Kamalganj Upazila

Kamalganj Upazila (maulvibazar district) area 485.26 sq km, located in between 24°08' and 24°27' north latitudes and in between 91°46' and 91°50' east longitudes. It is bounded by rajnagar upazila on the north, tripura state of India on the south, kulaura upazila and assam state of India on the east, sreemangal and maulvibazar sadar upazilas on the west.

Population Total 229648; male 117116, female 112532; Muslim 150182, Hindu 76836, Buddhist 2276, Christian 23 and others 331. Indigenous communities such as manipuri, khasia, tripura (Tipra) and Halam belong to this upazila.

Water bodies Main river: Dhalai.

Administration Kamalganj Thana was formed in 1922 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	9	111	251	24798	204850	473	47.0	39.9

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
20.81	9	29	24798	1192	47.0

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)	Mouza	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
10.98	3	10732	977	44.10

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Adampur 17	8260	12634	12157	41.56
Alinagar 19	8956	13557	12963	37.06
Islampur 28	29211	13065	12390	34.85
Kamalganj 38	13199	9185	8820	38.41
Patanushar 66	7849	10153	10095	45.08
Madhabpur 47	15337	13499	13032	37.35
Munshi Bazar 57	3844	7280	7111	43.73
Rahimpur 76	11560	15966	14948	38.32
Shamshernagar 85	7116	14545	14182	46.26

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Historical events Peasant rebellion led by Panchanan Singh, Kasem Ali, Baikuntha Shwrma and Themba Singh held at Vanubal in 1307 BS. A battle between the Mughal army and the Afghan forces was fought at Patan Ushar in which the Afghan chief Khwaja Osman was killed. This area is popularly known as Khwaja Osman Garh. The peasant movement of Haor Karaiya (1968-69) stirred the whole country. During the Liberation War, fierce battle was held at Shamshernagar between the Pak army and the freedom fighters. On 29 March 1971, a huge number of Pakistani soldiers were killed by the combined attack of the EPR (East Pakistan Rifles) forces and the freedom fighters. Sipahi mohammad hamidur rahman (Birsrestha) was killed at village Aambasa.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass grave 1 (Section 25 of Dewrachhara Tea Garden); mass killing site 1 (Shamshernagar Air Base); Memorial 1 (Bir Srestha Shahid Sipahi Hamidur Rahman Memorial at Aambasa).

Religious institutions Mosque 293, temple 102, church 8.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 40.7%; male 45.3%, female 35.9%. Noted educational institutions: Abdul Gafur Chowdhury Mahila College (2000), Kali Prashad High School (1895), Shamshernagar AATM High School (1929), MA Ohab High School (1933), Kamalganj High School (1934), Tetaigaon Rashid Uddin High School (1954), Dayamoy Singh High School (1973), Hazi Ustwar Girls' High School (1983), Abul Fazal Chowdhury High School (1985), Suja Memorial High School (1994), Basudebpur Government Primary School (1930), Shamshernagar Government Primary School (1946), Ranibazar Government Primary School (1953), Raj Dighirpar Primary School (1972), Tetaigaon Government Primary School (1978).

Newspapers and periodicals Irregular: Joybarta, Dhalai; defunct: Farkha, Lokayata Bangla; literary periodicals: Arpan (1998), Dabanal (2001).

Cultural organisations Library 2, cinema hall 2, club 35; Manipuri Lalitkala Academy is notable.

Tourist spots The first garden of medicinal plants 'Araggakunja' has been established at Fulbari of Kamalganj upazila. Lauachhara Park, established in 1996 with 1250 hectors of land, has been declared as national park. Other tourists spots include Madhabkundu Water Fall, Madhabpur Lake, Parikunda, Monu Barrage and hakaluki haor.

Main sources of income Agriculture 39.77%, non-agricultural labourer 14.81%, industry 5.30%, commerce 8.96%, transport and communication 2.46%, service 5.09%, construction 1.43%, religious service 0.49%, rent and remittance 2.07% and others 19.62%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 43.62%, landless 56.38%; agricultural landowner: rural 43.17% and urban 47.42%.

Main crops Aman paddy, aus paddy, wheat, sugarcane, tea, mustard, potato, betel leaf, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Local varieties of paddy (Balam, Ni, Nazim Uddin), sesame, linseed.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, pineapple, blackberry, litchi, grape fruit, water-melon, betel nut.

Communication facilities Pucca road 150 km, railway 19.26 km. Rail station 2.

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

Noted manufactories Ice factory, a number of medium size manufactories, tea processing factory.

Cottage industries Most notable cottage industries of the upazila include Manipuri handlooms.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 20, most noted of which are Bhanugach Bazar, Shamshernagar Bazar, Munshi Bazar, Adampur Bazar, Charak Puja Mela (Palitkona), Soychhari Dighirpar, Thakur Bari Mela (Munshi Bazar), Baruni Snan Mela, Austami Mela and Manipuri Rash Purnima Mela.

Main exports Tea, sugarcane molasses, betel leaf, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 26.38% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Natural resources Notable natural resources include oil, gas and chirka sand at Magurchhara.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 73.31%, tap 2.23%, pond 7.77% and others 16.69%.

Sanitation 25.87% (rural 23.66% and urban 44.61%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 56.62% (rural 57.97% and urban 45.20%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 17.51% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health centre 1, family planning centre 6, satellite clinic 3, charitable hospital 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are asa, brac, HEED Bangladesh, BAOPA, CARE, Swanirvar Bangladesh, VARD. [Shah Abdul Wadud]

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