Lalmonirhat District

Lalmonirhat District (rangpur division) area 1247.37 sq km, located in between 25°46' and 26°33' north latitudes and in between 89°01' and 89'36' east longitudes. It is bounded by west bengal state of India on the north, rangpur district on the south, kurigram district and West Bengal of India on the east, nilphamari and Rangpur districts on the west. Lalmonirhat may be called a district of enclaves; it has 33 enclaves. The two biggest enclaves of the district are Dahagram and Angarpota which are connected with the main land by Tin Bigha Corridor.

Population Total 1256099; male 628799, female 627300; Muslim 1080512, Hindu 174558, Buddhist 5, Christian 622 and others 402.

Water bodies Main rivers: dharla, tista.

Administration Lalmonirhat district was formed in 1984. Of the 5 upazilas of the district hatibandha is the largest (288.42 sq km) and aditmari is the smallest (195.03 sq km).

District
Area (sq km) Upazila Municipality Union Mouza Village Population Density (per sq km) Literacy rate (%)
Urban Rural
1247.37 5 2 45 345 476 129209 1126890 1007 46.1
Others Information of District

Name of Upazila

Area
(sq km)

Municipality

Union

Mouza

Village

Population

Density
(per sq km)

Literacy rate
(%)

Aditmari 195.03 - 8 56 102 224796 1153 45.1
Kaliganj 253.23 - 8 64 92 245595 970 46.0
Patgram 246.85 1 8 45 46 218615 886 46.1
Lalmonirhat Sadar 259.54 1 9 118 173 333166 1263 47.4
Hatibandha 288.41 - 12 63 65 233927 811 45.3

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

War of Liberation In 1971 Lalmonirhat was under Sector 6. Having arrived at Lalmonirhat Sadar and Aditmari on 4 April the Pak army killed a number of people. On 8 April they entered Hatibandha upazila and killed many people; they also set many houses of these upazilas on fire. During the war of liberation the Pak army killed many officers and other staff of Bangal Railway. On 30 November the Pak army left Hatibandha and took shelter in Kaliganj. The Pak army was forced to leave Lalmonirhat district on the face of the heavy attack by the freedom fighters on 4 and 5 December. The district was liberated on 6 December. There are 10 mass graves (mostly at Bateshwar, and Dolapara) and a mass killing site in the upazila; 8 memorial monuments had been built.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 46.1%; male 49.3%, female 42.9%. Educational institutions: college 27, secondary school 200, primary school 548, madrasa 269. Noted educational institutions: Aditmari Degree College (1991), Saptibari Degree College (1992), Patgram Mahila Degree College (1997), Lalmonirhat Government College (1964), Hatibandha Mahila Degree College (1995), Tushbhandar Mahila College (1998), Kakina Mahima Ranjan Memorial Bilateral High School (1901), Dalgram Bilateral High School (1916), Lalmonirhat Government High School (1921), Aditmari Bhadai Girija Shankar High School (1942), Patgram Taraknath High School (1945), Barakatha High School (1952), Saptibari Multilateral High School (1957), Railway Children Park Government High School (1960), Mirza Court HM High School (1972), Hatibandha SS School (1946), Tushbhandar Nasar Uddin Government Girls' School (1968), Kobi Sheikh Fazlul Karim Girls' High School (1986), Madanpur Boirati Government Primary School (1865), Patgram NP Senior Madrasa (1962).

Main sources of income Agriculture 72.78%, non-agricultural labourer 3.46%, industry 0.5%, commerce 10.49%, transport and communication 2.38%, service 4.45%, construction 0.69%, religious service 0.19%, rent and remittance 0.2% and others 4.86%.

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Lalprovat (2000); weekly: Lalmonirhat Barta (1991), Janajani (1984); literary periodical: Raktasurya' (1977), Ashikar (1978); quarterly: Chalaman (1984), Bikash (1986), Sahitya Parishad Patrika (1990), Lalposter (1995), Monthly Roddur (2001), Sampriti (2005), Prachchhad, Pratyasha; defunct: monthly Bashana, Rangapur, Dikprakash, Chalaman, Akata, Daruchini, Chharpatra, Idaning, Aurenna Radan.

Folk culture Notable folk culture include rhymes, riddle, proverbs, Meyeligeet (song sung by women), Mantra, folk song, Palligeeti, Baul song, etc.

Tourists spots Air Base, Mogalhat Zero Point, Tista Railway Bridge at Lalmonirhat Sadar, 'Nag Lingam' (rare variety of plant), Kutub Khana at Patgram, Sindurmati at Lalmonirhat Sadar, Lalmonirhat District Museum, Khetu Mohammad Sarkar Bridge and Well' at Aditmari, Tin Bigha Corridor and Burimari Land Port (Patgram),' Kakina Zamindar Bari Hawakhana, Zamindar Mahima Ranjan Museum,' residence' of Sheikh Fazlul Karim, Tushbhandar Zamindar Bari (Kaliganj), Tista Barrage (Hatibandha), Shalban (Hatibandha). [Tanzimul Nayan]

See also The upazilas under this district.

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Lalmonirhat District 2007; Cultural survey report of Upazilas of Lalmonirhat District 2007.