Fulchhari Upazila

Fulchhari Upazila (gaibandha district) area 306.53 sq km, located in between 25°06' and 25°23' north latitudes and in between 89°34' and 89°46' east longitudes. It is bounded by gaibandha sadar upazila on the north, saghatta and islampur upazila on the south, dewanganj upazila on the east, Gaibandha Sadar and Saghatta upazilas on the west. Vast area of the upazila is char land.

Population 'Total 137795; male 69816, female 67979; Muslim 132075, Hindu 5464 and others 256.

Water bodies Main rivers: brahmaputra, old brahmaputra, jamuna.

Administration Fulchhari Thana was formed on 25 February 1855 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	13	104	137	62565	333454	984	44.0	35.2

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
42.40	5	62565	1476	44.0

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Achim Patuli 11	8694	15026	13819	40.18
Enayetpur 41	9785	11862	11515	37.62
Kaladaha 53	6538	11681	11530	36.98
Kushmail 59	7540	20094	20027	33.37
Deokhola 35	3360	10503	9905	38.29
Naogaon 77	7032	12048	11749	26.37
Putijana 83	7199	17501	17340	29.32
Fulbaria 47	2344	25565	24495	41.69
Bakta 17	7625	18045	17528	40.93
Balian 23	6516	15445	15938	34.64
Bhabanipur 29	7364	13498	12357	36.63
Rangamatia 94	8664	10387	10027	39.55
Radhakanai 89	9387	19496	18638	32.60

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001,Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Historical events In 1956 a three-day peasant conference convened by Maulana abdul hamid khan bhasani was held at Sardarer Char. The historic tebhaga movement spread over the upazila in 1946. The Pak army conducted indiscriminate genocide, rape, plundering and violation of women in the upazila; they also set many houses on fire. An encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army and razakars was held at Uria in which a number of Pak soldiers and razakars were killed; the freedom fighters also captured huge amount of arms and ammunitions of the Pak army. In an encounter with the Pak army at Fazlupur one freedom fighter was killed. On 3 December the freedom fighters attacked the Fulchhari Police Station and captured huge amount of arms and ammunitions. On 4 December an encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Fulchhari in which 27 Pak soldiers were killed and so were 5 freedom fighters. Fulchhari upazila was liberated on 9 December.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass grave 1, mass killing site 2 (Fulchhari, Kaiyerhat).

Religious institutions Mosque 245, temple 6.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 27.7%; male 33.2%, female 22.1%. Educational institutions: college 1, secondary school 8, primary school 69, madrasa 15. Noted educational institutions: Fulchhari Pilot High School (1940), Kanchipara Academy (1960).

Cultural organisations Club 9, women society 5, playground 8.'

Main sources of income Agriculture 75.15%, non-agricultural labourer 3.35%, industry 0.52%, commerce 8.11%, transport and communication 2.49%, service 3.46%, construction 1.23%, religious service 0.22%, rent and remittance 0.44% and others 5.03%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 60.03%, landless 39.97%; agricultural landowner: urban 24.53% and rural 61.71%.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, sugarcane, maize, jute, black gram, onion, chili, mustard, peanut, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Barley, kaun, sweet potato.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, papaya.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 212, dairy 28, poultry 44, hatchery 15.

Communication facilities Pucca road 27.61 km, mud road 163.56 km; railway 5 km, waterway 59.40 nautical miles.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill, saw mill, printing press.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, bidi factory, wood work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 12, fairs 2, most noted of which are Kanchipara Hat, Udakhali Hat, Fulchhari Hat and Aushtami Mela at Fulchhari Bazar.

Main exports Mustard, peanut, black gram, onion, chili, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 5.01% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 91.14%, tap 0.28%, pond 0.44% and others 8.14%.

Sanitation 11.70% (rural 11.77% and urban 10.28%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 39.39% (rural 38.78% and urban 52.21%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 48.91% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health centre 1, health and family welfare centre 3, satellite clinic 42.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, CARE, proshika. [Zahurul Qayum]

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