Maulvibazar Sadar Upazila
Maulvibazar Sadar Upazila (maulvibazar district) area 344.32 sq km, located in between 24°24' and 24°38' north latitudes and in between 91°36' and 91°51' east longitudes. It is bounded by balaganj and rajnagar upazilas on the north, sreemangal upazila on the south, Rajnagar and kamalganj upazilas on the east, nabiganj and Sreemangal upazilas on the west.
Population Total 342468; male 171678, female 170790; Muslim 289017, Hindu 52955, Buddhist 50, Christian 275 and others 171.
Water bodies Main rivers: manu, Barak; Mathakhali Canal is notable.
Administration Maulvibazar Thana was formed in 1882 and it was turned into an upazila in 1984. Maulvibazar Municipality was formed in 1930.
| Upazila | ||||||||
| Municipality | Union | Mouza | Village | Population | Density (per sq km) | Literacy rate (%) | ||
| Urban | Rural | Urban | Rural | |||||
| 1 | 12 | 202 | 429 | 56537 | 285931 | 995 | 65.0 | 52.9 |
| Municipality | ||||||||
|
Area |
Ward |
Mahalla |
Population |
Density |
Literacy rate (%) | |||
| 10.36 | 9 | 48 | 56537 | 5457 | 65.0 | |||
| Union | ||||
| Name of union and GO code | Area (acre) | Population | Literacy rate (%) | |
| Male | Female | |||
| Akhailkura 13 | 6891 | 9909 | 10421 | 47.8 |
| Upper Kagabala 94 | 9460 | 9856 | 10494 | 32.93 |
| Amtail 14 | 7227 | 11191 | 11349 | 59.5 |
| Ekatuna 29 | 5377 | 9575 | 9554 | 55.0 |
| Kanakpur 51 | 5688 | 10403 | 10673 | 55.1 |
| Kamalpur 43 | 4236 | 8732 | 9058 | 55.5 |
| Khalilpur 58 | 7113 | 13920 | 14399 | 45.8 |
| Giasnagar 36 | 11147 | 15901 | 14920 | 49.8 |
| Chandighat 21 | 6234 | 18444 | 17965 | 54.6 |
| Nazirabad 87 | 10699 | 12068 | 12517 | 52.7 |
| Manumukh 65 | 4460 | 10046 | 10341 | 52.0 |
| Mostafapur 80 | 4855 | 12018 | 12177 | 67.2 |
Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Archaeological heritage and relics Khoja Mosque at Gaygar, tomb of Hazrat Syed Shah Mostafa (R), Radha Govinda Jeu Akhra (Kamalpur), temple of Augnan Thakur, Maulvibazar District Judge Court.
Historical events Anti-British movement was initiated under the leadership of Swami Dayananda and centering around the Dolgovinda Ashram in 1912 at village Jagatsi of this upazila . As a part of anti-British Movement Khilafat Conference was held in Maulvibazar in 1921 in which Deshbandhu chitta ranjan das, Maulana Hossain Ahmad Madani and sarojini naidu were present.
War of Liberation Armed resistance against the Pak army begun at village Sreerai Nagar of Maulvibazar Sadar on 27 March 1971. The Pak army made a surprise attack on the procession there in which two persons were killed. Encounters between the freedom fighters and the Pak army were held at different places of Maulvibazar Sadar upazila including at Manumukh, Kamalpur, and Sherpur. After the War of Liberation, on 20 December, a number of people were killed and wounded by mine explosions at the premises of the Maulvibazar Government High School. There are 2 mass graves (at Naliura and at a place adjacent to the Maulvibazar High School playground) and 5 mass killing sites in the upazila; a memorial monument has been built at Maulvibazar High School.
For details: see মৌলভীবাজার সদর উপজেলা, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জ্ঞানকোষ (Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation), বাংলাদেশ এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটি, ঢাকা ২০২০, খণ্ড ৮।
Religious institutions Paschim Bazar Jami Mosque, Court Jami Mosque, tomb of Hazrat Syed Shah Mostafa (R.), tomb of Shah Hilal (R.), Sree Sree old Kalibari, Sree Sree Durgabari (Paschim Bazar), Sree Sree Loknath Brakkhachari Ashrama (Saiyerpur).
Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 54.9%; male 56.4%, female 53.5%. Educational institutions: college 5, vocational training institute and college 1, primary teachers training institute 1, nursing institute 1, co-operative institute 1, youth training centre 1, blind welfare training centre1, horticulture research institute 1, primary school 17, community and satellite school 7, kindergarten 16, madrasa 42. Noted educational institutions: Maulvibazar Government College (1956), Maulvibazar Government Mahila College (1985), Jagatsi Gopallkrishna M Saifur Rahman School and College (1915), Maulvibazar Government High School (1891), Kashinath Alauddin High School (1917), Ali Amzad Government Girls' High School (1932), Darul Ulum Madrasa.
Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Maulvibazar, Banglar Din; weekly: Patakunrir Desh, Manubarta, Janaprattasa, Muktakatha, Maulvibazar Barta; fortnightly: The Sylhet Today; monthly: Durdiganta, Sree Gaurbanee; defunct: monthly Tablig-ul-Islam and Tanjimul Muslemin (1924), weekly Avijan (1935), Agradut (1960), monthly Bonna (1970).
Cultural organisations Library 2, club 2, theatre group 6, women organisation 11.
Tourist spots Monu Barrage (Matarkapan), Barshijora Eco Park and two Pan Punji of the Khasia community.
Main sources of income Agriculture 40.22%, non-agricultural labourer 6.61%, industry 1.91%, commerce 14.54%, transport and communication 3.99%, service 7.56%, construction 2.66%, religious service 0.49%, rent and remittance 6.51% and others 15.51%.
Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 44.85%, landless 55.15%; agricultural landowner: urban 40.03% and rural 45.67%.
Main crops Paddy, tea, betel leaf, naga chilli, satkara, vegetables.
Extinct or nearly extinct crops Jute.
Main fruits Jackfruit, pineapple, mango, litchi, banana, coconut, betel nut, blackberry, kamranga, shaddock.
Fisheries, dairies and poultries This upazila has a number of fisheries, dairies and poultries.
Communication facilities Pucca road 361.46 km, semi-pucca road 15.79 km, mud road 385.66 km; waterway 40 km. river port 1 (Sherpur).
Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.
Cottage industries Bamboo work, cane work, mat manufacturing.
Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 40, fairs 5, most noted of which are Maulvibazar, Dighirpar Bazar, Sarkar Bazar, Sherpur Bazar, Kamalpur Bazar, Shamserganj Bazar, Shimultala Bazar, fair of Shah Mostafa, Fish Mela of Sherpur, Mangalchandi Austami Mela, Garments Fair and Trade Fair.
Main exports Dried fish, naga chilli, tea.
Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 65.3% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.
Sources of drinking water Tube-well 77.3%, tap 11.7% and others 11.0%. The presence of arsenic in an intolerable level has been detected in 2816 shallow tube-well water of the upazila.
Sanitation 72.5% of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 24.5% of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 3.0% of households do not have latrine facilities.
Health centres Hospital 1, upazila health centre 1, union and rural health centre 1, family welfare centre 1, maternity and child welfare centre 1, TB hospital 1, diabetic hospital 1, police hospital 1, prison hospital 1, eye hospital 1, missionary clinic 1, clinic 14.'
NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, CARE, HEED Bangladesh. [Shah Abdul Wadud]
References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Maulvibazar Sadar Upazila 2007.
