Mymensingh Sadar Upazila

Mymensingh Sadar Upazila (mymensingh district) area 388.45 sq km, located in between 24°38' and 24°54' north latitudes and in between 90°11' and 90°30' east longitudes. It is bounded by nakla and phulpur upazilas on the north, trishal and fulbaria upazilas on the south, ishwarganj and gauripur upazilas on the east, muktagachha and jamalpur sadar upazilas on the west.

Population Total 674452; male 350372, female 324080; Muslim 631018, Hindu 41948, Buddhist 1245, Christian 93 and others 148. Indigenous communities such as garo, Koch and hajong belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main river: old brahmaputra.

Administration Mymensingh Sadar Thana was formed in 1867 and it was turned into an upazila in 1984.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	13	136	174	332721	341731	1736	64.0	34.6

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
21.73	21	85	227204	10456	71.1

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
46.30	8	105517	2279	47.6

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Ashtadhar 25	6380	11887	11616	37.03
Akua 23	2640	23574	18331	56.70
Kushtia 74	6047	13177	12400	32.53
Khagdahar 67	7698	4539	4434	31.46
Ghagra 54	8247	23880	22962	35.14
Char Ishwardia 33	7358	20246	18849	36.40
Char Nilakshmia 40	8115	19416	18501	33.45
Dapunia 47	7268	21026	20664	42.25
Paranganj 88	7254	15983	15221	24.93
Baira (Kewatkhali) 27	2412	11670	10950	44.33
Borar Char 31	8168	12934	12364	24.54
Bhabkhali 29	7771	22607	20860	39.09
Sirta 94	7357	16168	15317	33.86

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics House of Maharaj Shashikanta, Alexandra Castle, Raj Rajeswari Water Tank, manuscript of the Mahabharata, Vishnu statue made of black basalt, manuscript of the Gitagovinda of Joydev, manuscript of the poems of chandidas, photocopy of the first postal stamp, Sword of the zamindar of Muktagachha, World Map (1645), Map of the greater Mymensingh (1779) by Kedarnath Majumder, Durgabari Temple (1867), Shiva Temple (nineteenth century), Shambhuganj Railway Bridge.

History of the War of Liberation On 27 March an encounter was held between the Bengali and non-Bengali members of the Khagdahar EPR Camp. The Pak army took control over Mymenshing town after 23 April. During the war of liberation, the villagers of Dighar Kanda resisted the Pak army with indegenous weapons like Sarki, Ballam, Da and lathi, when the Pak army raided the village at night; in this encounter a Pak Major was killed. In retaliation, the Pak army sacked the village on the day following killing a number of villagers. Mymensingh sadar upazila was liberated on 10 December.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass killing site 3 (Dakbungalow Char, river side of Shambhuganj, Agricultural University compound).

Religious institutions Mosque 614, temple 22, church 4, tomb 9, sacred place 3. Noted religious institutions: Mymensingh Baro Mosque, Ganginapar Mosque, Rail Station Jami Mosque, Kachari Nur Jami Mosque, Shankipara Old Jami Mosque, College Road Jami Mosque, Patgudam (jute godown) Jami mosque, Vatikashwar Graveyard Jami Mosque, Durgabari Temple, Panditbari Temple, Kotwali Shiva Temple, Kanai-Balai Temple at Maharaja Road, Vatikashwar Swadhu Patrick Church, Baptist Church, Circuit House Anglinkon Church, Ramkrisna Ashrama, Jubileeghat pilgrimage.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 49.9%; male 53.4%, female 46.1%. Educational institutions: university 1, college 18, medical college 2, homeo medical college 1, teachers training college 3, secondary school 67, primary teachers training institute 1, vocational training institute 2, polytechnic institute 1, primary school 166, deaf and dump school 1, madrasa 64. Noted educational institutions: bangladesh agricultural university (1960), Ananda Mohan Government College (1908), Mymensingh Medical College (1968), Mymensingh Girls' Cadet College, Muminunnesa Government Girls' College (1959), Mukul Niketan High School (1959), Vidyamoyee Government Girls' High School (1873), Mahakali Girls' School and College (1907), Edward Institution (1903), Radha Sundari Girls' High School (1927), Mymensingh Zila School (1853), City Collegiate School (1883), Mrityunjoy School (1901), Nasirabad Collegiate School (1911), Bangladesh Railway Government High School (1925), Katlasen Kaderia Kamil Madrasa (1890).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Jahan, Ajker Bangladesh, Swadesh Sangbad, Ajker Smriti, Ishika, Sabuj, Shipa, Sajan, Ajker Mymensingh, Porichoy, Banglar Jamin, Banglar Chashi, Mymensingh Sangbad, Ajker Khabar, Bhu-Mandol, The New Times; periodical: Ditio Chinta, Upol, Satanta, Suvrasikha; defunct: Saurav, weekly Takbir, Banglar Chashi.

Cultural organisations Library 18, club 12, museum 1, theatre group 5, theatre stage 2, jatra party 1, cinema hall 5, women organisation 2, playground 36.

Important installations Bangladesh Agricultural University, bangladesh institute of nuclear agriculture, bangladesh fisheries research institute.'

Main sources of income Agriculture 34.57%, non-agricultural labourer 4.05%, industry 1.01%, commerce 19.18%, transport and communication 6.68%, service 16.54%, construction 4.03%, religious service 0.24%, rent and remittance 0.86% and others 12.84%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 45.26%, landless 54.74%; agricultural landowner: urban 37.57% and rural 52%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Mustard, linseed, arahar.

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

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 63, dairy 6, poultries 54, hatchery 17.

Communication facilities Pucca road 100 km, semi-pucca road 45 km, mud road 590 km; railway 51 km.

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

Noted manufactories Flour mill 3, ice factory 8, jute industry 1, tannery 1, welding factory 33, bidi factory 2.

Cottage industries Goldsmith 67, blacksmith 84, potteries 103, weaving 8, embroidery 297, silk work 2, bamboo work 73, wood work 178.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 50, fairs 3, most noted of which are Baro Bazar, Natun Bazar, Churkhai Bazar, Dapunia Bazar, Austami Snan Mela, Chaitra Samkranti Mela, Baishakhi Mela.

Main exports Paddy, banana, vegetables, leather.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 38.38% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 91.48%, tap 3.25%, pond 0.40% and others 4.87%.

Sanitation 36.43% (rural 12.95% and urban 63.25%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 36.07% (rural 44.74% and urban 26.16%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 27.50% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, hospital 5, family welfare centre 13, satellite clinic 3.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, Social Association for Rural Development, Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha. [Azahar Sarkar]

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