Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila

Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila (thakurgaon district) area 683.45 sq km, located in between 25°40' and 25°59' north latitudes and in between 88°15' and 88°22' east longitudes. It is bounded by atwari and boda upazilas on the north, pirganj (thakurgaon) and birganj upazilas on the south, Boda, debiganj and Birganj upazilas on the east, baliadangi and ranisankail upazilas on the west.

Population Total 504428; male 260515, female 243913; Muslim 369486, Hindu 129794, Buddhist 3614, Christian 38 and others 1496. Indigenous communities such as santal, oraon, munda, Mushar and rajbanshi belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: tangon, nagar, Kulik, Pathari; Ulir Beel is notable.

Administration Thakurgaon Sadar Thana was formed in 1800 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	19	194	197	51785	452643	738	66.0	45.1

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
10.70	9	23	41854	3912	69.3

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
10.55	4	9931	941	51.5

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Auliapur 15	9183	12173	11631	45.13
Akcha 11	9479	11330	10600	40.90
Akhanagar 13	9048	11157	10792	40.30
Gareya 42	9337	15132	14333	48.57
Chilarang 31	8568	10976	10424	42.55
Jagannathpur 47	9637	17254	16143	42.55
Jamalpur 52	8195	12709	11987	50.63
Debipur 36	9328	11269	10506	46.28
Nargun 63	6538	10505	9778	41.51
Baragaon 26	7652	10279	9582	45.26
Balia 21	9087	12157	11815	36.40
Begunbari 17	8974	10246	9597	43.51
Mohammadpur 58	6499	12111	11292	49.68
Rahimanpur 68	8551	14316	13085	48.25
Rajagaon 79	8834	10537	9838	45.72
Roypur 73	9331	11924	11066	40.66
Ruhea 84	9524	17666	16709	78.59
Sukhanpukhari 94	8771	11098	10626	60.05
Salandar 89	9644	15585	14346	41.86

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001,Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Govinda Nagar Mandir, Jamalpur Jami Mosque, Karam Khan Garh, Brishamurti at Nargun Kaharpara, Khurram Khan Pond at Debipur, Govinda Jeu Mandir (eighteenth century), Shapla and Peala Dighi.

Historical events tebhaga movement spread over Thakurgaon extensively. During the Tebhaga Movement 35 peasants were killed and many were wounded when police fired on a procession. Direct encounters were held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Bhulli, Gareya and Salandar in which many people were killed. 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 grave: Sukhanpukhari, Jhatidanga, Hater bridge, Pharabari and on the banks of river Tangon of Thakurgaon town; mass killing site: Sabdal Danga, BDR Camp.

Religious institutions Mosque 655, temple 120, church 19.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 47.4%; male 53.5%, female 40.9%. Educational institutions: technical college 1, teacher's centre 1, B.ED college 1, vocational training institute 1, vocational textile institute 1, youth training centre 2, college 9, secondary school 112, primary school 337. Noted educational institutions: Thakurgaon Government College (1957), Thakurgaon Zila School (1904), Thakurgaon Government Boys' High School (1904), Ruhea High School (1939), Madarganj MB High School (1945), Salandar Triple Kamil Madrasa.

Newspapers and periodicals Defunct daily: Thakurgaon Darpan, Sangrami Bangla, Gram Bangla, Bangladesh, Janarab; defunct literary periodicals: Aso Cheye Dekhi Prithibi, Usashi, Chalachitra.

Cultural organisations Library 10, club 68, cinema hall 10, theatre group 7, theatre stage 1, playground 43, shilpakala academy 1.

Important installations TV Relay Centre 1, Radio Station 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 65.07%, non-agricultural labourer 3.75%, industry 0.49%, commerce 11.94%, transport and communication 4.87%, service 6.97%, construction 1.32%, religious service 0.14%, rent and remittance 0.22% and others 5.23%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 57.16%, landless 42.84%; agricultural landowner: urban 43.90% and rural 58.58%.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, sugarcane, pulse, mustard, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Aus paddy, barley, jute.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, banana, papaya, watermelon.

Communication facilities Pucca road 108 km, semi-pucca road 11 km, mud road 805 km; railway 33 km.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill, sugar mill, saw mill, flour mill, oil mill, textile mill, husking mill, ice cream factory, pipe factory, chemical and pharmaceutical industry, cold storage.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving, manufacture of jute goods, bamboo work, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 45, fairs 6, most noted of which are Gareya Hat, Bhulli Hat, Shibganj Hat, Ramnath Hat, Khochabari Hat, Pharabari Hat, Chowdhury Hat, Baradham Mela, Ruhea Mela and Muktar Mela.

Main exports Rice, pulse, potato, mango, jackfruit, litchi, watermelon, sugar, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 23.59% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 91.86%, tap 0.68%, pond 0.35% and others 7.11%.

Sanitation 18.20% (rural 14% and urban 57.43%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 30.23% (rural 30.43% and urban 28.24%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 51.57% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 1, upazila health complex 1, union health centre 12, family planning centre 19, maternity 1, diabetic hospital 1, chest diseases hospital 1, veterinary hospital 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, CDA, RDP. [Abu Md. Iqbal Rumi Shah]

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