Political Empowerment of Women (in Local Government)
Nawabganj Upazila
Nawabganj Upazila (DINAJPUR district) with an area of 314.68 sq km,
is bounded by PHULBARI upazila (Dinajpur) on the north, GHORAGHAT and
HAKIMPUR upazilas on the south, PIRGANJ, MITHAPUKUR and BADARGANJ upazilas
on the east, BIRAMPUR and PHULBARI upazilas on the west. KARATOYA, Jamuneshwari
and Tulsiganga rivers and Asurar Beel are notable.
Nawabganj: (Town) consists of 4 mouzas with an area of 3.48
sq km. The town has a population of 4196; male 54.96%, female 45.04%.
The density of population is 1206 per sq km. The literacy rate among
the town people is 45.4%.
Administration: Nawabganj thana was established in 1899 and was
turned into an upazila in 1983. It consists of 9 union parishads, 212
mouzas, 271 villages.
Archaeological relics and monuments: Seeta Kuthuri (now preserved
by the Archaeological Department).
Historical events: During the War of Liberation in 1971 many people
were killed and wounded in encounters between the freedom fighters and
the Pak army at Motihara and Charahat.
Marks of War of Liberation Mass grave 1 (Charahat).
Population: 170301; male 51.77% and female 48.23%; Muslim 86.48%,
Hindu 8.05%, Christian 1.22% and others 4.25%.
Religious institutions: Mosque 310, temple 7, church 5.
Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 24.2%;
male 31.4%, female 16.5%. Educational institutions: college 9, private
high school 19, primary school 67, madrasa 51.
Cultural organisations: Club 19 and cinema hall 3.
Main occupations: Agriculture 49.65%, agricultural labourer 28.91%,
wage labourer 2.54%, commerce 8.49%, service 2.63%, others 7.78%.
Land use: Cultivable land 23322.54 hectares, fallow land 667.75
hectares; single crop 34%, double crop 51% and treble crop land 15%.
Land control: Among the peasants, 26% are landless, 34% small,
35% medium, 5% rich; per capita cultivable land 0.17 hectare.
Value of land: Market value of land of first grade is Tk. 3700
per 0.01 hectare.
Main crops: Paddy, wheat, jute, pulses, oil seed, sugarcane, potato,
onion.
Extinct and nearly extinct crops: Linseed, sesame and kaun.
Main fruits Mango, banana, jackfruit, litchi.
Poultries 3.
Communication facilities Roads: pucca 39 km, semi pucca 5 km
and mud road 560 km.
Traditional transport: Palanquin (extinct), bullock cart and horse
carriage (nearly extinct), boat.
Manufactories: Rice-husking mill 45, automatic rice mill 1, ice
factory 3, biscuit factory 3 and saw mill15.
Cottage industries: Potteries, blacksmith, goldsmith, tailoring,
welding etc.
Hats, bazars and fairs: Total number of hats and bazars is 21,
fairs 4.
Main exports: Paddy, jute, molasses and mustard.
NGO activities: Operationally important NGOs are GRAMEEN BANK,
BRAC, ASA, CCDB, CARITAS, UDP, TMSS and Pallibandhu Parishad.
Health centres: Upazila health complex 1 and union health and
family planning centre 9. [SM Mahfuzur Rahman]