Durgapur Upazila, Rajshahi Explained

Official Name:Durgapur
Native Name:দূর্গাপুর
Settlement Type:Upazila
Coordinates:24°N 88°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Bangladesh
Subdivision Type1:Division
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name1:Rajshahi
Subdivision Name2:Rajshahi
Leader Title:MP (Rajshahi-5)
Leader Name:Mansur Rahman
Leader Title1:Upazila Chairman
Leader Name1:Md Nazrul Islam
Area Total Km2:197.89
Population Demonym:Durgapuri
Population Total:185845
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:BST
Utc Offset:+6

Durgapur (Bengali: দূর্গাপুর) is an upazila of the Rajshahi District, located in Bangladesh's Rajshahi Division.[1] It is named after the town of Durgapur.

History

The area covered by the Durgapur Upazila is closely located to Lakhnauti, the capital city of medieval Bengal, and as a result contains sites connected to the Sultanate of Bengal. In, the Qismat Maria mosque complex was constructed in Durgapur Upazila's Maria village. Among the 456 mosques and 125 eidgahs of Durgapur Upazila, other historic examples include the one-domed Ruipara Jame Mosque from the 16th century and the five-domed Panchubari Jame Mosque.[1] The Panchubari mosque in Jaygirpara was established by a silk businessman known as Bhadu Pramanik and is bounded on the north by the huge Angra Beel and on the south by the river Malch.[2] A Sufi pir popularly known as Kalachand Shah was based in this area and he is buried in a mazar (mausoleum) in Hathkanpara Bazar, Jainagar Union.[3] In the 19th century, a Sufi murshid known as Hazrat Shah Shafi Qazi Rafiuddin bin Kafiluddin al-Chishti (1882–1996) of Dhardiyar, Kushtia arrived to Durgapur where many murids gave bay'ah to him. His mazar is located in Jhaluka.[4]

The British Raj officially established a thana in Durgapur in 1909. During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, a battle took place between the Bengali freedom fighters and the Pakistan Army at the village of Kabasmul on the border between Durgapur and Paba upazilas. The army major was killed and as a response the army massacred 44 villagers in the villages of Gaganbaria and Palsa. Durgapur Thana was upgraded to upazila (sub-district) in 1984 as part of the President of Bangladesh Hussain Muhammad Ershad's decentralisation programme.[1]

Geography

Durgapur is located at 24.4556°N 88.7667°W. It has a total area of 197.89 km².

Demographics

According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Durgapur Upazila had 48,530 households and a population of 185,845. 32,588 (17.54%) were under 10 years of age. Durgapur had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 48.23%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 987 females per 1000 males. 28,119 (15.13%) lived in urban areas.[5] Ethnic population was 1,106 (0.60%).[6]

Administration

Durgapur has 7 Unions/Wards, 114 Mauzas/Mahallas, and 122 villages.[5] Post Code- 6240.

List of chairmen

List of Upazila chairmen[7] !Name!Term!Notes
Mullah Abdul Wahid25/5/1985 - 24/5/1990
Tazlul Islam Md Faruq25/5/1990 - 9/5/1991
Md Abdul Majid Sardar22/2/2009 - 29/8/2012
Musammat Banesa Begum5/9/2012 - 10/11/2012Acting
Md Abdul Majid Sardar11/11/2012 - 29/4/2014
Md Nazrul Islam30/4/2014 - present

Notable people

See also

Notes and References

  1. Kaisaruzzaman, AK Muhammad. Durgapur Upazila (Rajshahi District).
  2. Web site: পাঁচুবাড়ী পাঁচ গম্বুজ মসজিদ. Durgapur Upajela. bn.
  3. Web site: কালাচাঁন্দ শাহের মাঝার শরীফ. Durgapur Upajela. The holy mausoleum of Kalachand Shah. bn.
  4. Web site: কালাচাঁন্দ শাহের মাঝার শরীফ. Durgapur Upajela. The holy mausoleum of Kalachand Shah. bn.
  5. Web site: Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Rajshahi . bbs.gov.bd . Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  6. Web site: 2011 . Community Tables: Rajshahi district . bbs.gov.bd . Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  7. Web site: পূর্বতন পরিষদ চেয়ারম্যানগণ. Durgapur Upazila. Former council chairmen. bn.