Kaliganj Upazila (Gazipur District)

Kaliganj Upazila (gazipur district) area 158.79 sq km, located in between 23°54' and 24°02' north latitudes and in between 90°26' and 92°39' east longitudes. It is bounded by sreepur and kapasia upazilas on the north, rupganj upazila and uttarkhan, and khilkhet thanas on the south, palash upazila on the east, gazipur sadar upazila on the west.

Population Total 239527; male 123225, female 116302; Muslim 195764, Hindu 27970, Buddhist 15691, Christian 9 and others 93.

Water bodies Main rivers: banar, shitalakshya, balu; Bilai Beel, Naljuri and Suti canals are notable.

Administration Kaliganj Thana, now an upazila, was formed in 1947. Kaliganj was declared as municipality on 11 November 2010.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	11	188	198	36733	215710	814	62.0	43.4

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
15.48	9	20	36733	2228	62.0

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kashtabhanga 40	6154	9735	9139	47.06
Kola 47	8026	10993	10407	39.08
Jamal 20	6354	8384	7796	41.12
Trilochanpur 94	7548	11478	10648	40.51
Niamatpur 61	5471	9710	9346	43.04
Bara Bazar 10	8681	14887	13884	47.88
Maliat 54	5770	8358	8134	44.04
Rakhalgachhi 81	8267	11429	10460	39.16
Roygram 74	6970	11457	10693	49.89
Simla Rokonpur 88	4186	6905	6472	39.31
Sundarpur Durgapur 33	5125	7943	7532	43.50

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Tomb of isa khan, the ruler of Bhati at Baktarpur, St. Nicholas Church (1695), mazars and dighi of Pahlwan Shah Gazi and Karforma Shah at Chaura, tomb of Shah Bayejid, and eight domed Mosque (Vatgati).

Historical events The ancestor of the Gazi Dynasty of Chaura, Karforma Sahib established settlements at Chaura after receiving jaigir from the emperor of Delhi. The Bhuiyans of Gazi Dynasty established their control over the Bhawal region from their headquarters at Chaura. On 25 July 1971 the freedom fighters destroyed Nalchhata Railway Bridge, Bandhakhola Railway Bridge and the electric pole at Tiria' of Nagari union to disrupt the movement of the Pak army. An encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held at a place near the Sombazar Canal on 18 November in which a number of Pak soldiers were killed; the freedom fighters also took control over the WAPDA Power House Army Camp, Police Station and Arikhola Railway Station Camp. On 1 December, the Pak army killed nearly 100 officers and other staff of Khalapara National Jute Mills. On 12 December the freedom fighters launched attack on the Pak army camp at Ghorashal and surrounded the Pak soldiers. On 14 December battles were fought between the joint forces (freedom fighters and the allied forces) and the Pak army at Pubail and Nalchhata; 7 Pak soldiers were killed in the Nalchhata battle and so were about two soldiers of the allied forces.

Religious institutions Mosque 395, temple 19, church 6.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 54.9%; male 56.9%, female 52.8%. Educational institutions: college 5, secondary school 37, primary school 121, madrasa 29. Noted educational institutions: Kaliganj Sramik College (1970), Kaliganj Government RNN Pilot High School (1889), Rajendra Narayan High School, St. Nicholas High School (1920), Chupair High School (1925), Khoisra' High School (1926), Tumulia St. Mary's Girls' High School (1941), Begum Rabeya Ahmed Girls' High School.

Newspapers and periodicals Kaliganj Barta (defunct).

Cultural organisations Library 32, club 30, cinema hall 3, theatre group 1, cultural organisation 9, women's society 6. Udichi and Khelaghar are notable.

Tourist spots Nagari St. Nicholas Church, Panjora St. Anthony Church, Shooting Spot at Babur Bari of Baktarpur.

Main sources of income Agriculture 47.89%, non-agricultural labourer 2.89%, commerce 14.85%, transport and communication 3.85%, service 13.28%, rent and remittance 4.57% and others 12.67%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 68.27%, landless 31.73%; agricultural landowner: urban 43.95% and rural 70.04%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, sweet potato, pulse, bitter gourd, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Jute, kalai, mug, mustard, sugarcane.

Main fruits Jackfruit, papaya, pineapple, litchi, mango, guava.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 17, dairy 204, poultry 395, hatchery 3, others 2.

Communication facilities Pucca road 72 km, semi-pucca road 28 km, mud road 570 km; railway 15 km; waterway 13.50 nautical miles.

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

Noted manufactories Cement factory, marble factory, tiles factory, stone crushing factory, brick field.

Cottage industries Blacksmith, potteries, weaving, cane work, bamboo work, wood work, jute work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 28, fairs 10, most noted of which are Kaliganj, Pubail, Katarganj, Ghorashal, Charsindur hats; Aowrakhali Bazar,' Ulukhola Bazar, Dolaner Bazar and Satiani Mela, Nagari St. Anthony Mela.

Main exports Paddy, vegetables.

Access to electricity 55.16% (urban 81.84% and rural 53.23%) of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Kamta Gas Field; the total forest area of the upazila is 35 hectors.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 92.20%, tap 0.82%, pond 0.20% and others 6.78%. The presence of arsenic in an tollerable level has been detected in 87 shallow tube-well water in a survey conducted in 2000.

Sanitation 56.24% (rural 55.21% and urban 70.42%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 28.97% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 14.80% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 1, union health centre 2, family planning centre 7, Red Crescent Hospital 3, Islamic Foundation Hospital 1, clinic 3, missionary hospital 1, veterinary hospital 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika. [Tapan Bagchi]

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Field report of Kaliganj Upazila 2007.