Ullahpara Upazila

Ullahpara Upazila (sirajganj district) area 414.43 sq km, located in between 24°12' and 24°26' north latitudes and in between 89°24' and 89°38' east longitudes. It is bounded by raiganj upazila on the north, shahjadpur upazila on the south, kamarkhanda and belkuchi upazilas on the east and bhangura and tarash upazilas on the west.

Population Total 449243; male 231746, female 217497; Muslim 427986, Hindu 21205 and others 52.

Water bodies Main rivers: karatoya, Goala, Bilsuriya.

Administration Ullahpara Thana was formed in 1875 and it was turned into an upazila on 2 July 1983.

Upazila

Municipality

Union

Mouza

Village

Population

Density (per sq km)

Literacy rate (%)

Urban

Rural

Urban

Rural

1

53.1

38.4

Municipality

Area (sq km)

Ward

Mahalla

Population

Density (per sq km)

Literacy rate (%)

12.07

53.11

Union

Name of union and GO code

Area (acre)

Population

Literacy rate (%)

Male

Female

Udhunia 87

34.47

Ullahpara 94

39.57

Durganagar 29

39.56

Pancha Krushi 51

40.08

Purnimaganti 58

37.06

Bara Pangashi 21

29.94

Barahar 14

41.75

Bangala 12

33.12

Mohanpur 43

45.95

Ramkrishnapur 65

31.49

Salanga 73

37.89

Salap 80

45.55

Hatikumrul 36

37.84

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Ancient Makkaulia Mosque at Darogapara (fifteenth century), Tomb of Hazrat Baghdadi (R) at Gaihatta, Tomb of Panch Pir at Angaru, Nabaratna Mandir at Hatikumrul (fourteenth century), Shiva Mandir at Hatikumrul.

Historical events In 1922 peasant movement was held at Salanga Hat under maulana abdur rashid tarkabagish. Maulana Tarkabagish was arrested and was given a six months detention. In history, this event is known as 'Salanga Movement'. On 20 April 1971, an encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army near Ghatina Bridge in which 15 Pak soldiers were killed and so were 50 freedom fighters and civilians. On 23 April the Pak army conducted killing, torturing and indiscriminate plundering; they also set many houses of the upazila on fire. On 25 April the Pak army shot many people dead at Charia Shika and Charia Kali Bari near Hatikumrul square. Ullahpara was liberated on 14 December.

Marks of the War of Liberation Martyrs' memorial monument at Ghatina.

Religious institutions Mosque 771, temple 85, tomb 5, sacred place 2.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 39.61%; male 44.81%, female 34.09%. Educational institutions: college 18, secondary school 71, primary school 251, community school 10, kindergarten 20, madrasa 82. Noted educational institutions: Bara Pangashi High School (1898), Ullahpara Merchants Pilot Multilateral High School (1906), Mohanpur KM Institution (1915), Salap High School (1905), Jhikira Bandar Model Government Primary School (1903).

Cultural organisations Library 44, club 95, theatre group 2, jatra party 2, literary society 2, women's organisation 130, cinema hall 5, community centre 11, playground 30, cultural organisation 10.

Main sources of income Agriculture 59.03%, non-agricultural labourer 4%, industry 7.05%, commerce 13.65%, transport and communication 3.21%, service 5.12%, construction 1.03%, religious service 0.22%, rent and remittance 0.48% and others 6.21%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 55.78%, landless 44.22%; agricultural landowner: urban 32.45% and rural 57.72%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, barley, potato, mustard, sesame, onion, chilli, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Aus paddy, linseed, china, kaun.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, palm, watermelon, banana, coconut.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 62, dairy 196, poultry 28, hatchery 7.

Communication facilities Pucca road 106 km, semi-pucca road 24 km, mud road 736 km; waterway 67 nautical miles; railway 21 nautical miles. Railway station 3.

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

Noted manufactories Flower mill, power loom, cold storage, ice factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, weaving, bamboo work, potteries, wood work, tailoring.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 23, fairs 7, most noted of which are Ullahpara Hat, Koyra Hat, Salanga Hat, Gaihatta Hat, Gopalnagar Hat, Mohanpur Hat, Udhunia Hat and Boalia Hat.

Main exports Jute, mustard, sesame, flour, onion, chilli, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 26.34% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 92.11%, tap 0.41%, pond 0.30% and others 7.18%.

Sanitation 17.55% (rural 15% and urban 48.30%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 69.51% (rural 71.64% and urban 43.78%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 12.94% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 2, satellite clinic 5, maternity and child welfare centre 1, family planning centre 11, charitable dispensary 5, IPI centre 312, diagnostic centre 6.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the famines of 1897, 1943 and 1974. Besides, the earthquakes of 1985 and 1897 caused heavy damages to settlements and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are asa, brac, proshika, thengamara mahila sabuj sangha, caritas, CARE. [Md. Ruhul Amin]

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