Rajbari Sadar Upazila

Rajbari Sadar Upazila (rajbari district) area 322.34 sq km, located in between 23°35' and 23°49' north latitudes and in between 89°35' and 89°45' east longitudes. It is bounded by sujanagar and bera upazilas and padma (ganges) river on the north, faridpur sadar and madhukhali upazilas on the south, goalanda and Faridpur Sadar upazilas on the east, pangsha and baliakandi upazilas on the west.

Population Total 331631; male 162483, female 169148; Muslim 302333, Hindu 29150, Christian 112 and others 36.

Water bodies Main river: Padma; Rajapur canal is notable.

Administration Rajbari Thana was formed in 1888 and it was turned into an upazila in 1984. Rajbari municipality was formed in 1923.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	14	212	209	58783	272848	1029	65.5 (2001)	54.2

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
11.66 (2001)	9	31	56313	4050 (2001)	74.3

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
0.49 (2001)	4	2470	3596 (2001)	54.0

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Alipur 12	4897	9558	10415	62.5
Khankhanapur 43	4386	10740	11296	54.7
Khanganj 45	3789	6410	6597	49.8
Chandani 32	6399	8702	8779	48.2
Dadshi 36	3778	9518	10443	47.4
Panchuria 65	2852	5778	6213	56.8
Barat 21	4337	9623	10405	45.3
Basantapur 29	8278	14239	14473	64.1
Banibaha 14	5276	9665	10046	54.1
Mizanpur 51	13291	16341	17300	50.4
Mulghar 58	4712	7424	7708	56.2
Ramkantapur 80	4081	9013	9591	51.5
Shahid Wahabpur 87	4544	8289	8669	52.4
Sultanpur 94	6151	8912	9171	62.6

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Barbakpur Zamindar Bari, Sanmancha and Dolmancha at Rathkhola, Ram Mandir at Belgachhi, Chand Sawdagar's Mound, Tomb of Jangi Shah.

Historical events During the last part of the eighteenth century many people of the upazila were involved in the fakir-sannyasi resistance. The ruins of a dilapidated house at a place called Rath bear the memories of this Fakir-Sannyasi resistance.

War of Liberation In November 1971 an encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held at village Alhadipur in which 9 Pakistani soldiers were killed. There is a mass grave at Khankhanapur and a mass killing site at Alipur of the upazila; a memorial monument (the sculpture Atandra Prohari) has been built.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 257, temple 132, church 1, tomb 15, sacred place 1. Noted religious institutions: Gayebi Mosque, Ram Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 57.7%; male 59.7%, female 55.8%. Educational institutions: homeopath college 1, college 5, vocational training institute 1, secondary school 27, primary school 104, community school 3, madrasa 15. Noted educational institutions: Rajbari Government High School (1892), Yasin High School (1950), Raja Surjakumar Institute (1888), Government Girls' School (1961), Bazar Pathshala Government Primary School (1908).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Gatakal (1984); weekly: Anushandhan (1984), Rajbari Kantha (1990); defunct: Khathak (1893), Shikha (1930), Chandana (1972), Samgsar (19th century), Rajbari Patrika (19th century), Matrikantha, Anushandhan (1984), Rajbari Sangbad (1986), Saptahik Bani (1906), Sahaj Katha (1922), Saptahik Barta, Shahashi Samaya.

Cultural organisations Library 21, club 15, stadium 1, children's park 1, press club 1, theatre group 10, theatre stage 4, women organisation 4, literature and social welfare organisation 17, children's organisation 2, community centre 3, cinema hall 5, playground 14.

Main sources of income Agriculture 50.78%, non-agricultural labourer 3.66%, industry 1.15%, commerce 16.58%, transport and communication 5.79%, service 9.41%, construction 3.18%, religious service 0.16%, rent and remittance 0.99% and others 8.3%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 33.49%, landless 66.51%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, sugarcane, sesame, ground nut, catechu.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Watermelon, karpas cotton.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, litchi.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 2, dairy 68, poultry 244, hatchery 2, nursery 253.

Communication facilities Pucca road 2970.9 km, semi-pucca road 23.11 km, mud road 434.12 km; railway 38 km; waterway 28 km.

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

Noted manufactories Goalanda Textile Mills, Bio-Gas Production Centre, Bangladesh Oxygen Plant.

Cottage industries Weaving, silk industry.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 19, fairs 6, most noted of which are Khankhanapur Hat, Belgachhi Hat, Rajbari Hat, Banibaha Hat, Kholar Hat and annual fairs are organised on occasions of Durgapuja, Baishakhi and Dolmancha festivals.

Main exports Jute, sesame, catechu.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 54.9% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 96.3%, tap 1.7% and others 2.0%.

Sanitation 76.3% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 19.6% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 4.1% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, health and family planning centre 9, hospital 1, child welfare centre 1, homeopathic hospital 1, clinic 12, maternity welfare centre 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, BRDB. [Badrul Alam Tipu]

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