Sariakandi Upazila

Sariakandi Upazila (bogra district) area 408.45 sq km, located in between 24°44' and 25°04' north latitudes and in between 89°31' and 89°45' east longitudes. It is bounded by saghatta and sonatala upazilas on the north, dhunat and kazipur upazilas on the south, islampur, madarganj and sarishabari upazilas on the east, gabtali upazila on the west.

Population Total 240083; male 122884, female 117199; Muslim 233383, Hindu 6638, Buddhist 24 and others 38.

Water bodies Main rivers: jamuna, bangali.

Administration Sariakandi Thana was formed in 1886 and it was turned into a Municipality in 1999.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	12	120	146	17320	222763	588	43.8	31.3

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
3.58	9	17	17320	4838	43.8

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Karnibari 56	12920	12356	11136	38.42
Kazla 55	16509	8644	8116	13.23
Kamalpur 44	5336	12118	11970	26.07
Kutubpur 63	4836	12533	11943	33.05
Chandan Baisha 25	3180	5216	5165	36.81
Chaluabari 19	14454	7588	6979	17.25
Narchi 75	3881	9005	8816	36.40
Fulbari 31	5876	16042	15418	39.66
Bohail 12	17155	7251	6522	29.35
Bhelabari 11	3644	8059	7665	26.25
Sariakandi 88	6328	7188	6953	36.28
Hat Sherpur 37	6813	8063	8017	31.33

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Residence of zamindar Kashi Roy at village Harina under Fulbari union, remnants of' Neelkuthi at the upazila sadar.

History of the War of Liberation Sariakandi upazila was under Sector 7 during the war of liberation. An encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held on 16 August at village Ramchandrapur in which 5 Pak soldiers, one police sub inspector and a number of razakars were killed. On 20 August, the freedom fighters destroyed a motor launch carrying Pak soldiers by rocket lancers. In this month the freedom fighters destroyed a bridge on the Sariakandi road by explosion. At a distance from the bridge, 6 Pak soldiers including one officer were killed by mine explosion. The freedom fighters killed 6 Pak soldiers including one officer at Fulbarighat on their way to Sariakandi from Bogra on 4 September. Many Pak soldiers were killed in an encounter with the freedom fighters at village Tajurpara on 19 September. On 20 October, another encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held at villages Narchi and Ganakpara in which 9 Pak soldiers including one Captain were killed and so were 12 Bangalis. On 10 November, the freedom fighters killed 5 Pak soldiers including one Colonel by mine explosion at village Baiguni of this upazila. Two freedom fighters were killed in an encounter with the Pak army in Sariakandi upazila on 28 November. The freedom fighters attacked Sariakandi Police Station in which 18 Pak soldiers and razakars were killed. In this encounter 3 freedom fighters were also killed. Besides, the freedom fighters inflicted capital punishment to 19 razakars for their collaboration with the Pak army and executed them at a place on the bank of the Jamuna.

Religious institutions Mosque 465, temple 6, tomb 1.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 32.3%; male 37.1%, female 27.3%. Educational institutions: college 5, secondary school 22, primary school 160, madrasa 30. Noted educational institutions: Chandannaish Degree College (1964), Jamthol Technical Management College (2001), Naokhila Government Primary School (1901), Devdanga Government Primary School (1903), Chhagaldhara Government Primary School (1904), Sariakandi Model Government Primary School (1905), Hat Fulbari Government Primary School (1905), Kazla Primary School (1905).

Cultural organisations Club 20, cultural society 2, women organisation 4, theatre group 1, cinema hall 2.

Main sources of income Agriculture 67.82%, non-agricultural labourer 2.03%, industry 0.57%, commerce 11.71%, transport and communication 2.35%, service 6.24%, construction 1.33%, religious service 0.11%, rent and remittance 0.20% and others 7.64%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 56.61%, landless 43.39%; agricultural landowner: urban 33.41% and rural 58.41%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame, linseed, arahar, Khesari, black gram, kaun, sweet potato.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, guava, banana, papaya.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries 'Fishery 1232, dairy 110, poultry 85.

Communication facilities Pucca road 31.19 km, semi-pucca road 30 km, mud road 236.66 km; waterway 16 nautical miles.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill 38, ice cream factory 9, foods and beverage industry 233, metal work 20, welding factory 12.

Cottage industries Goldsmith 47, blacksmith 74, potteries 250, weaving 30, wood work 251, bamboo work 175, tailoring 225.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 20, fairs 3, most noted of which are Fulbari Hat, Sariakandi Hat, Chandan Baisha Hat, Sree Panchami Mela at village Harina and Paush Mela at Chaihata.

Main exports Jute, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 7.60% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94%, tap 0.24%, pond 0.31% and others 5.45%.

Sanitation 19.11% (rural 16.03% and urban 58.69%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 53.70% (rural 56.43% and urban 18.62%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 27.20% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health centre 1, family planning centre 12, satellite clinic 4, clinic 1.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the famines of 1866 and 1874, earthquakes of 1885 and 1897, and the floods of 1959 and 1984. These natural disasters also caused heavy damages to settlements, crops and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, World Vision, asa, thengamara mahila sabuj sangha. [Md. Hafizur Rahman]

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