Political Empowerment of Women (in Local Government)
Lohagara Upazila
Lohagara Upazila (NARAIL district) with an area of 290.83 sq km, is
bounded by MOHAMMADPUR upazila on the north, KALIA upazila on the south,
ALFADANGA, KASHIANI and GOPALGANJ SADAR upazilas on the east, NARAIL
SADAR upazila on the west. Main rivers are NABAGANGA and MADHUMATI.
Lohagara (Town) consists of one mouza. The area of the town is
2.10 sq km. It has a population of 4037; male 51.65%, female 48.35%;
population density per sq km 1922. Literacy rate among the town people
is 50.06%.
Administration: Lohagara thana was turned into an upazila in
1983. The upazila consists of 12 union parishads, 154 mouzas and 233
villages.
Archaeological heritage and relics: Gazir Dargah (Naldi) and
Radha Govinda Mandir (Jorbangla).
Marks of War of Liberation Mass grave 1 (Itna).
Population: 208248; male 50.18%, female 49.82%; Muslim 84.67%,
Hindu 15.30% and others 0.03%.
Religious institutions: Mosque 525 temple 10 and tomb 5 sacred
place 3, most noted of which are Lohagara Thana Jami Mosque and Lakshmipasha
Kalibari Mandir.
Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 38.2%;
male 44.4% and female 32%. Educational institutions: college 5, high
school 30, junior high school 4, madrasa 68, maktab 160, government
primary school 98, non-government primary school 53. Noted educational
institutions: Itna High School (1900), Kumri Talbaria Hamidia Senior
Madrasa (1960), Dighalia Model High School (1966), Lohagara Model
College (1968).
Cultural organisations: Club 138, public library 3, cinema
hall 2, women's organisation 90, theatre party 6, literary society
2, opera party 4 and playground 30.
Main occupations: Agriculture 44.36%, fishing 1.74%, agricultural
labourer 16.48%, wage labourer 3.04%, industry 1.19%, transport 3.42%,
service 10.60%, commerce 10.84%, and others 8.33%.
Land use: Total cultivable land 22925.94 hectares, fallow land
6341.56 hectares; single crop 27.14%, double crop 53.47% and treble
crop 19.39%; land under irrigation 14.30%.
Land control: Among the peasants 12.78% are landless, 12.78%
small, 69.63% intermediate and 4.81% rich.
Value of land: The market value of the land of the first grade
is Tk. 5000 per 0.01 hectare.
Main crops: Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard, brinjal, onion, garlic,
betel leaf, betel nut and patal.
Extinct or nearly extinct crops: Linseed, sesame, barley, kaun,
china, arahar and chhola.
Main fruits: Mango, jackfruit, papaya, coconut, banana, black
berry, litchi, lemon, amra and jamrul.
Fisheries, dairies, poultries Poultry 166, fishery 62, dairy 68, hatchery
67.
Communication facilities Roads: pucca 56 km, semi pucca 18 km
and mud road 518 km; waterways 8 nautical mile.
Traditional transport: Palanquin, horse carriage, bullock cart.
These means of transport are either extinct or nearly extinct.
Manufactories: Biscuit factory 6, ball pen industry 1, saw
mill 15, ice factory 3, lathe machine 6, welding 28.
Cottage industries: Weaving 20, bamboo work 50, wood work 125,
goldsmith 65, blacksmith 35, potteries 75 and tailoring 240.
Hats, bazars and fairs: Total number of hats and bazars are
40, most noted of which are Lohagara, Baradia, Shyarbar, Dighalia
and Naldi Hat; fair 5, most noted of which are Rath Mela (Radhanagar)
and Chaitra Sangkranti Mela (Lohagara, Baradia and Dighalia).
Main exports: Betel leaf, betel nut, onion, garlic, banana
and papaya.
NGO activities: Operationally important NGOs are BRAC, ASA,
Comilla Proshika, Palli Unnayan Prachesta, ILD and Desh Seba Unnayan
Foundation.
Health centres: Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre
12 and satellite clinic 3, private hospital 1, charitable dispensary
4, private clinic 5 and veterinary hospital 1. [Md Billal Hussain]