapat 85	5899	9724	10457	48.8
Shekhar 95	6670	12401	12809	52.3
Satair 90	7941	13725	13648	43.8

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Nine-domed Shahi Jami Mosque at Satair (built during the reign of Sultan Alauddin Hussain Shah), Kalibari Mandir at Koira.

War of Liberation On 9 December 1971 an encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held at Natubdia Bazar of the upazila. In another frontal battle between the freedom fighters and the Pak army in Dhopadanga and Chand Pur areas 49 Pakistani soldiers including Major Mofiz were killed and 11 freedom fighters were martyred.

For details: see বোয়ালমারী উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৬।

Religious institutions Mosque 320, temple 50. Noted religious institutions: Satair Jami Mosque, Koira Kalibari Temple.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 47.3%; male 48.1%, female 46.6%. Educational institutions: college 4, secondary school 21, primary school 93, madrasa 12. Noted educational institutions: Rupapat Baman Chandra High School (1914), Kharsuti Chandra Kishore High School (1919), Boalmari George Academy (1911).

Newspapers and periodicals Fortnightly: Nazir Bangla; Weekly: Boalmari Sangbad, Alhelal.

Cultural organisations Library 1, theatre group 1, cinema hall 2, women's organisation 1, club 20, playground 32.

Main sources of income Agriculture 65.04%, non-agricultural labourer 2.56%, commerce 12.89%, transport and communication 3.08%, industry 1%, service 7.36%, construction 1.62%, religious service 0.18%, rent and remittance 0.56% and others 5.71%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 57.86%, landless 42.14%; agricultural landowner: urban 35.06% and rural 60.45%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, sugarcane, jute, onion, betel leaf, oil seed, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sweet potato, kaun, linseed, arahar.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, banana, date, papaya, black berry, jamrul.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 245, dairy 61, poultry 63.'

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 120 km, semi-pucca 25 km, mud road 360 km; railways 24 km; waterways 35 km.

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

Noted manufactories Flour mill, pulse mill, chira mill, ice factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving, nakshi kantha, bamboo work, cane work, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 30, fairs 10, most noted of which are Kadirdi Bazar, Bhatdi Bazar, Chandpur Bazar, Boalmari Hat, Dhopadanga Hat, Moindia Hat and Satair Mela, Koira Kalibari Mela, Chiter Bazar Mela, Katagar Mela and Laksmi Mela.

Main exports Paddy, wheat, jute, onion, date molasses, banana.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 32.6% dwellings have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.9%, tap 0.6% and others 3.5%.

Sanitation 74.7% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 21.9% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 3.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 11, satellite clinic 5, clinic 3.

NGO activities brac, asa. [Achintra Roy Chowdhury]

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