Habiganj Sadar Upazila

Habiganj Sadar Upazila (habiganj district) area 253.77 sq km, located in between 24°15' and 24°27' north latitudes and in between 91°19' and 91'30' east longitudes. It is bounded by baniachang and nabiganj upazilas on the north, chunarughat and madhabpur upazilas on the south, bahubal upazila on the east, lakhai upazila on the west.

Population Total 329093; male 163576, female 165517; Muslim 293447, Hindu 35249, Buddhist 33, Christian 104 and others 260.

Water bodies Main rivers: barak, khowai and Sutang; Ratna Beel, Gharbhanga Beel and Kuki Beel are notable.

Administration Habiganj Thana was formed in 1893 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
2	10	150	248	92826	222392	1297	63.09 (2001)	42.7

Municipality (Habiganj)
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
7.11 (2001)	9	73	69512	7803 (2001)	71.87
Municipality (Shayestaganj)
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%
12.77 (2001)	9	29	9439	1412 (2001)	59.54

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
6.98 (2001)	2	13875	1524 (2001)	51.9

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Gopaya 22	3612	16094	15321	50.9
Tegharia 95	8577	9503	9412	33.8
Nizampur 38	5003	10678	11243	57.8
Nurpur 47	6351	13943	14676	50.6
Poil 57	5283	11079	11564	37.4
Raziura 66	5142	11004	11741	41.3
Richi 76	5021	14316	14505	34.8
Laskarpur 24	2877	11453	11694	46.7
Lukhra 28	8418	12273	12303	28.4
Shayestaganj 85	1851	6611	6854	49.6

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011,Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Shankar Pasha Mosque at Uchail (1513 AD).

War of Liberation The fiercest among the battle that took place between the freedom fighters and the Pak army in Habiganj Sadar during the War of Liberation is known as the “battle of at Habiganj Police Station and the electricity building”. A museum cum library named after M a Rab Bir Uttam has been established in the upazila. Also, a monument of the martyred freedom fighters was built and a sculpture named 'Durjay Vaskarja' has been established.

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

Religious institutions Mosque 213, temple 17, tomb 13, church 1. Noted religious institutions: Shankar Pasha Mosque at Uchail, Daudnagar Mosque, Machhulia Akhra.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 50.7%; male 52.9%, female 48.5%. Educational institutions: college 4, primary teachers training institute 1, technical college 1, secondary school 20, primary school 146, kindergarten 2, madrasa 16. Noted educational institutions: Habiganj Government Bindaban College, Habiganj Government High School (1843), Fakirabad Government High School (1890), Habiganj High School (1913), Shayestaganj High School (1918), BKGC Government Girls' High School (1923), GK and HK High School (1924), Laskarpur Primary School (1843), Habiganj Government Primary School (1883), Nizampur Dakhil Madrasa (1935), Shayestaganj Kamil Madrasa, Habiganj Daruchchhunnat Senior Madrasa.

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Swadesh Barta, Khowai, Habiganj Samachar, Pravakar, Pratidener Bani, Ajker Habiganj; weekly: Janatar Dalil.

Cultural organisations Library 7, club 65, Shilpakala Academy 1, music academy 1, auditorium 3, theatre stage 1, theatre group 5, jatra party 1, literary organisation 3, cultural organisation 5, cinema hall 3, community centre 2, playground 7, women organisation 5.

Tourist spots Sultanshi build by the great poet Syed Sultan, ancient dighi of Syed Gaous (R) at Mashajan.

Main sources of income Agriculture 47.13%, non-agricultural labourer 5.72%, commerce 16.79%, transport and communication 4.78%, service 8.74%, construction 2.11%, religious service 0.35%, rent and remittance 2.25% and others 12.13%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 55.68%, landless 44.32%; agricultural landowner: urban 48.16% and rural 58.78%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, sugarcane, potato, jute, pumpkin, peanut, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Kaun, sesame, linseed.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, litchi, blackberry.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 600, dairy 40, poultry 112, hatchery 11.

Communication facilities Pucca road 53 km, semi-pucca road 12 km, mud road 76 km; railway 11 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, soari, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Biscuit factory, chira (threshed rice) mill, rice mill, saw mill.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, bamboo and wood work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 25, fairs 3, most noted of which are Chowdhury Bazar, Katiadi Bazar, Daudnagar Bazar and Shahibazar and Kalibari Mela.

Main exports Paddy, rice, sugarcane molasses.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 69.0% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Jalalabad Gas Field.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 89.5%, tap 7.7% and others 2.8%.

Sanitation 68.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 28.4% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 3.1% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 1, Upazila health complex 2, family planning centre 2, Union health and family welfare centre 7, maternity and child welfare centre 1, clinic 3, satellite clinic 3, diagnostic centre 3.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are CARE, brac, asa, Vision. [Md Kabir Hussain]

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