Know Bangladesh,Love Bangladesh

Sirajganj District (rajshahi division) with an area of 2497.92 sq km, is bounded by bogra district on the north, pabna district on the south, tangail and jamalpur districts on the east, Pabna, natore and Bogra districts on the west. Main rivers are Jamuna, Baral, Ichamati, Karatoa and Phuljuri. About 10% area of the chalan beel is located in the tarash upazila of this district. Annual average temperature: maximum 34.6°C, minimum 11.9°C; annual rainfall 1610 mm. Sirajganj (Town) consists of 15 wards and 52 mahallas. The area of the town is 19.56 sq km. The town has a population of 127147; male 50.93%, female 49.07%. Literacy rate among the town people is 48%. As a jute-trading centre once it was considered next to calcutta and narayanganj. The town has two dakbungalows. Administration Sirajganj subdivision was established in 1845 and was included in Pabna district. It was turned into a district in 1984. The district consists of 4 municipalities, 42 wards, 9 upazilas, 117 mahallas, 79 union parishads, 1467 mouzas and 2006 villages. The upazilas are belkuchi, chauhali, kamarkhanda, kazipur, raiganj, shahjadpur, sirajganj sadar, tarash and ullahpara. Archaeological heritage and relics Tomb and mosque of Khawja Pir Saheb of Enayetpur (Chauhali), tomb of Hazrat Abdul Ali Baki Shah Sharif Jindani (R) of Naogaon (Tarash), homestead of Behula (Tarash), Shiva Mandir (Tarash), Rabindra Kuthi Bari (Shajadpur), Akhra of Sri Sri Maha Pravu, Gopinath Bigraha, Kalika Devi Bigraha, Joysagar (Raiganj), Protap Dighi (Raiganj), Elliot Bridge or Lohar Poll (iron bridge, built in 1893), Makkahaulia Mosque (fifteenth century, Ullahpara), Nabaratna Mandir (Ullahpara). Historical events In 1922, many people were killed and wounded when police opened fire on an assemblage of people gathered at Salanga Hat (as a part of the Khelafat and non cooperation movement) under the leadership of Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish.

This is known as Salanga Movement or 'Salanga Genocide'. In 1942 Mohammad Ali Jinnah came to Sirajganj to attend the All India Muslim League Conference; Mahatma Gandhi and Subas Basu came to Sirajganj to attend the convention of the Brahmo Samaj in 1928. The Hindu-Muslim Pact of the Swaraj Party, headed by Deshbandhu chitta ranjan das, was adopted in the Conference of the All India Congress Party held in 1924 at Sirajganj. National Poet kazi nazrul islam came to Sirajganj in 1932 to presided over the Conference of the Tarun Muslim. ak fazlul huq laid the foundation stone of Sirajganj Degree College in 1940. During the War of Liberation a battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Naogaon of Tarash upazila in which the Pak army was defeated and about 150 members of the Pak army were killed. During 11 to 14 December a battle was fought between the Pak army and the freedom fighters at Shailabari in which Pak army was defeated. Sirajganj was liberated on 14 December 1971.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass graves at village Baroitala (Kazipur) and village Asbaria (Tarash); martyr memorials at Chandidasgati, Sirajganj Sadar (Durjay Bangla), Ghatina (Ullahpara) and at village Baroitala (Kazipur).

Population 2707011; male 51.14%, female 48.86%; Muslim 92%, Hindu 6.5% and others 1.5%.

Religious institutions Mosque 3227, temple 245, tomb 37, church 2, sacred place 3.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 27%, male 33.4% and female 20.2%. Educational institutions: university college 1, government college 5, non-government college 75, teachers' training college 1, law college 1, homeopath college 1, medical assistant training school 1, youth training centre 1, vocational training institute 1, nursing institute 1, primary teachers' training centre 1, government high school 3, non-government high school 245, junior high school 43, madrasa 249, government primary school 880, non-government primary school 503. government maternity centre 1, community school 2, technical training centre 4, singer school 1, kindergarten 2. Noted educational institutions: Islamia College (formerly Senior Madrasa (1887), Gayanadayeni High School (1884), BL High School (1869), Sirajganj Government University College (1940), Pakrashi Primary School (1856, Chauhali), Ullahpata Merchants Pilot Multilateral High School (1906), Jhekta Bandar Model Government Primary School (1903, Ullahpara), Shyam Kishore Pilot High School (1929, Belkuchi), Meghai High School (1920, Kazipur), Ghandail High School (1920, Kazipur), Porjona Mukundanath High School (1880, Shahjadpur), Shahjadpur Pilot High School (1882), Potajia High School (1894, Shahjadpur).

Locally published newspapers and periodicals Dailies: Kalam Saynik, Jamuna Prabaha, Jamuna Setu; Weeklies: Jamuna Barta, Sahasi Janata, Jaha Baliba Satya Balibo, Sundar Barta, Ananda Bhor, Weekly Ullahpara; extinct: Monthly Jamuna, Weekly Samajug, Sirajganj Samachar, Hitoshi.

Cultural organisations Rural club 424, public library 12, cinema hall 27, theatre group 25, theatre stage 2, literary society 9, and women's organisation 343, Shilpa Kala Academy 1, Shisu Academy 1, library 65.

Main occupations Agriculture 35.49%, agricultural labourer 21.45%, wage labourer 5.77%, commerce 11.98%, service 5.49%, handicraft 5.59%, industrial labourer 2.78%, others 11.45%.

Land use Total cultivable land 179964.02 hectares, fallow land 15701.64 hectares, forestry 50.48 hectares; single crop 19.54%, double crop 59.18% and treble crop land 21.28%; cultivable land under irrigation 74.34%.

Land control Among the peasants, 21.85% are landless, 22.41% marginal, 32.37% small, 17.58% intermediate and 5.79% rich; cultivable land per head 0.07 hectare.

Value of land The market value of the land of the first grade is approximately Tk 7500 per 0.01 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard seed, sugarcane, onion, garlic, potato, sweet potato, chilly and ground nut.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Indigo, tobacco, local varieties of aus paddy, china, kaun, varieties of dal (pulse).

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, black berry, papaya, guava, coconut, palm, date, olive, bel, tetul and banana.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 324 km, semi pucca 91 km and mud road 2393 km; waterway 175 nautical mile; railway 41 km; railway station 3.

Traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart and horse carriage. These means of transport is either extinct or nearly extinct.

Manufactories Jute mill, textile mill, cement factory, rice and flour mill, ice factory etc.

Cottage industries Cottage industries in this district include weaving bamboo and cane work jute and jute goods, goldsmiths, handicrafts, blacksmiths, potteries, wood works, mat and pati making.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 171, most noted of which are Enayetpur (Chauhali), Ullahpara, Salanga, Ratankandhi Kamarkhanda, Shahjadpur, Shivarampur; fairs 20.

Main exports Jute, jute carpet, molasses, flour, cotton sari, lungi and cotton fabrics.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, proshika, grameen bank, CARE, JKS, NDP, SDS, Grameen Uddag, Ganasastha Kendra, Sirajganj Uttaran Mohila Sangstha and Social Work Centre.

Health centres Zila Sadar hospital 1, private hospital 5, project hospital 1 (Ullahpara), heart disease clinic 1, upazila health complex 9, palli (rural) treatment centre 1, satellite clinic 31, family welfare centre 70, mother and child welfare centre 3, child hospital 1, eye hospital 2, police hospital 1, prison hospital 1, diabetic clinic 1, private clinic 27 and Sandhani donor club 1. [Kamrul Islam]