Sirajganj Sadar Upazila

Sirajganj Sadar Upazila (sirajganj district) area 320.15 sq km, located in between 24°22' and 24°37' north latitudes and in between 89°36' and 89°47' east longitudes. It is bounded by kazipur upazila on the north, kamarkhanda and belkuchi upazilas on the south, sarishabari, kalihati and bhuapur upazilas on the east, Kamarkhanda, raiganj and dhunat upazilas on the west.

Population Total 555155; male 279113, female 276042; Muslim 534622, Hindu 20490, Buddhist 10, Christian 23 and others 10.

Water bodies Main rivers: jamuna, ichamati.

Administration Sirajganj Sadar Thana was formed under mymensingh district in 1772 and it was turned into an upazila in 1984.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	10	203	294	167200	387955	1734	60.4 (2001)	41.5

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
28.49 (2001)	15	50	158913	4498 (2001)	63.2

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
2.78 (2001)	1	8287	2521 (2001)	41.3

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Kaoakola 34	8084	8967	8746	31.1
Kalia Haripur 25	6972	26051	24349	44.0
Khoksabari 43	4829	14962	15313	44.8
Chhangachha 94	6710	18775	19404	43.9
Bahuli 17	5863	19660	19743	39.1
Baghbati 16	6571	26791	26224	41.9
Mechhra 51	12589	12522	12244	35.4
Ratankandi 60	8240	23934	24982	40.7
Shialkul 77	6034	23071	22894	45.1
Saidabad 69	8856	24139	23471	40.7

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

Archaeological heritage and relics Elliot Bridge (Iron bridge, 1893) on the Katakhali river.

Historical events The Hindu-Muslim Pact of the Swaraj Party, headed by Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, was adopted in the Conference of the All India Congress Party held in 1924 at Sirajganj. Mahatma Gandhi and subhas chandra bose came to Sirajganj to attend the convention of the Brahmo Samaj in 1928. National Poet kazi nazrul islam came to Sirajganj in 1932 to preside over the conference of the Tarun Muslim. ak fazlul huq laid the foundation stone of Sirajganj Degree College in 1940. The three-day conference of the Nikhil Bharat Muslim League was held in the month of February 1942 under the chairmanship of mohammed ali jinnah.

War of Liberation Freedom fighters had encounters with the Pak army at different places of the upazila including at Sailabari, Degree College and on the bank of the river Jamuna. A sculpture ("Durjay Bangla") was established at the premises of the Chandidasgati Ganasastha Kendra.

For details: see সিরাজগঞ্জ সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ১০।

Religious institutions Mosque 660, temple 24, tomb 4. Noted religious institutions: Sirajganj Jami Mosque, Hossainpur Lal Mosque, Yogol Kishore Mandir, Kalibari Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 48.0%; male 50.1%, female 45.8%. Educational institutions: medical college 1, university college 1, college 17, medical assistant training centre 1, B.Ed college 1, polytechnic' institute 1, vocational institute 1, secondary school 26, primary school 236, kindergarten 39, madrasa 14. Noted educational institutions: Sirajganj Government University College (1940), North Bengal Medical College, Islamia College (1887), Government Rasidajjoha Mohila College, Sirajganj Polytechnic Institute, Youth Training Institute, Harina Baghbati High School (1866), BL Government High School (1869), Gyandayini High School (1884), Victoria High School (1898), Saleha Ishaq Government Girls' High School.

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Kalam Saynik, Jamuna, Probaha, Jamuna Setu; weekly: Jamuna Barta, Sahasi Janata, Jaha Baliba Satya Balibo, Sundar Barta, Ananda Bhor, Sirajganj Barta, Sirajganj Kantha, Dolanchapa; defunct weekly: Samakal, Samajug, Sirajganj Samachar, Jehad, Krishan, Janapad, Ittefaq, Naya jamana, Yuger Dabi; defunct fortnightly: Mukul, Jamuna(1963); defunct monthly; Jamuna, Asalatai, Nur, Pratinidhi, Tajkir, Palli Pradip (1935), Sebak, Naya jamana, Desher Das, Pratibha; literary periodical: quarterly Biggan Bichitra.

Cultural organisations Library 69, club 123, women's organisation 33, theatre group 10, cinema hall 6.

Amusement centres bangabandhu jamuna multipurpose bridge, Lohar Poll (Elliot Bridge).

Main sources of income Agriculture 34.30%, non-agricultural labourer 4.50%, industry 9.09%, commerce 18.77%, transport and communication 6.05%, service 11.83%, construction 2.71%, religious service 0.24%, rent and remittance 0.65% and others 11.86%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 47.61%, landless 52.39%; agricultural landowner: urban 31.34% and rural 53.76%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, sugarcane, potato, sweet potato, mustard, ground nut, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Tobacco, china, gram, 'mug, aus paddy, arahar, kalai.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, blackberry, coconut, palm, date, guava, olive, plum, wood apple, tamarind.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 10, dairy 413, poultry 74, hatchery 4.

Communication facilities Pucca road 122 km, semi-pucca road 9 km, mud road 518 km; railway 22 km.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill 1, flour mill 1, jute mill 1, spinning and cotton mill 1, textile mill 1, steel mill 1, cement factory 2, plastic factory 1, pharmaceuticals industry 1.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, weaving, potteries, wood work, jute and jute mad goods, food and allied industry, pati and mat work, handicrafts, bamboo and cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 24, most noted of which are Kalia Kandhapara Hat, Shialkul Hat,' Ratankandi Bazar, Baghbati Bazar and Harina Bazar.

Main exports Jute, molasses, flour, cotton sari, lungi, grameen check.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 65.9% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Sand, fish.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 93.9%, tap 4.0% and others 2.1%.

Sanitation 62.3% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 32.9% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 4.8% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 1, upazila health complex 1, police hospital 1, chest disease clinic 1, rural health centre 1, satellite clinic 6, family planning centre 9, mother and child welfare centre 1, child hospital 1, eye hospital 1, diabetic clinic 1, clinic 15, Sandhani donor club 1, railway dispensary 1.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the famines of 1897, 1943 and 1974. Besides, the earthquakes of 1885 and 1897' caused heavy damages to settlements and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, proshika, CARE, thengamara mahila sabuj sangha. [Kamrul Islam]

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