Batiaghata Upazila

Batiaghata Upazila (khulna district) area 248.31 sq km, located in between 22°34' and 22°46' north latitudes and in between 89°24' and 89°37' east longitudes. It is bounded by kotwali and sonadanga thanas and dumuria upazila on the north, dacope, paikgachha and rampal upazilas on the south, Rampal, fakirhat and rupsa upazilas on the east, Dumuria and Paikgachha upazilas on the west.

Population Total 171691; male 86685, female 85006; Muslim 109591, Hindu 61708, Buddhist 6 and Christian 386.

Water bodies Main rivers: Kazibachha, Shoilmari, Jhapjhapia, pasur, rupsa; noted canals: Aria, Batiaghata and Halia; noted beels: Jhalma, Jhalbari, Basurabad, Ginirabad and Bhatgati.

Administration Batiaghata Thana was formed in 1892 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
- 7 127 172 7675 164016 691 65.7 54.4
Upazila Town
Area (sq km) Mouza Population Density (per sq km) Literacy rate (%)
8.31 2 7675 924 65.7
Union
Name of union and GO code Area (acre) Population Literacy rate (%)
Male Female
Amirpur 11 4593 8254 8028 49.4
Gangarampur 59 9272 9004 9164 62.4
Jalma 71 12934 30638 28387 56.9
Batiaghata 35 8535 9644 9816 63.8
Baliadanga 23 4839 8424 8389 45.9
Bhanderkote 47 6966 7888 7946 48.3
Surkhali 83 10986 12833 13276 51.0

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

War of Liberation During the war of liberation in 1971 the Pak army killed 3 persons at village Badamtali near Upazila sadar. An encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army when the Pak army attacked the camp of the freedom fighters at Jalsa High School. One person was killed in this encounter. Two freedom fighters were martyred in an encounter between the freedom fighters and the rajakars at Baroaria Bazar on 29 November. On 10 December birsrestha mohammad ruhul amin was killed by Pak air raid in Kazibachha river adjacent to village Mathabhanga on his way to Khulna from Mongla. One mass killing site was discovered at Gollamari and a memorial monument was built in the upazila.

For details: see বটিয়াঘাটা উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation Bangla Version), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৬।

Religious institutions Mosque 123, temple 84, church 1, pagoda 1.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 54.9%; Male 59.0%, female 50.7%. Noted educational institution: Khulna University (1991), Batiaghata College (1973), Shahid Abul Kashem College (1995), Boyarbhanga Biswambar Secondary School (1945), Chakrakhali Secondary School (1957), Batiaghata Headquarter Government Primary School (1973), Phulbari Senior Madrasa (1937).

Newspapers and periodicals Monthly: Upazila Darpan (defunct periodical), Rashni, Annesha.

Cultural organisations Club 20, library 2, women's organisation 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 57.45%, non-agricultural labourer 8.72%, commerce 13.21%, transport and communication 4.63%, service 6.45%, construction 1.69%, religious service 0.22%, rent and remittance 0.16% and others 7.47%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 52.46%, landless 47.54%; agricultural landowner: urban' 62.19% and rural 51.92%.

Main crops Paddy, oil seed, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Jute.

Main fruits Mango, coconut, betel nut.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries fishery 1000, dairy 185, poultry 85.

Communication facilities Pucca road 89 km, semi-pucca road 135 km, mud road 343.4 km; waterways 16 km.

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

Noted manufactories Rice mill, saw mill, ice factory, brick-field, bidi factory, shoe factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, weaving, blacksmith, potteries, bamboo work, cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 50, most noted of which are Hatbari Hat, Kutir Bazar, Kaiya Bazar, Bara Aria Hat, Baintala Bazar, Joypur Bazar, Sadal Bazar and Katianangla Bazar.

Main exports Prawn (Galda and Bagda).

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 39.3% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 96.4%, tap 0.1% and others 3.5%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in shallow tube-well water of this upazila.

Sanitation 87.4% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 9.7% of dwelling houses use non-sanitary latrines; 2.9% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Heath centres 'Hospital 1, satellite clinic 2, family planning centre 6, veterinary hospital 1.

NGO activities brac, CSS, World Vision. [Shah Siddiq]

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