Shyamnagar Upazila

Shyamnagar Upazila (satkhira district) area 1968.24 sq km, located in between 21°36' and 22°24' north latitudes and in between 89°00' and 89°19' east longitudes. It is bounded by kaliganj (Satkhira) and assasuni upazilas on the north, west bengal state of India and the bay of bengal on the south, koyra and Assasuni upazilas on the east, West Bengal state of India on the west.

Population Total 313781; male 160294, female 153487; Muslim 243257, Hindu 70151, Buddhist 56, Christian 20 and others 297. Indigenous communities such as munda, Bhabene, Charal and Kaiborta belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: jamuna, raymangal, arpangachhia, Malancha, Hariabhanga, Chunar; Bhet Canal is notable.

Administration Shyamnagar Thana, now an upazila, was formed on 1897.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	12	127	216	14487	299294	159	54.59	38.94

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
10.76	5	14487	1346	54.59

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Atulia 07	10134	15190	14962	44.59
Ishwaripur 39	6851	16276	15339	40.07
Kashimari 55	8147	12313	13424	36.19
Kaikhali 47	11025	12724	12638	39.92
Gabura 31	9728	16271	16146	31.40
Nurnagar 71	6726	8759	8561	38.32
Padma Pukur 79	10116	11587	11271	37.08
Buri Goalini 23	10533	12477	11827	38.93
Bhurulia 15	5943	8809	8650	41.07
Munshiganj 63	12135	16901	16080	42.34
Ramjan Nagar 87	9163	11641	10863	34.46
Shyamnagar 94	7486	14029	12904	48.38
Satkhira Range 97	379275	3317	822	48.68

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Five domed Tenga Mosque at Bangshipur (Mughal period), Tomb of Nurullah Khan at Nurnagar, Shyamnagar Zamindar bari, six domed Hammankhana at Bangshipur, Joseshwari Mandir at Ishwaripur, Chanda Bhairab Mandir at Ishwaripur (a triangular temple, built during the Sena period), Christ Church (1599), Govinda Dev Mandir at Gopalpur (1593), Jahajghata Durga at Khanpur.

History of the War of Liberation On 6 May 1971 a battle was fought between the freedom fighters under Major M. A Jalil, Commander of Sector 9 of the war of liberation, with the Pak army at Gabura while the motor launch carrying the freedom fighters was chased by the Pak military gunboat. In this battle 11 freedom fighters were killed. Another encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held at Gopalpur on 19 August in which freedom fighters Subedar Elias Khan, Abul Kalam Azad, Abdul Kader and Abdul Jabbar were killed. On 3 September the freedom fighters, under Nababdi Fakir, destroyed the Pak military gunboats and forced them to retreat. On 9 September, the Pak army in collaboration with the razakars launched attack on Harinagar bazar and killed 28 innocent people; the Pak army also sacked the market. On 12 October, the freedom fighters raided the Bhetkhali Razakar camp while the razakars evacuated . Later on the freedom fighters burnt the camp by explosion.

Marks of War of Liberation Mass killing site 2 (Harinagar and Katkhali); memorial monument 2 (Gopalpur and Harinagar.)

Religious institutions Mosque 251, temple 98, church 1, tomb 4, sacred place 2. Noted religious institutions: Bangshipur Shahi Jami Mosque (Tenga Mosque), tomb of Nurullah Khan at Nurnagar, Joseshwari Mandir, Chanda Bhairab Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 39.69%; male 47.75%, female 31.33%. Educational institutions: college 9, secondary school 42, primary school 183, community school 3, madrasa 46. Noted educational institutions: Shyamnagar Mohsin College (1972), Nakipur Haricharan Secondary High School (1899), Nurnagar Ashalata High School (1955), Bhurulia Nagbati Secondary School (1945), Patakhali Secondary School (1954), Patakhali Senior Madrasa (1945), Jainagar Hamidia Senior Madrasa (1963).

Newspapers and periodicals Ayan (1997), Pratya (2001).

Cultural organisations Library 7, club 82, theatre group 4, circus party 1, theatre stage 1, cinema hall 2, women organisation 3.

Main sources of income Agriculture 64.98%, non-agricultural labourer 6.02%, industry 0.61%, commerce 14.60%, transport and communication 1.58%, service 3.53%, construction 0.94%, religious service 0.16%, rent and remittance 0.20% and others 7.34%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 56.69%, landless 43.31%; agricultural landowner: urban 54.58% and rural 56.79%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, potato, mustard, sesame, linseed, pulse, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Local varieties of paddy such as Patnai paddy, Talmugur paddy, etc.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 20, dairy 52, poultry 81, hatchery 29.

Communication facilities Pucca road 67' km, semi-pucca road 35 km, mud road 811 km; waterway 73 nauticals miles.

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

Noted manufactories Manufacture of leather industry, ice factory, oil mill.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving, embroidery, bamboo work, wood work. Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 42, fairs 6, most noted of which are Shyamnagar Hat, Nawabeki Hat, Bhetkhali Hat, Harinagar Hat, Munshiganj Hat, Gabura Hat, Nurnagar Bazar, Baruni Mela at Ishwaripur, Katakhali Shiva Mela and Baishakhi Mela at Shyamnagar.

Main exports Paddy, jute, shrimp.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 7.40% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources A major portion of the largest mangrove forest sundarbans belong to this upazila. Besides, varieties of flora and fauna are available in the upazila.'

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 35.94, tap 6.46%, pond 50.74% and others 6.86%.

Sanitation 44.84% (rural 43.10% and urban 80.71%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 47.47% (rural 42.35% and urban 2.36%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 7.69% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health and family planning centre 10, clinic 38.

Natural disasters The tidal bore Aila of 21 May 2009 caused heavy damages to settlements, and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, caritas, Progati. [Mizanur Rahman]

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