Khoksa Upazila

Khoksa Upazila (kushtia district) area 106.70 sq km, located in between 23'44' and 23'53' north latitudes and in between 89'15' and 89'22' east longitudes. It is bounded by kumarkhali and pabna sadar upazilas on the north, shailkupa upazila on the south, pangsha upazila on the east, Kumarkhali upazila on the west.

Population Total 114188; male 58131, female 56057; Muslim 100704, Hindu 13469, Buddhist 13 and others 2.

Water bodies Main river: gorai.

Administration Khoksa Thana was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	9	85	101	21303	92885	1070	49.9	37.3

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
12.50	9	-	-	-	-

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
12.54	8	21303	1699	49.9

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Ambaria 43	1857	4989	4962	29.44
Osmanpur	539	1334	1326	47.10
Khoksa 47	8520	18109	17279	41.65
Gopagram	434	3092	3016	43.07
Janipur 23	5832	11937	10194	41.61
Jayanti Hajra	1059	1281	1267	33.05
Betbaria	396	781	726	44.41
Shimulia	1044	2215	2131	34.56
Samaspur 71	6684	14393	14056	38.68

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Kali temple and Neelkuthi.

Religious institutions Roypur Pirbari Jami Mosque, Fulbari Jami Mosque, Chadot Jami Mosque, Hijlabat Jami Mosque, Uthali Beparipara Jami Mosque, Miabari Jami Mosque, Khoksa Kali Mandir and Fulbari Mandir are notable.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 39.7%; male 43.6%, female 35.6%. Noted educational institutions: Khoksa Degree College (1972), Janipur Pilot High School (1900), Fulbari High School (1900), Sengram High School (1907), Iswardi Secondary School (1964).

Newspapers and periodicals Droho (weekly).

Cultural organisations Library 13, theatre group 2, jatra party 2, cinema hall 3, women's organisation 3.

Main sources of income Agriculture 51.90%, non-agricultural labourer 4.68%, industry 10.23%, commerce 15.32%, transport and communication 3.97%, service 6.35%, construction 1.29%, religious service 0.08%, rent and remittance 0.16% and others 6.02%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 51.46%, landless 48.54%; agricultural landowner: urban 24.12% and rural 58.16%.'

Main crops Paddy, wheat, jute, potato, sugarcane.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Kaun, barley.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, banana, jackfruit, papaya, litchi.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries This upazila has a number of fisheries, poultries and hatcheries.

Communication facilities Pucca road 54.08 km, mud road 202.70 km; railway 5.2 km; waterway 30 nautical miles. Railstation 1.

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

Noted manufactories Ice factory, rice mill, oil mill,' flour mill, saw mill.

Cottage industries Weaving, potteries, bamboo work, nakshi kantha.

Hats, bazars and fairs Ektarpur Hat, Gadai Hat, Moragachha Hat, Sengram Hat, Ambaria Hat, Fulbaria Hat, Mahish Bathan Rash Mela and Khoksa Kali Mela.

Main exports Jute, sugarcane.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 22.55% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.90%, tap 0.89%, pond 0.14% and others 4.07%.

Sanitation 42.59% (rural 59.25% and urban 38.84%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 37.16% (rural 29.71% and urban 38.84%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 20.25% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 2, family planning centre 1, community clinic 9.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac asa. [Kamruzzaman]

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