Kamarkhanda Upazila Sirajganj

Geography

Kamarkhanda is located at 24.3667°N 89.7042°E . It has 19181 households and total area 91.61 km²

Demographics

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Kamarkhanda has a population of 105,997. Males constitute 51.81% of the population, and females 48.19%. This Upazila's eighteen up population is 51,649. Kamarkhanda has an average literacy rate of 26.2% (7+ years), and the national average of 32.4% literate.

Kamarkhanda Upazila (sirajganj district) with an area of 91.61 sq km, is bounded by sirajganj sadarand raiganj upazilas on the north, ullahpara and belkuchi upazilas on the south, Belkuchi and Sirajganj Sadar upazilas on the east, Ullahpara upazila on the west. Main rivers are Hurasagar andkaratoya; Madhur Beel aand Nandina Beel are noted.

Kamarkhanda (Town) consists of two mouzas with an area of 4.01 sq km. The town has a population of 7688; male 51.62% and female 48.38%. The density of population is 1917 per sq km. Literacy rate among the town people is 33%.

Administration Kamarkhanda thana, now an upazila, was established in 1909. The upazila consists of four union parishads, 55 mouzas and 91 villages.

Population 105997; male 51.81%, female 48.19%; Muslim 92%, Hindu 8%.

Religious institutions Mosque 20, temple 8.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 26.2%; male 32.7% and female 9.2%. Educational institutions: college 6, high school 12, junior high school 1, madrasa 43, government primary school 51, non-government primary school 16. Noted educational institution: Dhopakandhi High School (Jamtoil).

Cultural organisations Rural club 16, public library 1, women's society 20 and playground 10.

Main occupations Agriculture 30.88%, agricultural labourer 21.39%, wage labourer 3.26%, commerce 13.80%, service 7.94%, weaving 10.20%, industry 3.48% and others 9.05%.

Land use Cultivable land 6819.10 hectares, fallow land 2297.86 hectares; single crop 50%, double crop 40% and treble crop 10%.

Land control Among the peasants, 35% are landless, 28% small, 28% intermediate and 9% rich.

Value of land The market value of the land of the first grade is approximately Tk 10000 per 0.01 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, sugarcane, mustard seed and vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Varieties of kalai (pulse), kaun and shone (variety of jute fiber).

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, black berry, papaya and banana.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Dairy 9 and artificial cattle breeding centre 1.

Traditional transport palanquin (extinct), bullock cart and horse carriage (nearly extinct), boat.

Manufactories Rice mill 2 and ice factory 2.

Cottage industries Cottage industries of this upazila include weaving, bamboo and cane work, potteries, shital pati.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 13, most noted of which Jamtoil Bazar, Kamarkhanda, Bhadraghat, Baradhul, Balarampur; fairs 4.

Main exports Molasses, mustard seed, vegetables, bamboo and cane products.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, NDP, Krishak Samabaya Samiti, Mohila Samabaya Samiti, Tat (weaving) Samabaya Samiti.

Kamarkhanda Upazila (sirajganj district) area 91.61 sq km, located in between 24°18' and 24°27' north latitudes and in between 89°35' and 89°42' east longitudes. It is bounded by sirajganj sadar and raiganj upazilas on the north, belkuchi upazila on the south, Belkuchi and Sirajganj Sadar upazilas on the east, ullahpara upazila on the west.

Population Total 127839; male 65750, female 62089; Muslim 122344, Hindu 5482 and others 12.

Water bodies Main rivers: Hurasagar, karatoya.

Administration Kamarkhanda Thana was formed in 1909 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
-	4	55	93	8880	118959	1395	46.4	42.3

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 42.59%; male 47.42%, female 37.49%. Educational institutions: college 7, secondary school 22, primary school 77, madrasa 11. Noted educational institutions: Haji Korop Ali Memorial Degree College, Kamarkhanda Mahila Degree College, Dhopakandhi Bilateral High School, Dhopakandhi Pilot Girls' High School, Kamarkhanda Senior Fazil Madrasa.

Cultural organisations Public library 1.

Main sources of income Agriculture 47.06%, non-agricultural labourer 4%, industry 1.14%, commerce 16.57%, transport and communication 3.87%, service

 

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

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Varieties of pulse, shone, kaun.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, banana, papaya, plum.

Fisheries, dair communication 3.87%, service 8.70%, construction 0.87%, religious service 0.27%, rent and remittance 0.26% and others 17.26%.

ies and poultries The upazila has a number of dairies and artificial breeding centre.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Rice mill, ice factory.

Cottage industries Weaving, potteries, embroidery, bamboo work, cane work.

Communication facilities Pucca road 55 km, mud road 208 km; railway 10 km; waterway 4.58 nautical miles. Bridge 85, culvert 97, railstation 1.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 16, fairs 4, most noted of which are Jamtail Bazar, Kamarkhanda Bazar, Bhadraghat Bazar; Baradhul Hat, 'Balarampur Hat.

Main exports Mustard seed, molasses, vegetables, bamboo and cane products.

Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 17.26% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 95.14%, tap 0.27%, pond 0.15% and others 4.44%. The presence of arsenic in an intolerable level has been detected in 1598 shallow tube-well water of the upazila. About 25 patients with arsenic contaminated disease, has been detected.

Sanitation 32.62% (rural 31.22% and urban 50.87%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 49.25% (rural 50.51% and urban 32.90%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 18.13% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family welfare centre 4, satellite clinic 2.

Natural disasters The earthquakes of 1885 and 1897 caused heavy damages to pucca houses and other properties of the upazila. Besides, a large number of people of the upazila were victims of the famine of 1943