Shibganj Upazila (Bogra District)

Shibganj Upazila (bogra district) area 315.92 sq km, located in between 24°55' and 25°07' north latitudes and in between 89°11' and 89°28' east longitudes. It is bounded by gobindaganj (gaibandha) upazila on the north, bogra sadar, kahaloo and dupchanchia upazilas on the south, sonatola and gabtali upazilas on the east, kalai and khetlal upazilas on the west.

Population Total 352415; male 181581, female 170834; Muslim 335918, Hindu 16003, Buddhist 12, Christian 34 and others 448.

Water bodies Main rivers: karatoya, nagar, Gangnai, Bhimti, Nungalar.

Administration Shibganj Upazila was formed on 24 March 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	12	245	429	8609	343806	1118	47.2	35.8

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
3.76	2	8609	2290	47.2

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Atmul 7	7843	15450	14239	31.68
Kichak 39	6282	15793	14923	35.61
Deuli 31	6500	14425	13788	36.74
Pirab 71	5973	11604	11050	41.45
Bihar 15	5243	16063	14675	38.47
Buriganj 23	5322	11044	10510	34.73
Maidanhata 47	7602	15856	15493	30.43
Majhihatta 55	6505	11758	11021	45.74
Mokamtala 63	6264	18473	17134	38.68
Roynagar 79	5770	17200	15881	37.71
Shibganj 94	7395	18178	17065	30.54
Saidpur 87	6615	15737	15055	34.37

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Mahasthan Garh (Roynagar), bhasu viharA, tomb and Mosque of Hazrat' shah sultan balkhi mahisawar (r), Bihar Hat Jami Mosque.

History of the War of Liberation On 4 April 1971, the Pak army brutally killed 16 persons of the same family at Maidanhata. Besides, one freedom fighter was killed in a frontal encounter with the Pak army at village Panch Pir Saralpur.

Religious institutions Mosque 591, temple 30, tomb 2, sacred place 1. Noted religious institutions: Mahasthan Mazar Jami Mosque, Bihar Hat Jami Mosque, Shibganj Chowdhury Bari Jami Mosque, tomb of Hazrat Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar (R), Deuli Chaki Bari Kartoni Puja Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 24.1%; male 31.7%, female 16%. Educational institutions: college 7, technical and business management college 5, secondary school 37, primary school 163, madrasa 35. Noted educational institutions: Shibganj Pilot High School (1931).

Newspapers and periodicals Periodical: Sonali Upohar; irregular: Vor Holo Dor Kholo; defunct: Nagar.

Cultural organisations Library 3, club 73, women's organisation 1, cinema hall 5, playground 32.

Tourists spots Mahasthan Garh Museum.

Main sources of income Agriculture 55.47%, non-agricultural labourer 2.92%, industry 2.21%, commerce 12.74%, transport and communication 3.01%, service 11.39%, construction 1.67%, religious service 0.22%, rent and remittance 2.55% and others 7.82%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 59.9%, landless 40.1.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, maize, potato, ginger, betel leaf, jute, sugarcane, turmeric, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Pulse, gram, sesame, kaun, arahar, linseed.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, banana, papaya, guava, futi, coconut, palm, wood apple, shaddock.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 36, poultry 61.

Communication facilities Pucca road 170 km, semi-pucca road 4 km, mud road 785 km.

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

Noted manufactories Cold storage 7, welding factory 15.

Cottage industries Goldsmith 30, blacksmith 40, potteries 80, weaving 294, wood work 150, bamboo work 70, tailoring 450.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 55, fairs 5, most noted of which are Mokamtala Hat, Mahasthan Hat, Chandihara Hat, Shibganj Hat, Shihali Hat, Kichak Hat, Gangnagar Mela, Shiladevir Ghater Mela, Shesh Baishakhi Mela at Mahasthan and Bariarhat Mela.

Main exports Banana, potato, paddy, turmeric, wheat, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 17.53% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 93.48%, tap 0.24%, pond 0.11% and others 6.17%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 17.61% (rural 17% and urban 43.05%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 30.58% (rural 30.61% and urban 29.62%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 51.80% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health centre 1, hospital 1, health and family planning centre 8, charitable dispensary 5, community clinic 48, clinic 2, veterinary hospital 1, satellite clinic 1, union health centre 11.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, thengamara mahila sabuj sangha, Palli Unniyan Sangstha. [Md. Sahidul Islam]

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