Gaffargaon Upazila

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Gaffargaon Upazila (mymensingh district) area 401.16 sq km, located in between 24°15' and 24°33' north latitudes and in between 90°27' and 90°39' east longitudes. It is bounded by trishal and nandail upazilas on the north, kapasia and sreepur (gazipur) upazilas on the south, hossainpur and pakundia upazilas on the east, Trishal, bhaluka and Sreepur (Gazipur) upazilas on the west.

Population Total 413488; male 211195, female 202293; Muslim 406786, Hindu 6256 and others 446.

Water bodies Main rivers: old brahmaputra and Kaoraid; Raona, Taltala, Subi, Mulapalia, Baragup and Hoara beels are notable.

Administration Gaffargaon Thana was formed in 1897 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

1

15

202

212

32997

380491

1031

54.8

45.6

Municipality

Area (sq km)

Ward

Mahalla

Population

Density
(per sq km)

Literacy rate (%)

5.39

9

19

21937

4070

57.7

Upazila Town

Area (sq km)

Mouza

Population

Density
(per sq km)

Literacy rate (%)

6.82

6

11060

1622

48.9

Union
Name of union and GO code Area (acre) Population Literacy rate (%)
Male Female

Usthi 94

4807

11503

11250

43.62

Gaffargaon 25

5585

14163

13917

48.24

Char Algi 12

7956

14433

13431

34.76

Tengaba 88

8354

15493

4654

55.25

Datter Bazar 18

7637

14969

14478

52.57

Nigair 50

8407

16963

16300

51.49

Paithal 56

6412

12211

11768

45.67

Panchbhag 63

6452

13839

13339

42.44

Barabaria 11

2993

8899

8836

38.37

Mashakhali 44

7719

14709

14288

46.02

Jessora 31

5440

12036

11622

42.77

Rasulpur 69

5317

11504

11224

39.21

Raona 75

7032

12779

12371

42.18

Langair 37

6712

12580

12090

49.52

Saltia 82

5965

13420

12482

45.67


Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Tomb and dighi of Kalu Shah, Dui Satiner Dighi (dighi of two fellow wives), Dighir Par Mosque (1392 AD), Lakshmi Narayan Jeu Mandir (1335 BS), Kali Mandir at Shibganj (Sultanate period).

Historical events During the fakir-sannyasi resistance movement in 1766 there was one abode of the sanyasis and a dargah of Shah Madar at village Dubhasia of Gaffargaon upazila. In 1800, Aratun, an Armenian, first established a Neelkuthi in Gaffargaon town. In order to get rid of suppression of indigo planters, the people of the upazila participated in the indigo resistance movement. On 17 April 1971 two fighter planes of the Pakistan army opened fire by machine gun on Gaffargaon in which 17 people were killed and more than one hundred were wounded.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass killing site 2 (Launch Ghat near the Bazar and at Char Algi Union), memorial monument 1.

Religious institutions Mosque 612, temple 12, tomb 3.Noted religious institutions: Mosque of Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah at Dighir Par, Gaffargaon Station Mosque, Gayeshpur Bazar Jami Mosque, Sutar Chap Jami Mosque, Panchbhag Jami Mosque, Atharodana Sheikhbari Mosque, Malmal Sarkerbari Mosque, Satarbari Miahbari Mosque, Lakshmi Narayan Jeo Mandir, Shibganj Kali Mandir.'

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 46.4%; male 47.2%, female 45.5%. Educational institutions: college 8, secondary school 77, primary school 329, community school 26. Noted educational institutions: Dhala High School (1893), Gaffargaon Islamia Government High School (1902), Biroi Taltala Girls' High School (1902), Kandipara Askar High School (1906), Shibganj B Das High School (1915), Dhanikhola' Osmania Multilateral High School (1916), Panchbhag Islamia Fazil Madrasa (1921), Maisbari Dhakhil Madrasa (1918).

Newspapers and periodicals Defunct: Anirban, Pous, Agnishila (monthly), Amader Kagaj (quarterly).

Cultural organisations Club 80, library 6, cinema hall 7, theatre group 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 64.14%, non-agricultural labourer 3.24%, industry 0.47%, commerce 11.36%, transport and communication 2.75%, service 7.59%, construction 1.05%, religious service 0.25%, rent and remittance 1.19% and others 7.96%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 67.56%, landless 32.44%; agricultural landowner: urban 49.81% and rural 68.98%.

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

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sesame.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, black berry, litchi, papaya, banana.

Communication facilities Pucca road 90 km, semi-pucca road 4 km, mud road 450 km; waterway 108 nautical miles; railway 23 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, flour mill, oil mill, saw mill, printing press, ice factory, soap factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, weaving, blacksmith, embroidery, bamboo work, wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 57, most noted of which are Salti Bazar, Dutter Bazar and Mukhir Mela.

Main exports Paddy, jute.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification network. However 12.62% of the dwellings have access to electricity.'

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 90.23%, tap 0.34%, pond 1% and others 8.43%.

Sanitation 18.43% (rural 15.87% and urban 50.59%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 54.24% (rural 56.17% and urban 29.97%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 27.33% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, rural medical centre 4, family welfare centre 9.

Natural disasters Three fourth of the total area of Gaffargaon upazila was submerged into water during the floods of 1954 and 1955; it also caused huge damages to settlements and properties of the upazila.

NGO activities brac, asa, proshika, SSS. [Shafiqul Kader]

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