Narayanganj Sadar Upazila

Narayanganj Sadar Upazila (narayanganj district) area 100.74 sq km, located in between 23°33' and 23°43' north latitudes and in between 90°26' and 90°33' east longitudes. It is bounded by demra Thana on the north, munshiganj sadar and tongibari upazilas on the south, bandar (narayanganj) and sonargaon upazilas on the east, keraniganj and serajdikhan upazilas on the west.

Population Total 1323600; male 690641, female 632959; Muslim 1248013, Hindu 74789, Buddhist 245, Christian 463 and others 90.

Water bodies Main rivers: shitalakshya, dhaleshwari, buriganga, ichamati.

Administration Narayanganj Municipality was formed in 1876.

Upazila
Municipality Union Mouza Village Population Density (per sq km) Literacy rate (%)
Urban Rural Urban Rural
2 7 44 103 543090 780510 13138 67.7 59.2
Narayanganj Municipality
Area
(sq km)
Ward Mahalla Population Density
(per sq km)
Literacy rate (%)
12.69 9 75 286330 22563 68.6
Siddirganj Municipality
Area
(sq km)
Ward Mahalla Population Density
(per sq km)
Literacy rate (%)
22.71 9 36 256760 11306 66.0
Union
Name of union and GO code Area (acre) Population Literacy rate (%)
Male Female
Alir Tek 20 2083 10060 8616 47.6
Enayetnagar 31 1369 50741 46308 62.8
Kashipur 63 1403 61010 56316 57.0
Kutubpur 79 3647 136342 122920 62.4
Gognagar 47 462 14077 13457 62.2
Fatullah 37 1791 108669 97757 60.5
Baktaballi 25 5391 28830 25407 39.9

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Fort and Shahi mosque at Hajiganj, tomb and mosque of Bibi Mariam, Enayetnagar Mosque, Tomb of Mia Shah, Lakshmi-Narayan Mandir.

Historical events Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardhy migrated from Kolkata to Dhaka in 1949 and organized a meeting at the Rahmatullah Institute of Narayanganj. This was the first meeting against the Government of East Bengal. The people of Narayanganj took active role in the language movement of 1952.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation the freedom fighters raided razakar camp at Baburail Bridge and killed 7 razakars. On 29 November the Pak army shot 139 persons dead at a place on the bank of the Buriganga in Baktabali Dikri Char area under of the upazila. Freedom fighters carried out operations at Narayanganj General Post Office, Langalband Bridge, and the oil depot of the Burma Eastern Company.

For details: see নারায়ণগঞ্জ সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৫।

Religious institutions Fakirtola Jami Mosque, Amla Para Jami Mosque, Narayanganj Sadhupal Church, Dhakeshwari Mandir, Nagbari Mandir, Dargah of Hazrat Shah Fatehullah Bogdadi (R) are notable.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 62.7%; male 65.3%, female 60.0%. Educational institutions: college 7, secondary school 49, primary school 112, kindergarten 70, madrasa 20. Noted educational institutions: Narayanganj College, Haji Misir Ali College, Sanar Para Rawshanara College, Adarsha Girls' School and College, Narayanganj Technical School and College, Tolaram Government College (1937), Narayanganj Government Mohila College, Narayanganj High School (1885), Narayanganj Bar Academy (1906), Morgan Girls' High School (1910), Deobhog Haji Ujir Ali High School (1924), Narayanganj Government Girls' High School, Narayanganj Islamia Fazil Madrasa.

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Sitalakshya, Khaborer Pata, Sochaton, Ajker Narayanganj, Soja Sapta, Dandy Barta, Desher Alo, Ihkal, Juger Chinta; defunct: Sabuj Bangla, Bartabaha, Ganadesh, Porichoi, Rokto Golap, Kriya Saptaha, Akshata Polash, Roktakto Falgun, Chitra Lekha, Rupashi Bangla, The Economists, Bhaskar, Jhikimiki, Shapla, papyrus, Daruchini, Robisabargo, Amirto, Ajiban.

Cultural organisations Library 15, club 12, theatre group 5, cinema hall 14, playground 30, literary society 3.

Tourist spots Fakirtola Mosque, Chashara Eidgah, Kali Mandir, Ram Krishna Mission, St. Paul Church, Braksha Mandir, Dredger Base and Mary Anderson Floating Restaurant.

Main sources of income Agriculture 4.20%, non-agricultural labourer 3.11%, industry 4.67%, commerce 25.30%, transport and communication 7.66%, service 29.71%, construction 3.43%, religious service 0.14%, rent and remittance 2.93% and others 18.85%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 34.02%, landless 38.90%; agricultural landowner: urban 65.98% and rural 62.55%.

Main crops Paddy, potato, jute, sugarcane, masur, mustard.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Linseed, kalai, kaun.

Main fruits Mango, banana, papaya.

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

Communication facilities Pucca road 148.31 km, semi-pucca road 19.49 km, mud road 439.09 km; waterway 31 km; railway 17 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Garments factory, aluminum factory, dying and knitting factory, flour mill, steel' mill, oil mill, textile mill, jute mill, paper mill, brick-field, bidi factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Hosiery, wood work, embroidery, potteries.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 70, fairs 10, most noted of which are Fatulla Cattle Market, Pagla Hat, Dikrir Char Hat, Baktaballi Hat, Degubabur Bazar, Machhua Bazar, Kalir Bazar, Masdair Bazar, Hajiganj Bazar, Kashipur Bangla Bazar, Beo Bazar, Khanpur Bazar, Siddirganj Bazar, Deobhog Lakshmi-Narayan Akhra Mela, Fatulla Baishakhi Mela.

Main exports Jute products, garments products.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 97.2% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 65.5%, tap 31.4% and others 3.1%.

Sanitation 90.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 9.1% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 0.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 2, clinic 26, other health centre 9, EPI centre 61.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, Manobik Unnayan Centre, Attakarma Samsthan Unnayan Centre, Bangladesh Mohila Sangha. [Ruhul Amin Prodhan]

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