Mirsharai Upazila

Mirsharai Upazila (chittagong district) area 482.88 sq km, located in between 22°39' and 22°59' north latitudes and in between 91°27' and 91°39' east longitudes. It is bounded by tripura state of India, chhagalnaiya and feni sadar upazilas on the north, sitakunda upazila and bay of bengal on the south, fatikchhari upazila on the east, sonagazi and companiganj (noakhali) upazilas on the west.

Population Total '368950; male 183358, female 185592; Muslim 313975, Hindu 48783, Buddhist 323, Christian 5184 and others 685.

Water bodies Main river: feni; Sandwip Channel; Isakhali, Mahamaya, Domkhali, Hinguli and Mayani canals are notable.

Administration Mirsharai Thana was formed in 1901 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
2	16	113	209	22986	345964	764	51.7	52.0

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
1.73	2	12867	7438	49.7

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Ichhakhali 29	11341	12313	13238	50.92
Wahedpur 89	4682	11969	12494	56.04
Osmanpur 77	3326	6478	6965	54.80
Karerhat 35	36582	15349	14628	42.70
Katachhara 41	3446	10582	11600	57.63
Khaiyachhara 47	1483	11849	12052	48.41
Zorwarganj 95	5517	16302	15734	45.74
Durgapur 11	3742	9950	9852	54.70
Dhum 10	3310	7619	8079	53.80
Maghadia 71	3677	10883	11649	48.16
Mayani 53	4590	8642	9064	53.59
Mithanala 65	5338	11402	12144	57.72
Mirsharai 59	4360	13985	13299	49.74
Saherkhali 83	5335	7769	8462	53.25
Haitkandi 17	3271	9400	9572	55.03
Hinguli 23	4562	12910	12597	55.48

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Dhum Shila Pathar (Shantir Hat), Chhuti Khan Mosque, Paragal Khan Dighi, Nai Duari Mosque, Jagannath Dham (Abu Torab), Kali Mandir (Karerhat), Shantiniketan Vihara, Abhay Charan Vihara.

Historical events Sultan Fakhruddin Mobarak Shah conquered Chittagong in 1340 AD and established the Muslim rule in this region. During the reign of Gaur Sultans Hussain Shah and Nusrat Shah, Paragal Khan and Chhuti Khan were the rulers of this area. Subsequently Nizam Shah, brother of emperor Sher Shah, was the ruler of this area. Nizampur Pargana is named after Nizam Shah and the whole area of Mirsharai came under the control of Nizampur pargana. From the beginning of the 16th century this region was very rich in Bangla literature. Most of the time between 1580 and 1666 this region was under the control of the Arakanese. The place at which (of the present Mirsharai thana) Bujurg Umed Khan, son of Subadar Sayesta Khan, landed after crossing the Feni River was named as Bujurg Umedpur. With the conquest of Chittagong by Bujurg Umed Khan in 1666, this region came permanently under the Mughal rule. Towards the end of British rule in India, Durgapur and Karerhat areas of Mirsharai upazila were the centres of revolutionary activities of Chittagong. A fierce battle was fought between the freedom fighters (under Capt. Wali Ahmed) and the Pak army at a place adjacent to the Fenafuni Bridge on the south of Mirsharai sadar in which about 100 Pak soldiers were killed. Besides, direct encounters were held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at many' places including Shuvapur Bridge, Hinguli Bridge, Aochi Mia Bridge and Mostan Nagar.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass killing site 5 (Mirsharai Wireless, Talbaria, Loharpool, Mastan Nagar Hospital, Jhulanta Bridge), mass grave 1 (Karerhat), memorial monument 1 (Hinguli Bridge).

Religious institutions Mosque 640, temple 137, tomb 50. Noted religious institutions: Chhuti Khan Mosque (16th century), Daulat Bibi Mosque (16th century), Mahadia Mosque (1780), Nai Duari Mosque (18th century), Hamidullah Khan Mosque (19th century), tomb of Shah Zayed (R) (806 AH), tomb of Awal Kazi Moakkel (R), tomb of Hazrat Shah Badal (R), tomb of Hazrat Chinki Montana (R), tomb of Hazrat Mia Noor Ali Shah (R), tomb of Sufi Noor Mohammad Nizampuri (R), tomb of Hazrat Mir Gaffar Khan, Jagannath Mandir (Abu Torab Bazar), Kali Mandir (Karerhat), Hazisharai Mandir, Newanpur Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 52%; male 56.3%%, female 47.9%. Educational institutions: college 4, secondary school 50, primary school 200, satellite school 8, kindergarten 8, madrasa 39. Noted educational institutions: Nizampur College (1964), Mirsharai College (1973), Baraiahat College (1974), Textile Engineering College (1980), Durgapur Nagendra Chandra High School (1908), Abu Torab Multilateral High School (1914), Zorwarganj Model Multilateral High School (1914), Sarkar Hat NR High School (1939), Mithachhara High School (1947), Mirsharai Pilot High School (1962), Mirsharai Latifia Kamil Madrasa (1884), Sufia Nuria Fazil Madrasa (1904), Mirzabazar Islamia Dakhil Madrasa (1910).

Newspapers and periodicals Monthly: Mirsharai, Jogajog; fortnightly: Khoborika, Mirsharai Chitra, Mirsharai Kantho, Alokito Campus (irregular); defunct: Mirsharai Barta, Mirsharai Darpan.

Cultural organisations Library 2, club 63, press club 1, theatre group 2, music school 3, playground 70, stadium 1.

Amusement centres Muhuri Project, Karerhat Forest Range.

Main sources of income Agriculture 38.93%, non-agricultural labourer 3.61%, industry 0.57%, commerce 13.26%, transport and communication 2.93%, service 18%, construction 1.19%, religious service 0.34%, rent and remittance 8.84% and others 12.33%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 51.30%, landless 48.70%; agricultural landowner: urban 38.82% and rural 52.09%.

Main crops Paddy, pulse, potato, brinjal, vegetables, bamboo.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sugarcane, jute, arahar, mustard, sesame, linseed, ground nut.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, banana, papaya, litchi, pineapple, water-melon.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 226, dairy 29, poultry 576, hatchery 2.

Communication facilities Pucca road 230 km, semi-pucca road 119 km, mud road 1435 km; railway 16 km; waterway 11 nautical miles. Rail junction 4.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Carpet industry, pipe mill, ice factory, rice mill, bakery, brick-field, steel furniture, fish- poultry' feed' factory, bidi factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving, tailoring, bamboo and wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 52, fairs 5, most noted of which are Abu Torab Bazar, Kamar Ali Bazar, Bara Daroga Hat, Mahajan Hat, Karer Hat, Baraia Hat, Shantir Hat, Zorwarganj Baishakhi Mela, Baruni Snan Mela and Shadhinata Mela.

Main exports Bamboo, fish, paddy, potato, banana, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 34.70% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 92.04%, tap 0.67%, pond 3.24% and others 4.04%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in 39% of the shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 56.98% (rural 56.04% and urban 71.73%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 34.30% (rural 35.13% and urban 21.11%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 8.73% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 16, satellite clinic 11.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, Sheba, CARE, Hunger Project. [Ahmed Momtaz]

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