Companiganj Upazila (Sylhet District)
Companiganj Upazila (sylhet district) area 296.75 sq km, located in between 24°58' and 25°11' north latitudes and in between 91°41' and 91°53' east longitudes. It is bounded by Meghalaya (state of India) on the north, sylhet sadar, gowainghat and chhatak upazilas on the south, Gowainghat upazila on the east and Chhatak upazila on the west.
Population Total 174029; male 89649, female 84380; Muslim 160782, Hindu 12954, Buddhist 10, Christian 12 and others 271. Indigenous communities such as khasia, manipuri belong to this upazila.
Water bodies Main rivers: surma and piyain; noted baors: Baowa, Lali, Loba, Poko; noted beels: Panichhapara, Nigar, Rauti and Kalenga.
Administration Companiganj Thana was formed in 1976 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983.'
| Upazila | ||||||||
| Municipality | Union | Mouza | Village | Population | Density (per sq km) | Literacy rate (%) | ||
| Urban | Rural | Urban | Rural | |||||
| - | 6 | 79 | 138 | 18035 | 155994 | 586 | 40.2 | 27.4 |
| Upazila Town | ||||||||
|
Area |
Mouza |
Population |
Density |
Literacy rate (%) | ||||
| 8.09 | 1 | 18035 | 2229 | 40.2 | ||||
| Union | ||||
| Name of union and GO code | Area (acre) | Population | Literacy rate (%) | |
| Male | Female
| |||
| Islampur Paschim | 13272 | 27731 | 24744 | 35.1 |
| Islampur Purba | 12728 | 18844 | 17616 | 29.2 |
| Ishakalas | 11848 | 8873 | 8879 | 20.1 |
| Telikhal | 10082 | 11919 | 11619 | 25.4 |
| Ranikhai Uttar | 11797 | 13138 | 12374 | 25.6 |
| Ranikhai Dakshin | 13603 | 9144 | 9148 | 26.7 |
Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
War of Liberation During the war of liberation in 1971 Companiganj upazila was under Bholaganj Sub Sector of Sector 5. Some 19 freedom fighters of the upazila were killed in different encounters with the Pak army. There are 2 memorial monuments in the upazila.
For details: see কোম্পানীগঞ্জ উপজেলা (সিলেট জেলা), বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ২।
Religious institutions Mosque 255, temple 22, tomb 4.
Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 28.8%; male 30.9%, female 26.5%. Educational institutions: college 2, secondary school 14, primary school 54, community school 10, kindergarten 7, madrasa 18. Noted educational institutions: M. Saifur Rahman College, Vatrai High School (1957), Parua Noagaon Dakhil Madrasa (1965).
Cultural organisations Club 14, library 1, cultural organisation 2,' playground 2, women's organisation 12.
Main sources of income Agriculture 60.81%, non-agricultural labourer 12.81%, industry 0.57%, commerce 15.01%, transport and communication 0.86%, service 1.71%, construction 0.36%, religious service 0.27%, rent and remittance 1.18% and others 6.42%.
Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 50.89%, landless 49.11%; agricultural landowner: urban 42.39% and rural 51.80%.
Main crops Paddy, mustard, cassia leaf, betel leaf.
Extinct or nearly extinct crops Tobacco, ganja (hemp).
Main fruits Orange, mango, jackfruit, pineapple, lemon, satkora, betel nut.
Fisheries, dairies and poultries This upazila has a number of fisheries, dairies and poultries.'
Communication facilities Roads: pucca 82 km, semi-pucca road 5 km, mud road 238 km; waterways 10 km. culverts 104; bridges 55.
Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.
Noted manufactories Welding factory.
Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, weaving.
Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 20, fairs 3, most noted of which are Companiganj Bazar, Islamganj Bazar, Tukergaon Bazar and Parua Bazar.
Main exports Orange, fish, stone, limestone.
Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 37.3% dwellings have access to electricity.
Sources of drinking water Tube-well 76.9%, tap 0.6% and others 22.5%. The presence of arsenic in an intolerable level has been detected in the shallow tube-well water of the upazila; its rate is 12.5%.
Sanitation 44.6% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 43.8% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 11.6% of households do not have latrine facilities.
Health centres Upazila health centre 1, family planning centre 3, satellite clinic 1.
NGO activities CARE, brac, VARD, Simantik. [Jayanta Singh Roy]
References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Companiganj Upazila 2007.
