Kashiani Upazila

Kashiani Upazila (gopalganj district) area 299.64 sq km, located in between 23°05' and 23°19' north latitudes and in between 89°41' and 89°56' east longitudes. It is bounded by boalmari upazila on the north, gopalganj sadar upazila on the south, muksudpur and Gopalganj Sadar upazilas on the east, lohagara and alfadanga upazilas on the west.

Population Total 228647; male 114415, female 114232; Muslim 175647, Hindu 52821, Buddhist 145 and others 40.

Water bodies madhumati, Barasia; Basarater Canal is notable.

Administration Kashiani Thana was formed in 1936 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
-	14	151	163	5645	223002	763	64.2	54.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
1.67	1	5645	3380	67.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Orakandi 54	4347	7265	7344	55.50
Kashiani 27	5291	13087	13290	59.41
Nijamkandi 47	5083	6279	5696	46.85
Puisur 67	3913	4407	4515	55.53
Parulia 61	4093	4880	5232	46.27
Fukura 13	6654	12300	12366	48.23
Bethuri 06	4993	7098	6432	59.20
Maheshpur 40	8963	16754	17261	50.58
Mamudpur 33	3998	6183	6307	53.10
Rajpat 74	4139	6868	6661	48.12
Ratail 81	6116	11155	11320	57.63
Sajail 88	6289	9572	10015	59.50
Singa 94	7267	3865	3569	50.18
Hatiara 20	2893	4702	4224	52.67

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Sree Sree Hari Mandir.

Historical events In 1846, the indigo planters of Kashiani upazila killed three rebellious peasants. On 2 September 1971, an encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held at Bhatiapara Wireless Station in which one freedom fighter was killed. On 5 October the freedom fighters launched an attack on the Bhatiapara Wireless Station and killed 7 Pak soldiers. In October, an encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at a place on the bank of Tarail-Fukura river in which four freedom fighters were killed; the Pak army also captured 4 freedom fighters and killed them at a slaughter place in Gopalganj. In late October, 30 Pak soldiers were killed in an encounter with the freedom fighters. In early December, 17 Pak soldiers were killed in another encounter with the freedom fighters. Six Pak soldiers were killed in a three-day encounter with the freedom fighters on 16, 17 and 18 December. On 19 December, 49 Pak soldiers surrendered to the freedom fighters and the allied forces. Besides, during the war of liberation encounters were held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Fukura, Bhatiapara and Rahuldanga in which more than one hundred Pak soldiers were killed and so were 20 freedom fighters and 50 innocent villagers.

Marks of the War of Liberation Memorial monument 1 (Bhatiapara).

Religious institutions Mosque 392, temple 233, church 1, tomb 1.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 53.5%; male 56.7%, female 50.5%. Educational institutions: college 5, secondary school 39, primary school 156, madrasa 11, kindergarten 4. Noted educational institutions: Government SK College (1942), AR Ali Khan College (1942), University of Creative Technology College (BEd College), Madan Mohan High School (1902), Kashiani Girish Chandra Pilot High School (1902), Orakandi High School (1909), Kumaria Lakshmipur Nimmna Secondary School (1914), Sajail Gopi Mohan High School (1929), Ramdia SK Secondary School, Bhatiapara Secondary School, Joynagar Secondary School, Tilchhara Secondary School, Demrakandi NI Madrasa, Majra MU Senior Madrasa, Joynagar Senior Madrasa.

Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Gramanchal, Pratoy (irregular), Barasia (irregular), Ramdia Barta (defunct); Monthly: Matua Darpan.

Cultural organisations Library 9, cinema hall 1, theatre group 1, women organisation 33, club 50, playground 60, theatre 1, other cultural society 8.'

Main sources of income Agriculture 60.01%, non-agricultural labourer 3.07%, industry 0.44%, commerce 10.76%, transport and communication 2.69%, service 15.32%, construction 0.98%, religious service 0.22%, rent and remittance 0.70% and others 5.81%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 65.84%, landless 34.16%; agricultural landowner: urban 48.91% and rural 66.28%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard, betel leaf, pulse.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Kaun, arahar, sweet potato.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, coconut, banana, papaya.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 240, dairy 134, poultry 256, nursery 12.

Communication facilities Pucca road 156.38 km, mud road 354.81 km; railway 11 km; waterway 28 nautical miles.

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

Noted manufactories Ice factory, saw mill.

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

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 30, fairs 11, most noted of which are Kashiani Hat, Bhatiapara Hat, Joynagar Hat, Ramdia Hat, Fukura Hat, Paranpur Cattle Hat, Bathandanga Hat, Kumaria Hat and Orakandi Baruni Mela.

Main exports Fish, betel leaf, pulse, jute.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 9.28% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.'

Natural resources Pit coal has been discovered in Singa, Hatiara and Rajpat unions of the upazila.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.88%, tap 0.23%, pond 1.27% and others 3.62%.'

Sanitation 40.56% (rural 39.74% and urban 71.58%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 52.16% (rural 52.89% and urban 24.41%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 7.28% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 6, satellite clinic 8, clinic 4.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are Sampriti, NADO, brac, asa. [Md Shah Alam]

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