Kaliganj Upazila, Lalmonirhat Explained

Official Name:Kaliganj
Native Name:কালীগঞ্জ
Settlement Type:Upazila
Coordinates:25.9679°N 89.2083°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Bangladesh
Subdivision Type1:Division
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name1:Rangpur
Subdivision Name2:Lalmonirhat
Leader Title:MP (Lalmonirhat-2)
Leader Name:Nuruzzaman Ahmed
Leader Title1:Upazila Chairman
Leader Name1:Mahbubuzzaman Ahmed
Area Total Km2:253.24
Population Total:245595
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:BST
Utc Offset:+6

Kaliganj (Bengali: কালীগঞ্জ) is an upazila of the Lalmonirhat District in Rangpur Division, Bangladesh.[1]

History

This area was formerly a chakla governed by Indra Narayan Chakravarti during the reign of Maharaja Madan (Moda) Narayan (1665–1680) of Koch Bihar. Ibadat Khan, the Mughal faujdar of Ghoraghat, led an expedition against Koch Bihar in 1687. The Mughals were supported by Raghavendra Narayan and Ram Narayan, who were the two sons of Chakravarti's personal officer Raghuram. Following the Mughal victory, Chakravarti was deposed and the Mughals honored Raghavendra Narayan as the Chaudhury Zamindar of Bashatti and Ram Narayan as the Chaudhury Zamindar of Kakina. The zamindars of Kakina, descended from Ram Narayan, continued to hold influence in the region.[2] [3] The area was affected by the peasant rebellion of Nuraldin in 1783 and the Fakir-Sannyasi Rebellion.[1] In 1793, 21 thanas (police outpost headquarters) were assigned to the Rangpur district in accordance to Regulation No. 12. One thana was established in the village of Phurunbari in Goral mouza and encompassed parts of the present-day subdistricts of Kaliganj, Hatibandha and Aditmari. In 1304 BS (AD), the Bengal Dooars Railway was established and the thana was relocated from Phurunbari to Kaliganj in need of good communication. Kaliganj takes its name from Raja Kaliprasad Raichaudhury of the Ghosal clan, who was the erstwhile zamindar of Tushbhandar. Mahendra Ranjan Chaudhury, the Zamindar of Kakina, fell into debt from moneylenders and government revenue and his zamindari was auctioned in 1925. Chaudhury fled with his family to Darjeeling in 1949 where he died, and his remaining descendants converted to Islam. His final descendant, Hamida Khatun, married a man from Sheikhpara in Gangachara. Her son and successor Musaddiq Ali Azad is the current chairman of Morneya Union council.[2] [3]

During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, Kaliganj thana was under Sector No. 6 led by Khademul Bashar. Several civilians were executed by the Pakistan Army on 6 April. The army left Hatibandha and took shelter in Kaliganj on 30 November.[4] The area was liberated by Bengali freedom fighters on 6 December.[1]

On 9 April 1981, eight unions of Kaliganj thana separated to form the Aditmari thana. On 15 December 1983, Kaliganj thana was made an upazila (sub-district) as part of the President of Bangladesh Hussain Muhammad Ershad's decentralisation programme. Muhammad Ansar Ali was appointed as the first Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Kaliganj.[5]

Geography

Kaliganj is located at 25.1333°N 89.2167°W. It has 58,138 households and total area of 253.24 km2.

Demographics

According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Kaliganj Upazila had 58,138 households and a population of 245,595. 58,241 (23.71%) were under 10 years of age. Kaliganj had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 46.00%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1009 females per 1000 males. 18,967 (7.72%) lived in urban areas.[6] [7]

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Kaliganj has a population of 187,494. Males constitute 51.48% of the population, and females 48.52%. This Upazila's eighteen up population is 89,669. Kaliganj has an average literacy rate of 24% (7+ years), and a national average of 32.4% are literate.[8]

Administration

Kaliganj Upazila is divided into eight union parishads: Bhotemari, Chalbala, Chandrapur, Dalagram, Goral, Kakina, Madati, and Tushbhandar. The union parishads are subdivided into 64 mauzas and 92 villages.[6]

Upazila chairmen

List of chairmen[9] !Name!Term
Karim Uddin Ahmed5 June 1985 – 30 May 1990
Nuruzzaman Ahmed1 June 1990 – 23 November 1991
Nuruzzaman Ahmed23 February 2009 – 1 December 2013
Mahbubuzzaman Ahmed28 April 2014 – 7 February 2019
Mahbubuzzaman Ahmed8 April 2009 – present

Facilities

Kaliganj is home to 74 madrasas and the famous Ijaradar Mosque.[1] Among them, there are 19 Alia madrasahs:[10]

  1. Kakinahat Mostafabia Kamil Madrasa
  2. Kashiram Ekramia Alim Madrasa
  3. Munirabad Sufia Alim Madrasa
  4. Chalbala-Dalgram Fazil Madrasa
  5. Latabar Ekramia Rahmania Alia Madrasa
  6. Bhullyarhat Ashrafia Dakhil Madrasa
  7. Shialkhoa Karimia Dakhil Madrasa
  8. Dalgram Dakhil Madrasa
  9. Goral Dakhil Madrasa
  10. Karimpur Nesabia Dakhil Madrasa
  11. Tetulia Islamia Dakhil Madrasa
  12. Shakhati Jabbaria Dakhil Madrasa
  13. Naodabas Dakhil Madrasa
  14. North Dalgram B. A. Dakhil Madrasa
  15. West Rudeshwar Dakhil Madrasa
  16. Achintala Dakhil Madrasa
  17. Harishwar Dakhil Madrasa
  18. Bairati Dakhil Madrasa
  19. Darus Salam Girls Dakhil Madrasa

Notable people

See also

Notes and References

  1. Ali Babu, Muhammad Haider. Kaliganj Upazila (Lalmonirhat District).
  2. News: http://m.priyo.com/articles/lalmonirhat-kakina-jamindar-bari-2017327. bn:লালমনিরহাটের কাকিনা জমিদার বাড়ি. bn. Priyo.
  3. News: http://www.kalerkantho.com/online/nagorik-montobbo/2016/07/24/385013. bn:লালমনিরহাটের কাকিনা জমিদার বাড়ি হতে পারে আকর্ষণীয় পর্যটন কেন্দ্র. bn. Kaler Kantho. 24 July 2016.
  4. Nayan, Tanzimul. Lalmonirhat District.
  5. Web site: https://kaliganj.lalmonirhat.gov.bd/bn/site/page/L8b0-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%9E%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9C-%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%82%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF. Bangladesh National Portal. bn. bn:কালীগঞ্জ উপজেলার পটভূমি.
  6. Web site: Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Lalmonirhat . Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  7. Web site: 2011 . Community Tables: Lalmonirhat district . Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  8. Web site: 2006-11-10 . Population Census Wing, BBS.. https://web.archive.org/web/20050327072826/http://www.bangladeshgov.org/mop/ndb/arpc91_v1/tables04.htm . 2005-03-27 .
  9. Web site: https://kaliganj.lalmonirhat.gov.bd/bn/site/page/JAEF-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A7%87%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%83%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A6. Bangladesh National Portal. bn. bn:প্রাক্তন উপজেলা চেয়ারম্যানবৃন্দ.
  10. Web site: https://kaliganj.lalmonirhat.gov.bd/bn/site/page/I4r7-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%83. Bangladesh National Portal. bn. bn:মাদ্রাসার তালিকা.