Morrelganj Upazila
Morrelganj Upazila (bagerhat district) area 460.90 sq km, located in between 22°20' and 22°37' north latitudes and in between 89°42' and 89°54' east longitudes. It is bounded by kachua (bagerhat) and bagerhat sadar upazilas on the north, sarankhola and mathbaria upazilas on the south, pirojpur sadar and zianagar upazilas on the east, rampal and mongla upazilas on the west.
Population Total 294576; male 143251, female 151325; Muslim 263332, Hindu 31136, Christian 34, Buddhist 2 and others 72.
Water bodies Main rivers: Baleshwari, Ghasiakhali, Panguchhi, Bhola, Balbunia.
Administration Morrelganj Thana was formed in 1909 and it was turned into an upazila in 1985.
| Upazila | ||||||||
| Municipality | Union | Mouza | Village | Population | Density (per sq km) | Literacy rate (%) | ||
| Urban | Rural | Urban | Rural | |||||
| 1 | 16 | 120 | 181 | 27130 | 267446 | 639 | 68.9 (2001) | 59.6 |
| Municipality | ||||||||
|
Area (sq km) |
Ward |
Mahalla |
Population |
Density (per sq km) |
Literacy rate (%) | |||
| 6.00 (2001) | 9 | 12 | 21741 | 3620 (2001) | 73.8 | |||
| Upazila Town | ||||||||
|
Area (sq km) |
Mouza |
Population |
Density (per sq km) |
Literacy rate (%) | ||||
| 7.23 (2001) | 1 | 5389 | 779 (2001) | 62.9 | ||||
| Union | ||||
| Name of union and GO code | Area (acre) | Population | Literacy rate (%) | |
| Male | Female | |||
| Khuolia 59 | 10364 | 13349 | 14492 | 54.7 |
| Chingrakhali 29 | 5496 | 7644 | 8285 | 56.6 |
| Jiudhara 53 | 12417 | 11446 | 11512 | 65.7 |
| Teligati 95 | 4902 | 5113 | 5408 | 68.8 |
| Daibagnyahati 35 | 5499 | 8086 | 8704 | 50.6 |
| Nishanbaria 71 | 11963 | 13043 | 13986 | 52.5 |
| Panchakaran 77 | 6949 | 7181 | 7764 | 66.3 |
| Putikhali 83 | 5522 | 6997 | 8068 | 61.4 |
| Banagram 17 | 4336 | 5555 | 5571 | 62.9 |
| Balaibunia 11 | 3648 | 5700 | 5997 | 54.2 |
| Baharbunia 10 | 7706 | 7620 | 8269 | 63.9 |
| Baraikhali 23 | 6947 | 11277 | 11592 | 66.4 |
| Morrelganj 65 | 3947 | 6151 | 6379 | 55.8 |
| Ramchandrapur 89 | 6104 | 7881 | 7994 | 61.1 |
| Hogla Pasha 47 | 4414 | 5922 | 5939 | 61.8 |
| Hoglabunia 41 | 6884 | 9431 | 10479 | 57.6 |
Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Archaeological heritage and relics Morrelganj Kuthi Bari (1849), Lakshmikhali Asrama, Rajbari at Banagram.
Historical events During the British rule in India Henry Morrel established a Neel-kuthi in this upazila and conducted heavy torture on the indigo planters. In protest, peasant movements began under peasant leader Rahimullah of Baraikhali. Rahimullah was killed on 25 November 1861.
War of Liberation In the end of May of 1971 the Pak army conducted a mass killing at Morrelganj Bazar. On this day the Pak army and local razakars arrived from Bagerhat by motor launch and encircled the whole Bazar and killed a many people by gunshot. Besides, during the war of liberation the Pak army set many houses of the upazila on fire and burnt many people to death. Freedom fighters of the upazila had encounters with Pak army at Daibaggohati razakar camp, Morrelganj razakar camp, Dhansagar, Sharalia, Rajapur and some other places of the upazila. A martyrs' memorial monument has been built in Morrelganj.
For details: see মোড়েলগঞ্জ উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৮।
Religious institutions Mosque 618, temple 65. Noted religious institutions: Town Jami Mosque, Badshah Hat Jami Mosque, Sardarpara Jami Mosque, Hawladar Danga Jami Mosque, Shree Shree Kali Mandir, Thakur Kachari Temple, Daibagnyahati Shitala Temple.
Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 60.7%; male 61.3%, female 60.1%. Educational institutions: college 8, secondary school 63, primary school 302, madrasa 63. Noted educational institutions: SM College (1968), Salimabad College (1990), Banagram Century Institution (1901), Daibagnyahati Bisheshor Multilateral Secondary School (1915), Chingrakhali Secondary School (1920), AC Laha Pilot High School (1924), Kachuabunia Rahmatia Secondary School (1927).
Newspapers and periodicals Weekly: Royal Bengal (defunct), Panguchhi (irregular), Mouchak, fortnightly: Morrelganj Barta, periodical: Mojlum, Morrelganj Porikroma, Prokash, Basundhara, Projapati (Shishu-Kishore Patrika).
Cultural organisations Library 8, press club 1, theatre 2, jatra party 1.
Main sources of income Agriculture 56.77%, non-agricultural labourer 5.81%, industry 0.91%, commerce 15.32%, transport and communication 2.13%, service 8.10%, construction 1.22%, religious service 0.28%, rent and remittance 0.49% and others 8.97%.
Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 57.45%, landless 42.55%; agricultural landowner: urban 39.78% and rural 58.89%.'
Main crops Paddy, potato, sugarcane, vegetables.
Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sweet potato.
Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, guava, palm, coconut, banana.
Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 960, dairy 8, poultry 13, hatchery 1.
Communication facilities Pucca road 66 km, semi-pucca road 193 km, mud road 1201 km; waterway 18 km.
Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin.
Noted manufactories Ice factory, saw mill, rice mill, welding factory, brick-field.
Cottage industries Embroidery, bamboo work, cane work.
Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 31, fairs 4, most noted of which are Morrelganj Hat, Daibagnyahati Hat, Polerhat Hat, Dewatala Hat, Lakshmikhali Hat, Kalachand Aulia Mela, Lakshmikhali Gopal Sadhu Mela, Sanki Bhanga Baishakhi Mela and Polerhat Ahmed Chad Mela.
Main exports Prawn, coconut, banana.
Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 29.1% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.
Sources of drinking water Tube-well 28.1%, tap 2.7% and others 69.2%.
Sanitation 72.3% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 26.3% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 1.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.
Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 1, union health and family planning centre 16, clinic 6, veterinary hospital 1.
NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, Uddipan. [Md. Shibbir Ahmed]
References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Morrelganj Upazila 2007.
