Gopalganj Sadar Upazila

Gopalganj Sadar Upazila (gopalganj district) area 389.61 sq km, located in between 22°54' and 23°13' north latitudes and in between 89°40' and 89°58' east longitudes. It is bounded by lohagara, kashiani and muksudpur upazilas on the north, tungipara and mollahat upazilas on the south, kotalipara and rajoir upazilas on the east, Mollahat, kalia and Lohagara upazilas on the west.

Population Total 344008; male 172991, female 171017; Muslim 251406, Hindu 90685, Buddhist 19, Christian 1532 and others 366.

Water bodies Main rivers: gorai-madhumati, kumar, Madhupur; Basarater Canal and Gopalganj Beel are notable.

Administration Gopalganj Sadar Thana was turned into an upazila in 1984.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	21	125	197	53778	290230	883	69.1 (2001)	58.8

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
14.24	9	47	51346	3606	78.6

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
2.56 (2001)	2	2432	870 (2001)	58.4

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Urafi 94	2656	5098	5156	60.4
Ulpur 90	4789	8149	8088	53.1
Karpara 47	6921	9861	10580	54.2
Kajulia 43	6089	7407	6889	60.0
Kati 51	4586	5364	5505	53.4
Gopinathpur 30	6680	5827	6208	59.1
Gobra 21	4277	6168	6257	64.5
Chandra Dighalia 15	2714	8459	7200	63.0
Jalalabad 38	4213	7465	7792	58.3
Durgapur 17	4212	8806	8614	55.7
Nizra 64	2827	3617	3902	58.1
Paikkandi 69	3963	8138	8414	61.7
Borasi 11	2075	6136	6188	58.0
Baultali 13	4043	5406	5490	58.6
Majhigati 60	2770	5934	5895	55.5
Raghunathpur 73	5792	8427	8125	58.4
Latifpur 56	2930	8875	8321	65.5
Suktail 86	5295	6724	7016	50.5
Satpar 82	8707	9321	9220	62.3
Sahapur 77	4479	5163	5080	63.4
Haridaspur 34	2738	6277	6100	60.3

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

Archaeological heritage and relics St Mathuranath AG Church (1875), Asram of Shukh Deva (1802), Gayebi Mosque at Khagail.

Historical events In 1368 BS a riot was held between the Hindu and the Muslim at villages Karpara, Balakoir and Targram of Baultali Union in which many people of both communities were killed.

War of Liberation Two freedom fighters were killed in an encounter with the Pak army on 7 April 1971. The Pak army brutally killed 13 persons at village Paikkandhi in May. An encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at village Shasabaria under Urafi Union of the upazila in which 10 freedom fighters were killed. Mass killing sites have been discovered at two places (Paikkandi and Urafi) of the upazila.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 400, temple 181, church 7. Noted religious institutions: Court Mosque' (1949), Thanapara Jami' Mosque (1920/1921), Kali Temple (1918).

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 61.8%; male 64.4%, female 59.2%. Educational institutions: college 7, secondary school 47, primary school 213, kindergarten 18, madrasa 5. Noted educational institutions: Government Bangabandhu College, Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Government Women's College, MH Khan College, Government Technical School and College (1965), Gopalganj Polytechnic Institute' (2001), Ulpur PC High School (1900), Gopinathpur Secondary School (1911), Baultali Sahapur Sammilani High School (1928), SM Model Government Boys' High School, Sarnakali High School, Chandra Dighalia High School, Gopalganj SK Kamil Madrasa.

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Jugakatha, Bhorer Bani, Sheren, Banglar Sanket, Bishwa Darpan, Surjasha, Juger Sathi;, weekly: Janapader Katha; defunct: Gopalganj Barta, Gopalganj Sahitya Patra, Alor Disheri; periodical: Durba.

Cultural organisations Library 2, club 98, cinema hall 2, shilpakala academy 1, stadium 2, cultural organisation, soprts organisations 35, theatre group 1, youth organisation 47.

Amusement centers Akramuzzaman Park.

Main sources of income Agriculture 53.27%, non-agricultural labourer 2.49%, industry 0.47%, commerce 14.42%, transport and communication 4.33%, service 14.33%, construction 1.81%, religious service 0.40%, rent and remittance 1.27% and others 7.21%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 67.24%, landless 32.76%; agricultural landowner: urban 55.84% and rural 68.96%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, peanut, sugarcane, mustard, linseed, sesame, pulse, sweet potato, vegetables. Extinct or nearly extinct crops china, kaun, jute, barley.

Main fruits Mango, coconut, betel nut, banana.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 25, dairy 254, poultry 230, hatchery 3, nursery 16, shrimp cultivation 1398, artificial breeding centre 3.

Communication facilities Pucca road 206 km, semi-pucca road 103 km, mud road 383 km; waterway 163 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Saw mill, oil mill, flour mill, rice mill, biscuit factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, potteries, weaving, blacksmith, cane work, bamboo work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Gopalganj, Baultali, Satpar, Betgram, Golabaria, Kajulia, Boalia, Bhera, Chandra Dighalia, Raghunathpur, Manikhar and Gopinathpur hats; Madhumati Bazar; Gopalganj, Baultali, Golabaria, Satpar, Tutamandra, Sanpukuria and Ulpur mela are notable.'

Main exports Prawn, paddy, leather, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 60.2% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Pit coal been discovered in the Chandar Beel of the upazila.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 82.3%, tap 14.7% and others 3.0%.

Sanitation 86.6% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 12.0% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 1.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 4, hospital 4, maternity hospital 1, community clinic 31, clinic 8.

Natural disasters The cyclone of 1919 damaged about 80% of the settlements of the upazila. Besides, a number of people were killed and many more wounded in the cyclone of 1977; it also caused heavy damages to settlements and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities brac, asa, caritas, Christian Service Society, Swanirvar Bangladesh, Ganaunnayan Prachesta, Legal Aid. [Swapan Gain]

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