Mohanganj Upazila

Mohanganj Upazila (netrokona district) area 243.20 sq km, located in between 24°45' and 24°55' north latitudes and in between 90°55' and 91°07' east longitudes. It is bounded by barhatta and dharmapasha upazilas on the north, atpara, madan and khaliajuri upazilas on the south, jamalganj and Khaliajuri upazilas on the east, Atpara upazila on the west.

Population Total 143740; male 73702, female 70038; Muslim 118610, Hindu 24976, Buddhist 71 and others 83.

Water bodies Main rivers: Dhalai, Magra, Kansa, Dhanu, Ghorautra, Chinai; Bandha Beel and Makra Beel are notable.

Administration Mohanganj Thana, now an upazila, was formed on 6 April 1920.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	7	128	163	21376	122364	591	58.8	29.7

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
6.94	9	18	21376	3080	58.8

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Gaglajur 31	10780	9054	8212	28.62
Tentulia 84	9898	8488	8053	24.74
Barkashia Birampur 10	5338	8778	8342	31.57
Baratali Banihari 21	6399	8333	8414	31.19
Maghan Siadhar 42	9177	9941	9516	31.93
Samaj Sahildeo 63	7857	9593	9331	28.11
Suair 73	8889	8330	7979	31.45

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Ancient fort at village Betham (Sultan Alauddin Hussain Shah period), Shekher Bari Mosque (Hussain Shah period), Daulatpur Temple (876 BS).

History of the War of Liberation The freedom fighters made a surprise attack on the Pak army at Mohanganj Police Station and forced them to flee away towards Barhatta Upazila. The freedom fighters then took control over the Police Station. On 8 December the freedom fighters, in collaboration with the local people, killed 19 razakars at Patharghata of Mohanganj.

Religious institutions Mosque 217, temple 32.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 34.3%; male 36.9%, female 31.5%. Educational institutions: college 2, secondary school 8, primary school 50, school 46, madrasa 5. Noted educational institutions: Mohanganj Degree College (1969), Mohanganj Mohila College (1998), Mohanganj Government Pilot High School (1931), Mohanganj Public High School (1981).

Cultural organisations Library 4, club 36, cinema hall 3, women organisation 4, playground 12, theatre group 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 67.75%, non-agricultural labourer 2.87%, industry 0.80%, commerce 11.87%, transport and communication 2.80%, service 4.30%, construction 0.86%, religious service 0.46%, rent and remittance 0.28% and others 8.01%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, mustard, cotton.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Potato.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, blackberry.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 50,' poultry 61.

Communication facilities Pucca road 34.34 km, semi-pucca road 37 km, mud road 217 km; railway 3 km; waterway 12 nautical miles.

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

Noted manufactories Flour mill, saw mill, rice mill, oil mill, ice factory, printing press, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, embroidery, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 38, fairs 2, most noted of which are Mohanganj Hat,' Chhesrakhali Hat, Mathura Hat, Jainpur Hat, Betham Hat, Gaglajur Hat, Paikura Hat, Palgaon Hat, Nagdora Mela and Barantar Mela.

Main exports Paddy, dry fish, egg.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 20.13% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.85%, tap 0.86%, pond 1.44% and others 2.85%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in 33% of the shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 13.80% (rural 7.06% and urban 52.38%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 75.71% (rural 81.44% and urban 42.82%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 10.50% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 7, satellite clinic 2.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, Ahsania Mission. [Syed Marufuzzaman]

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