Gazipur Sadar Upazila

Gazipur Sadar Upazila (gazipur district) area 457.67 sq km, located in between 23°53' and 24°11' north latitudes and in between 90°20' and 92°30' east longitudes. It is bounded by sreepur (gazipur) upazila on the north, savar and rupganj upazilas and uttara thana on the south, kaliganj (Gazipur) and Rupganj upazilas on the east, kaliakair and Savar upazilas on the west.

Population Total 1820374; male 976683, female 843691; Muslim 1743994, Hindu 70382, Buddhist 556, Christian 5108 and others 334. Indigenous communities such as Koach and rajbangshi belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main rivers: turag, balu, Labandaha and Salda; Tongi Canal is notable.

Administration Gazipur upazila was established in 1983 consisting of Joydebpur and Tongi police stations.'

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
2	8	181	264	689411	1130963	3977	67.9	66.1

Gazipur Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
47.23	9	30	179037	3791	65.5

Tongi Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
7428 (2001)	12	41	476350	-	64.2

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kayaltia 54	17391	59451	55830	61.7
Kashimpur 47	10475	72645	62476	67.9
Konabari 60	4518	115501	87877	68.0
Gachha 31	6390	138133	115379	70.5
Pubail 81	11938	41546	39113	64.5
Baria 25	11354	16915	16800	58.5
Basan 23	8094	81226	67489	64.1
Mirzapur 67	23520	84723	75859	62.1

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Bhawal Palace, Bhawal Copper Plate, Bhawal Raj Shashan Mandir, Tongi Meer Jumla Bridge, Kripamayi Mandir, Palasona Zamindar Bari (Gachha), Tongi Sonabhan Mosque, Kashimpur Zamindar Bari, Lalshah Tomb (Bhadun), Bharan Rajbari.

War of Liberation Three freedom fighters including Abdul Motaleb were killed in a resistance movement at Tongi on 4 March 1971. The Pak army killed Hurmat, Manu Khalifa (tailor), Niamat and Kanu Mia at Joydebpur and Chandana Chowrasta on 19 March 1971. During the war of liberation the Pak army conducted mass killing at Tongi BCSIC industrial area on 27 March, Joydebpur on 7 April, Achirpur on 17 April, Baria, Ichharkandhi and Tongi High School compound on 14 May. Freedom fighters of Gazipur carried out operations at Pubail bridge, Majukhan rail bridge, Titarkul Choydana and other places of the upazila. There are mass graves and mass killing sites at the pond area near the Joydebpur Palace and Gachha School compound and Tongi Shahid Memorial School compound; memorials have been built at Chandana Chowrasta ('Jagrata Chourangi', the first sculpture commemorating the war of liberation), and in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office (Joydebpur Rajbari) and a War of Liberation Corner has been established at Bangladeh Open University compound.

For details: See গাজীপুর সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৩।

Religious institutions Mosque 613, temple 122, church 3.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 66.8%; male 70.6%, female 62.3%. Educational institutions: university 5, medical college 1, college 10, cadet college 1, technical college 17, technical school 10, secondary school 72, primary school 168, madrasa 36. Noted educational institutions: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (1993), Islamic University of Technology (1979), Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (1980), National University (1992), Bangladesh Open University (1993), Rani Bilasmoni Government Boys' High School (1905).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Ganamukh; weekly: Gazipur Barta, Ajker Janata, Gazir Desh, Bhawal, Gazipur Sangbad, Sakaler Kantha; monthly: Kishore Manas; quarterly: Dhan Gobeshana Somachar; yearly: Anirban.

Cultural organisations Library 170, club 6, museum 3, theatre stage 1, theatre group 5, literary society 1, women's organisation 3, women's co-operative society 89, cinema hall 10, community centre 10, shilpakala academy 1, shishu academy 1, dakbunglow 2, circuit house 1.

Tourist spots Bhawal National Park, Khatibbari Shooting Complex, Christian Tourist Centre, Nil Para Khamar Bari, Anantadhara Tourist and Amusement Centre, Pushpadham Amusement and Shooting Centre, Bhawal Palace, Kashimpur Zamindar Bari, Nuhash Film Palli, Palasona Zamindar Bari, Tongi Mir Jumla Bridge, memorials' 'Jagrata Chourangi', (the first sculpture commemorating the war of liberation at the turn of the Chandana cross-road).

Main sources of income Agriculture 17.86%, non-agricultural labourer 2.58%, commerce 19.76%, transport and communication 7.03%, service 32.22%, construction 3.97% and others 16.58%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 58.48%, landless 51.52%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, mustard, turmeric, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Indigo, aus paddy.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, pineapple, litchi, black berry, guava, papaya, plum, palm, shaddock, wood apple, tamarind.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 111, dairy 647, poultry 8052, hatchery 10, apiculture project 80, others 3.'

Communication facilities Pucca road 692 km, semi-pucca road 284 km, mud road 484 km; waterway 22 km; railway 16 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Konda (a kind of boat made of palm tree), bajra boat, tomtom, bullock cart, buffalo cart.

Noted manufactories BSIC industrial area 2 (Tongi and Konabari), various kind of large and medium size industries in the Tongi Industrial Area, Aluminium factory, hardboard, cosmetics industry, textile, ceramics industry, packaging industry, garments industry, pharmaceutical industry, machine tools factory, diesel plant, printing press, ordnance factory, bidi and cigarette factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, jute made products, bamboo work, cane work, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 26, fairs 14, most noted of which are Tongi Bazar, Pubail Bazar, Mirzapur Bazar, Kashimpur Bazar, Board Bazar, Salna Bazar, Joydebpur Bazar; Pubail Lakshmi Dashamir Mela, Tongi Shashan Ghat Mela, Dhirashram Shitala Debi Mela, Domer Para Chaitra Samkranti Mela, Koddar Baruni Mela and Joydebpur Rath Mela are notable.

Main exports Jackfruit, pineapple, vegetables, cosmetics, shoe, electric equipments, electronics, medicine, readymade garments, bidi, cigarette, mosquito coil.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under electrification net-work. However 94.7% of the dwellings have access to electricity.

Natural resources The upazila has 3140 hectors (about 7.24%) of forest land out of total 43363 hectors.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 38.9%, tap 59.5% and others 1.6%.

Sanitation 90.0% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 9.5% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 0.5% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres District sadar hospital 1, upazila health centre 1, family planning centre 10, satellite clinic 5, missionary hospital 1, cancer hospital 1, eye hospital 2, hospital 25, private medical college 1, cardiology hospital 1.

Natural Disasters The cyclone of 1969 caused loss of life of 20 persons at Mirzapur area. Besides, the tornado of 1991 caused death of 15 persons at three villages of the upazila.

NGO activities brac, asa, CARE, Hunger Free World, proshika, World Vision, ABC, Dialogue, Swanirvar Bangladesh, Pidim. [Md Farid Uddin Ahmed]

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