Kishoreganj Sadar Upazila

Kishoreganj Sadar Upazila (kishoreganj district) area 193.73 sq km,, located in between 24°21' and 24°32' north latitudes and in between 90°42' and 90°52' east longitudes. It is bounded by nandail upazila on the north, pakundia and katiadi upazilas on the south, karimganj and tarail upazilas on the east and hossainpur and Nandail upazilas on the west.

Population Total 348382; male 178464, female 169918; Muslim 328565, Hindu 19551, Buddhist 81 and others 185.

Water bodies Main rivers: Narsunda, Singua, Bathali, Mansa, Duashura and Mangalhat beels are notable.

Administration Kishoreganj Thana was formed in 1860 and it was turned into an upazila on 1 February 1984. Kishoreganj Municipality was formed in 1869.

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Shahidi Mosque, Pagla Mosque, Shiva Mandir of Poet Chandravati, Hazratnagar Zamindar Bari.

History of the War of Liberation In 1971 the Pak army conducted mass killing and plundering in different villages of Kishoreganj sadar upazila; they also set many houses of the upazila on fire. During the war of liberation the Pakistan army brutally killed 360 innocent people at Baraitala in Jasodal union.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass killing site 7 (Baraitala of Jasodal, Sugar mill and Siddheshwari ferry Ghat); martyr memorial monument 1 (Government Gurudayal College premises).

Religious institutions Mosque 341, temple 15, church 1, tomb 7, akhra 14. Noted religious institutions: Shahidi Mosque, Pagla Mosque, Hazratnagar Mosque, tomb of Nizamuddin Aulia at Katiarchar.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 48.4%; male 51.4%, female 45.4%. Educational institutions: college 5, homeopathic college 1, teachers training college 1, technical college 1, secondary school 27, primary school 180, madrasa 37. Noted educational institutions: Kishoreganj Gurudoyal College (1943), Government Mahila College (1969), Kishoreganj Wali Newaz Khan College (1982), Alhaj Abdul Kuddus Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital (2002), Kishoreganj Government Boys' High School (1881), Azim Uddin High School (1916), SV Government Girls' High School (1943), Tutiarchar Mazharul Ulom Dakhil Madrasa (1903), Auliapara Fazil Madrasa (1921), Birabrulla Adarsha Dakhil Madrasa (1928).

Newspapers and periodicals Periodical: Sristi (1986); daily: Ajker Desh (1992), Shatabdir Kantha (2001), Kishoreganj (2006); weekly: Alor Mela (2003), Drishapat 71 (2003), Ajker Saradin (2004), Alokito Kishoreganj (2005), defunct (daily): Pratahik Chitra (1997); weekly: Aryagaurava (1904), Kishoreganj Bartabaha (1924), Kandari (1972), Kishoreganj Barta (1974), Janabarta (1984), Prokash(1985), Shuruk (1986), Durbin(1986), Kishoreganj Barta (1991), Kishoreganj Parikrama (1991), Manihar (1991), Kishoreganj Sangbad (1991), Kishoreganj Prabaha (1974), Kathbarta (1992); fortnightly: Natun Patra(1962), Natun Desh (1981), Narasunda (1981), Monthly: Akhtar (Urdu, 1926), Al Hasan (1992), Naydanda (1996).

Cultural organisations Library 5, club 25, cinema hall 6, playground 30.

Tourists spots solakia eid congregation.

Main sources of income Agriculture 43.64%, non-agricultural labourer 5.93%, industry 1.22%, commerce 19.88%, transport and communication 6.36%, service 9.53%, construction 2.52%, religious service 0.27%, rent and remittance 0.64% and others 10.01%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 47.77%, landless 52.23%; agricultural landowner: urban 46.41% and rural 48.11%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, maize, potato, nut, pulse, mustard, betel leaf, onion, brinjal.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Kaun, linseed, arahar, jute.

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

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 60, dairy 37, poultry 434, hatchery 5.

Communication facilities Pucca road 78.16 km, mud road 409.47 km. railway 19.5 km. Rail station 3; bus terminal 4; helipad 2.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage.

Noted manufactories Textile mill, rice mill, printing press, oil mill, saw mill, bakery, ice factory, dry cell battery factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, weaving, blacksmith, potteries, bamboo work, cane work, wood work, bidi factory, folkart.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 22, fairs 5, most noted of which are Sadar Bara Bazar, Nilganj Bazar, Puran Thana Hat, Kachari Bazar, Sadullah Bazar, Lakshmiganj Bazar, Boulai Bazar, Gosai Bazar.

Main exports Leather.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 26.86% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 89.57%, tap 1.95%, pond 1.30% and others 7.18%. The presence of intolerable level of arsenic has been detected in 37.07% shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 33.29% (rural 22.38% and urban 76.94%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 40.75% (rural 46.71% and urban 16.88%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 25.96% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Hospital 3, upazila health complex 1, family planning clinic 10, maternity centre 1, chest disease hospital 1, diabetic hospital 1.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the earthquake of 1897; it also caused heavy damages to pucca houses of the region. The floods of 1915, 1954, 1968 and 1988 caused heavy damages to settlements, livestock, crops and other properties of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, ASA. [Hakim Md Fazlur Rahman]

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