Fakirhat Upazila

Fakirhat Upazila (bagerhat district) area 160.68 sq km, located in between 22°39' and 22°49' north latitudes and in between 89°34' and 89°47' east longitudes. It is bounded by rupsa and mollahat upazilas on the north, rampal upazila on the south, bagerhat sadar and chitalmari upazilas on the east, batiaghata and Rupsa upazilas on the west.

Population Total 137789; male 69402, female 68387; Muslim 104951, Hindu 32628, Christian 57 and others 153.

Water bodies Main rivers: Rupsa, bhairab.

Administration Fakirhat Thana was formed on 7 June 1869 and it was turned into an upazila on 1 August 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	8	67	87	26981	110808	857	63.4	61.7

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
22.52	8	26981	1198	63.4

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Naldha Maubhog 63	3640	8496	8063	54.4
Piljanga 73	5741	9629	9346	66.5
Fakirhat 31	6279	12635	12441	64.5
Bahirdia Mansa 10	3884	7331	7342	59.2
Betaga 21	4558	6698	6749	65.8
Mulghar 52	4603	7591	7328	57.8
Lakhpur 42	4577	10204	10211	57.8
Subhadia 84	5929	6818	6907	61.5

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Shiva Mandir, Khanjahania Mosque, Noapara Ghosh Zamindar Bari.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation the razakars made a surprise attack on the camp of the freedom fighters at village Deyapara of Subhadia union in which many people of both sides were killed and wounded. On 6 May the razakars of the upazila set many shops of Singati and Bahirdia Bazars on fire. The Pak army, in collaboration with the local razakars, brutally killed 9 innocent persons at Mansa of Bahirdia Mansa union on 25 August 1971. Freedom fighters of the upazila had encounters with Pak army at Piljang, Battala and some other places. Memorial monuments were built at 3 places and there is a memorial sculpture in the upazila.

For details: see ফকিরহাট উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৬।

Religious institutions Mosque 175, temple 67, sacred place 1. Noted religious institutions: Subhadia Takiabati Jami Mosque and Lalchandrapur' Khajahania Mosque.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 62.0%; male 63.9%, female 60.1%. Educational institutions: college 4, technical college 2, secondary school 35, primary school 79, madrasa 25. Noted educational institutions: Kazi Azhar Ali College (1962), Shaheed Smriti Degree College (1993), Sheikh Hasina Technical College (1998), Mulghar Government High School (1857), Bahirdia High School (1892), Naldha Secondary School (1895), Karamatia Senior Madrasa (1957).

Cultural organisations Library 2, club 25, cinema hall 1, women's organisation 30.

Main sources of income Agriculture 53.63%, non-agricultural labourer 4.49%, industry 1%, commerce 18.43%, transport and communication 4.95%, service 9.02%, construction 1.46%, religious service 0.25%, rent and remittance 0.27% and others 6.50%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 62.47%, landless 37.53%; agricultural landowner: urban 49.76% and rural 65.67%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, potato, betel leaf, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Mustard, sweet potato, pulse.

Main fruits Coconut, mango, jackfruit, betel nut, banana.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 8779 (including shrimp cultivation), dairy 33, poultry 47.

Communication facilities Pucca road 180 km, semi-pucca road 10 km, mud road 403 km; waterway 18 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Bullock cart, palanquin.

Noted manufactories Oil mill, rice mill, saw mill, ice factory, brick field, frozen shrimp preservation centre.

Cottage industries Weaving, potteries, bamboo work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 9, fairs 6, most noted of which are Fakirhat, Lakhpur Hat, Betaga Bazar and Atraka Baishakhi Mela are notable.

Main exports Coconut, betel nut, betel leaf, fish.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 54.3% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 98.6%, tap 0.3% and others 1.1%.

Sanitation 84.3% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 14.5% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 1.2% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 8, satellite clinic 1, community clinic 7, clinic 6.

NGO activities asa, brac, CARE, Prodipan. [Parthadev Shaha]

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Fakirhat Upazila 2007.