Savar Upazila

Savar Upazila (dhaka district) area 280.11 sq km, located in between 23°44' and 24°02' north latitudes and in between 90°11' and 90°22' east longitudes. It is bounded by kaliakair and gazipur sadar upazilas on the north, keraniganj upazila on the south, mohammadpur, adabar, darus salam, shah ali, pallabi and turag thanas on the east, dhamrai and singair upazilas on the west.

Population Total 1385910; male 738764, female 647146; Muslim 1300798, Hindu 74080, Buddhist 2708, Christian 7976 and others 348.

Water bodies Main rivers: dhaleshwari, bangshi, turag.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	12	216	380	296851	1089059	4948	74.9	66.1

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
13.54	9	56	296851	21924	74.9

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Amin Bazar 15	2703	20397	17103	54.0
Ashulia 18	6450	78305	65647	64.7
Yearpur 94	6511	63234	53602	70.9
Kaundia 50	2835	14952	12844	54.1
Tetuljhora 89	3843	58214	48715	63.9
Dhamsana 39	8098	162372	145652	75.0
Pathalia 72	7102	49001	44149	64.6
Banagram 22	4460	17786	15841	51.7
Biralia 33	7448	22392	18796	60.3
Bhakurta 27	5203	23746	21201	48.2
Shimulia 83	8564	46987	42236	60.3
Savar 78	2521	24360	21527	67.5

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Homestead of Raja Harish Chandra (8th century), Biralia Zamindar Bari.

Historical events Savar was the capital of the Shombhog Kingdom during the seventh and eighth century. Raja Harishchandra was the king of this kingdom. It is believed that he belonged to the Dasbala Buddha Family. The inscriptions of the sixth century give an impression that that many foreign traders used to come to the area for business.

War of Liberation On 14 November 1971, A group of freedom fighters led by Nasir Uddin Yusuf had a direct encounter with the Pak army at a Madhurati. A young freedom fighter Golam Dastagirr Titu was killed in the encounter and was buried at a place near the main gate of the Savar Dairy Farm. Bangladesh Army constructed a memorial monument in honor of him. Freedom fighters had encounters with Pak army also at Rustmpur of Birulia union and on the bank of Paragao river. A mass grave has been discovered at Nabinagar near Jatiya Smriti Shaudha. Two memorial monuments ("Sangsaptak" at Jahangirnagar University and one at Savar Dairy Farm) and two martyrs’ memorials (Jatiya Smriti Shaudha at Nabinagar, and Amar Ekushey Sculpture at Jahangirnagar University) have been built.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 318, temple 78, church 2. Noted religious institutions: Jahangirnagar University and Savar Dairy Farm Mosques, Savar Baptist Church, Savar Daskinpara Harir Akhra Mandir, Panchabati Ashrama Mandir.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 68.0%; male 71.6%, female 63.9%. Educational institutions: university 3, primary teachers training institute 1, technical college 1, private medical college 1, college 26, law college 1, secondary school 50, primary school 100, community school 14, kindergarten 104, madrasa 11. Noted educational institutions: Jahangirnagar University (1970), Gana Bishwabiddalay, Savar Adhar Chandra High School (1913), Shimulia SP High School (1914).

Newspapers and periodicals Jagrata Kantha, Savar Barta, Savar Kantha, Ganabhasa.

Cultural organisations Club 200, golf club 1, childrens' organisation 1, amnesty organisation 2, womens organisation 1, bangladesh mohila parishad 1, film society 3, theatre group 5, theatre stage 1, music academy 5, jatra party 1, cinema hall 5.

Important installations and amusement centres Jatiya Smriti Shaudha, Savar Cantonment, Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre, Bangladesh Radio, BKSP, Sheikh Hasina National Youth Centre, Atomic Energy Research Centre, National Institute of Biotechnology, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, brac Training Centre, Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), Homestead of Raja Harish Chandra (8th century), Buddhist Vihara, Fantasy Kingdom, Nandan Park.

Main sources of income Agriculture 20.46%, non-agricultural labourer 3.09%, industry 2.82%, commerce 20.55%, transport and communication 5.75%, service 28.74%, construction 2.84%, religious service 0.18%, rent and remittance 2.67% and others 12.90%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 42.94%, landless 57.06%.

Main crops Paddy, Jute, ground nut, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Aus paddy, asha kumari paddy, sesame, linseed, kali mator, randhuni saj, mitha saj, kaun, black gram.

Main fruits Jackfruit, olive, kamranga, papaya, mango, guava, blackberry, banana.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Dairy 526, poultry 754, hatchery 5.

Communication facilities Pucca road 273 km, semi-pucca road 114 km, mud road 760 km; waterway 44 km; Culvert 92.

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

Noted manufactories Garments industry, textile industry, ceramic industry, beverage industry, transformer industry, automobile industry, pharmaceutical industry, biscuit and bread factory, paints factory, printing and dying factory, cold storage, oil mill, welding factory, saw mill, shoe factory, soap factory, jute mill, brick field.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, weaving.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 14, fairs 8, most noted of which are Savar Bazar, Nabinagar Bazar, Amin Bazar, Balibhadra Bazar, Bagbari Bazar, Ashulia Hat, Savar Hat, Shimulia Hat, Kathgara Hat, Sadullapur Hat, Bhakurta Hat, Darogali Bayati Mela at Nayarhat, Bahattar Prahar Mela at Savar, Ghora Pir Mela at Nalam, Muharram Mela at Katlapur, Poush Mela at Dhamsana.

Main exports Jackfruit, papaya, nursery, flower, transformer, sapling, electronics and electric goods, fabrics, dye, medicine, ready made garments, confectionaries, soap, dairy products, meat, brick.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 96.6% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 66.9%, tap 32.3% and others 0.8%.

Sanitation 94.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 5.1% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 0.4% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health and family welfare centre 10, family planning centre 1, satellite clinic 2, clinic 40, military hospital 1 (Savar Cantonment), Korea Bangladesh Friendship Hospital 2.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, World Vision, Swanirvar Bangladesh. [Amal Saha]

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