Magura Sadar Upazila

Magura Sadar Upazila (magura district ) area 401.58 sq km, located in between 23°17' and 23°34' north latitudes and in between 89°17' and 89°32' east longitudes. It is bounded by sreepur (magura) and shailkupa upazilas on the north, salikha upazila on the south, mohammadpur (Magura) and madhukhali upazilas on the east, jhenaidah sadar and Salikha upazilas on the west.

Population Total 380107; male 189113, female 190994; Muslim 312835, Hindu 66862, Buddhist 6, Christian 306 and others 98.

Water bodies Main rivers: Gorai, Nabaganga, Muchikhali, kumar, Fatki; Dariapur Canal, Alamkhali Canal, Sirijdia Baor and Tarakhal, Baori, Raua, Padma, Kumar, Kashiadanga, Gazar Garia and Hatuda beels are notable.

Administration Magura Thana was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	13	200	241	98355	281752	947	66.0	47.5

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
43.92	9	61	98355	2239	66.0

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Atharakhada 21	8050	11099	11133	51.2
Kasundi 61	3030	4660	4637	54.7
Kuchiamora 67	8831	13630	13742	43.6
Gopalgram 33	3841	6350	6535	43.0
Chaulia 27	6772	12571	12896	46.2
Jagdal 54	7743	12242	12277	41.8
Bagia 25	3951	8564	8656	54.9
Birail Palita 23	6821	9923	10263	48.4
Maghi 74	9185	14929	15136	42.3
Raghab Dair 88	9738	13598	13736	46.6
Satrujitpur 94	4491	9445	9451	46.9
Hazrapur 47	5793	10668	10602	50.0
Hazipur 40	10136	12369	12640	54.8

Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Neelkuthi (Ichakhada), Beparipara Jami Mosque (Parnanduali), tomb of Pir Mokarram Ali (Hazipur), Siddheshwari Math (Darimagura), Radhanagar Math (Ramnagar).

War of Liberation Magura Sadar was under Sector 8 during the war of liberation. During this time Pak army conducted mass killing and plundering; they also set many houses of the upazila on fire. Freedom fighters attacked the razakar camp at Isakhada on 26 September 1971 and the next day, the Ansar Office Razakar Camp. A memorial monument has been built at the PTI main gate adjacent to the Magura Bishwa Road.

For details: see মাগুরা সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৭।

Religious institutions Mosque 250, temple 55, church 1, tomb 2, sacred place 3. Noted religious institutions: Magura Jami Mosque, Beparipara Jami Mosque (Parnanduali), Kalibari Mandir, tomb of Pir Mokarram Ali (Hazipur), ashram of Nangta Baba (Satdoha), Math and Mission at Hajratala, Siddheshwari Math (Darimagura), Radhanagar Math (Ramnagar).

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 52.4%; male 54.7%, female 50.2%. Educational institutions: college 5, technical college 1, secondary school 33, primary school 147, madrasa 2. Noted educational institutions: Government Hossain Shahid Suhrawardi College (1940), Magura Government Boys' High School (1854), Hazipur Secondary School (1914), Shatrujitpur Kaliprasanna Secondary School (1919).

Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Khedmat; weekly: Magura Barta, Grameen Bangla, Ganasangbad, Angikar; monthly: Nabaganga.

Cultural organisations Library 3, club 90, theatre group 4, jatra party 2, literary organisation 2, women organisation 3, shilpakala academy 1, cinema hall 2.

Main sources of income Agriculture 60.52%, non-agricultural labourer 3.37%, industry 0.96%, commerce 13.97%, transport and communication 4.03%, service 9.02%, construction 1.81%, religious service 0.14%, rent and remittance 0.45% and others 5.73%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 61.64%, landless 38.36%; agricultural landowner: urban 43.3% and rural 68.31%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard, gram, masuri, sugarcane, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Sweet potato, kaun, arahar.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, litchi, blackberry, banana, papaya, indian apple, guava, futi, water-melon.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 62, poultry 28, hatchery 7.Communication facilities 'Pucca road 170 km, semi-pucca road 90 km, mud road 850 km.

Communication facilities Pucca road 246 km, semi-pucca road 21 km, mud road 578 km; waterway 5 km.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart and buffalo cart.

Noted manufactories Textile mill, plastic pipe factory, lathe industry, Bidi factory, ice factory, soap factory, welding factory.

Cottage industries Blacksmith, potteries, weaving, bamboo and cane work.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 35, fairs 10, most noted of which are Magura Ekata Kacha Bazar Hat, Shatrujitpur Hat, Ichakhada Hat, Alokdia Hat, Katakhali Hat, Rathkhola Mela, Katayani Mela and Baishakhi Mela.

Main exports Jute, yarn, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 45.2% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 94.7%, tap 2.8% and others 2.5%.

Sanitation 71.3% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 25.0% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 3.7% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Zila Sadar hospital 1, upazila health centre 1, shishu hospital 1, eye hospital 1, diabetic hospital 1, maternity hospital 1, family welfare centre 13, satellite clinic 7.

Natural disasters Many people were victims of the cyclones of 1585, 1668, 1869, and 1909; these natural disasters also caused heavy damages to settlements, livestock and crops of the upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, proshika, Swanirvar Bangladesh, Seba. [Ranjit Kumar Basu]

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