Lohagara Upazila (Narail District)

Lohagara Upazila (narail district) area 284.91 sq km, located in between 23°05' and 23°19' north latitudes and in between 89°29' and 89°46' east longitudes. It is bounded by mohammadpur upazila on the north, kalia upazila on the south, alfadanga, kashiani and gopalganj sadar upazilas on the east, narail sadar and shalikha upazilas on the west.

Population Total 228594; male 109450, female 119144; Muslim 202933, Hindu 25618, Buddhist 1, Christian 4 and others 38.

Water bodies Main rivers: nabaganga, madhumati, ichamati; Chhatra Canal, Gondob Canal, Naldi Beel, Kumri Beel and Amadar Beel are notable.

Administration Lohagara Thana was formed in 1861 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 12 134 217 25290 203304 802 76.1 60.0
Municipality
Area
(sq km)
Ward Mahalla Population Density
(per sq km)
Literacy rate (%)
17.1 1 9 25290 1479 76.1
Union
Name of union and GO code Area (acre) Population Literacy rate (%)
Male Female
Itna 15 7386 10422 11854 60.6
Kashipur 31 4807 6723 7118 65.1
Kotakul 39 4125 5786 6355 60.5
Joypur 23 4799 9457 10662 68.0
Dighalia 07 6907 10767 11693 64.6
Naldi 79 9853 10351 10409 51.0
Noagram 87 6250 8004 8700 65.0
Mallikpur 71 4354 7264 8024 65.9
Lakshmipasha 55 3746 4406 4758 67.6
Lahuria 47 7116 12061 12983 46.6
Lohagara 63 1415 3587 3984 65.7
Shalnagar 94 5446 8429 9507 53.6

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Naldi Gazir Dargah, Radha Govinda Mandir (Jorbangla).

War of Liberation In 1971 a battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the Pak army and local razakars in which 8 Pak soldiers were killed and so were 2 freedom fighters. On 23 May the Pak army conducted mass killing and plundering at Itna village; they also set many houses of the village on fire. Lohagara upazila was liberated on 8 December. A mass grave has been discovered at Itna.

For details: see লোহাগড়া উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৯।

Religious institutions Mosque 525, temple 10, tomb 5, sacred place 3. Noted religious institutions: Lohagara Thana Jami Mosque, Lakshmipasha Kalibari Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 61.9%; male 63.3%, female 60.6%. Educational institutions: college 6, secondary school 34, primary school 151, madrasa 68. Noted educational institutions: Nabaganga Degree College, Itna High School (1900), Lohagara Model College (1968), Lakshmipasha Model College, CD High School, LSJN High School, Itna High School (1900), Dighalia Model High School (1966), Lohagara Pilot High School (1906), Naldi BSS Secondary School (1916), KDRK Secondary School (1920), Kashipur AC Secondary School (1916), Itna Secondary School (1930), Lakshmipasha Model College (1889), Kumri Talbaria Hamidia Senior Madrasa (1960), Lahuria Siddiquia Fazil Madrasa, SHBR Alim Madrasa.

Newspapers and periodicals Barujebe Somprodai (defunct), Shotabdir Alo (Irregular).

Cultural organisations Library 3, club 138, theatre group 6, literary organisation 2, jatra party 4, women organisation 90, playground 30, cinema hall 2.

Amusement centres Niribili picnic spot and Niribili' farmhouse for children.

Main sources of income Agriculture 58.07%, non-agricultural labourer 2.76%, industry 1.16%, commerce 13.28%, transport and communication 3.62%, service 12.72%, construction 1.17%, religious service 0.21%, rent and remittance 0.44% and others 6.52%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 62.22%, landless 37.78%; agricultural landowner: urban 46.69% and rural 62.58%.'

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard, betel leaf, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops China, linseed, kaun, arahar, sesame, gram, barley.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, banana, papaya, star apple, blackberry, coconut, betel nut, shaddock, hog-plum.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 4015, dairy 43, poultry 47.

Communication facilities Pucca road 188.06 km, semi-pucca road 49.19 km, mud road 419.11 km.

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

Noted manufactories Biscuit factory,' pen manufacturing factory, ice factory, saw mill, welding factory.

Cottage industries Weaving, bamboo works, tailoring.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 40, fairs 4, most noted of which are Lohagara Bazar, Baradia Bazar, Erenda Bazar, Naldi Bazar, Dighalia Bazar, Raigram Bazar, Mithapur Bazar, Mandalbag Bazar, Itna Hat, Manikganj Hat, Rath Mela (Radhanagar) and Chaitra Samkranti Mela (Lohagara, Dighalia and Baradia).

Main exports Betel leaf, betel nut, banana, papaya, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 43.9% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 98.1%, tap 0.3% and others 1.6%. The presence of arsenic has been detected in the shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 85.6% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 12.5% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 1.9% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 12, satellite centre 3, hospital 1, charitable hospital 4, clinic 5, veterinary hospital 2.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the flood of 1954, draught of 1957 and devastating cyclones of 1961 and 1988; they also caused heavy damages to settlements, livestock, crops and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa. [Billal Hussain]

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