Sherpur Sadar Upazila

Sherpur Sadar Upazila (sherpur district) area 356.12 sq km, located in between 24°55' and 25°06' north latitudes and in between 89°53' and 90°07' east longitudes. It is bounded by sreebardi, jhenaigati and nalitabari upazilas on the north, jamalpur sadar upazila on the south, nakla upazila on the east, islampur and melandaha upazilas on the west.

Population Total 449798; male 234296, female 215502; Muslim 437227, Hindu 11439, Buddhist 517, Christian 15 and others 600.

Water bodies Main rivers: old brahmaputra, Mrigi, Dashani; Ishli Beel, Burla Beel, Mausi Beel, Hapnai Beel, Barbila Beel, Dhala Beel, Taki Beel, Kaldanger Beel, Nishla Beel, Reoa Beel, Dublakuri Beel and Katakhali Canal are notable.

Administration Sherpur Sadar Thana was turned into an upazila in 1984.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	14	106	186	82179	367619	1263	51.24	23.63

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
23.39	9	46	82179	3515	51.24

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kamaria 67	7394	17207	16116	31.46
Kamarer Char 61	6661	12280	11128	23.83
Ghazir Khamar 54	4174	11090	10733	24.67
Char Pakshimari 33	8227	14486	13254	18.45
Char Mucharia 27	6375	15063	13808	28.61
Char Sherpur 40	8034	17473	15841	23.95
Dhala 47	4184	9373	8997	24.96
Pakuria 81	6761	18575	17529	20.89
Betmari Ghughurakandi	6601	10674	9757	23.12
Balair Char 13	5972	16100	14430	22.98
Bajitkhila 11	3847	11550	10506	30.43
Bhatsala 20	6550	15389	14039	28.77
Rauha Betmari 88	3645	6780	6396	3.96
Lakshmanpur 74	4757	14974	14071	24.72

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Tomb of Hazrat Shah Kamal (R), Mia Saheb Mosque (1861), Mughalbari Mosque, Kazigali Mosque, Nat Mandir (built in decorated wood as per the Chinese architecture of the nineteenth century) and Raghunath Jeur Mandir (1771).

Historical events Conferences of the peasants and tenants were held in 1914 and 1917 at Kararchar area under the leadership of Khos Muhammad Chowdhury to protest against the oppression of the Hindu zaminders upon the Muslim tenants. During the war of liberation the Pak army killed 52 persons at village Suryadi. Besides, during this time the Pak army conducted mass killing and plundering; they also set many houses of the upazila on fire.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass killing site 2 (Gredhanarayanpur and Sheri Crematory adjacent to Sheri Bridge); Muktijoddha Smriti Stadium 1.

Religious institutions Mosque 539, temple 24, church 1, tomb 2, sacred place 1 (river Brahmaputra), math 6. Noted religious institutions: Maisaheba Jami Mosque, Kharampur Jami Mosque, Terabazar Jami Mosque, tomb of Hazrat Shah Kamal (R), Raghunath Jeur Mandir, Noiani Bazar Kali Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 30.32%; male 33.80%, female 26.54%. Educational institutions: college 6, government technical institute and management 3, government technical school and college 1, agriculture training institute 1, secondary school 53, primary school 186, kindergarten 57, madrasa 72. Noted educational institutions: Sherpur Government College (1964), Omarpur Government Mohila College (1972), Technical School and College (2001), Agriculture Training Institute (1957), Sherpur Government Victoria Academy (1887), Gobindapur Peace Memorial Institute (1918), Sapmari High School (1907), Joginimuri Multilateral High School (1912), Sherpur GK Pilot High School (1919), Sherpur High School (1920), Sherpur Polytechnic Institute (2004), Jamia Siddiqia Terabazar Madrasa (1978), Iddrisia Alim Madrasa (1991).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Ghatana; weekly: Sherpur (1986), Doshkahania (1991), Chalti Khabar (1991); quaterly: Rangdhanu Bhaban (2005); periodicals: Sahityalaka, Adda, Barsati; monthly defunct: Biddyanati Sadini (1865), weekly defunct: Charubarta (1881), Biggapani, Samskriti Sanjibini, Prabaha, Manus Theke Manus, Samcharan, Amgan, Nandita Nabin, Ghonai Amra.

Cultural organisations Library 7, club 124, press club 1, women organisation and co-operative society 451, theatre group 15, stadium 1, cinema hall 6, playground 7.

Main sources of income Agriculture 58.28%, non-agricultural labourer 4.20%, industry 1.42%, commerce 13.17%, transport and communication 4.47%, service 5.40%, construction 1.43%, religious service 0.19%, rent and remittance 0.15% and others 11.29%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 53.58%, landless 46.42%; agricultural landowner: urban 33.30% and rural 57.59%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, pulse, mustard, potato, bamboo, sweet potato, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Local variety of paddy, sugarcane, arahar, kalai, sesame, linseed, kaun, barley.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, banana, papaya, jackfruit, litchi, guava, coconut, star apple.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Dairy 31, poultry 57.

Communication facilities Pucca road 80 km, semi-pucca road 25 km, mud road 498 km.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, oil mill, bidi factory, polythine factory, press.

Cottage industries Potteries, weaving, wood work, tailoring, food processing industries.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 38, fairs 10, most noted of which are Noiani Bazar, Kamarer Char, Baruni Tithi Mela, Basanti Austami Tithi Mela, Aushtami Mela on Ram Nabami at Sheri, Chaitra Samkranti Mela at Gopinathganj, Charak Mela at old cattle market, Paus Samkranti Mela, Austami Mela at Noiani Bazar, Rath Mela at Kali Bari.

Main exports Rice, jute, bamboo, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 18.83% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 91.72%, tap 0.89%, pond 0.18% and others 7.21%.

Sanitation 31.34% (rural 22.03% and urban 78.51%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 34.44% (rural 30.03% and urban 11.19%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 34.22% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Sadar hospital 1, satellite clinic 3, eye hospital 1, diabetic centre 1, Ganasastha clinic 3, health and family welfare centre 13, maternity hospital 1, family health clinic 1, health centre 15, clinic 3, veterinary hospital 1.

Natural disasters The earthquake of 1918 caused heavy damages to settlements and other properties of the upazila. Besides, many people were victims of the famine of 1943.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, Centre for Advancement Programme, Rural Development Project. [Sakil Ahmed Shahriar Milton]

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