Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Mithapukur Upazila

Mithapukur Upazila
Mithapukur (/miːtɑːpuːkʊər/মিঠাপুকুর Mithapukur [ˈmiʈʰaˌpukur] (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Speaker_Icon.svg/13px-Speaker_Icon.svg.png listen)) is an upazila of Rangpur District[1] in the division ofRangpurBangladesh. The upazila is situated in the middle of Rangpur, surrounded by Rangpur Sadar to the north, Pirganj to the south, Badarganj and Phulbari to the west and Pirgachha and Sundarganj to the east. Mithapukur is famous for being the birthplace of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and its sweet mango Harivanga.

Mithapukur Upazila (rangpur district) area 515.62 sq km, located in between 25°26' and 25°41' north latitudes and in between 89°06' and 89°27' east longitudes. It is bounded by rangpur sadar and pirgachha upazilas on the north, pirganj and sadullapur upazilas on the south, Pirgachha andsundarganj upazilas on the east, badarganj and nawabganj (dinajpur) upazilas on the west.
Population Total 449612; male 230207, female 219405; Muslim 409362, Hindu 33611, Buddhist 1671, Christian 1456 and others 3512.
Water bodies Main rivers: Jamuneshwari, ghaghat.
Administration Mithapukur Thana was formed in 1885 and it was turned into an upazila on 1 February 1984.
Upazila
Municipality
Union
Mouza
Village
Population
Density (per sq km)
Literacy rate (%)
Urban
Rural
Urban
Rural
-
17
310
314
11635
437977
872
58.40
41.24

Upazila Town
Area (sq km)
Mouza
Population
Density (per sq km)
Literacy rate (%)
6.36
5
11635
1829
58.40

Union
Name of union and GO code
Area (acre)
Population
Literacy rate (%)
Male
Female
Emadpur 44
9705
18355
17088
34.93
Kafrikhal 55
8926
18563
17751
39.08
Khoragachh 61
8138
12898
12622
35.14
Gopalpur 50
6974
9770
9650
42.15
Chengmari 33
7667
12512
12417
39.66
Durgapur 39
9199
22642
21049
49.31
Pairaband 89
6826
13810
13147
40.73
Bara Hazratpur 16
8221
15060
13902
45.27
Barabala 11
5909
9416
9175
41.49
Balarhat 22
5754
10948
10814
44.61
Balua Masimpur 10
7599
9688
9449
42.36
Bhangni 27
6365
12642
11949
39.65
Mayenpur 83
7677
12109
11717
36.28
Milanpur 72
6283
9462
9008
43.06
Mirzapur 78
7513
13771
12796
42.24
Rani Pukur 94
7071
12644
11912
42.45
Latifpur 67
7587
15917
14959
47.23
Source  Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
File:MithapukurUpazila.jpg
Archaeological heritage and relics House of begum roquiah (Pairaband), Turka Mosque at Latifpur union (Mughal period), three domed Jami Mosque at village Mithapukur, mazar and mosque of Gazi Pir at Bairagiganj, three domed mosque at village Bhangni, house of Raja Bhavachandra and Bagdevi Mandir (extinct) at Dhap Udaypur, Benuban Buddhist Vihara, ancient mandir of Aladipur, Zamindar Bari at Phulchawki, Baldipukur Mission and Church, Mithapukur (pond, excavated during the Mughal period).
Historical events The Praja Vidraha (tenant movement) was held in Mughat Hat and Patgram during the British rule. The people of the upazila took part in Rangpur Cantonment raid on 28 March 1971. During the war of liberation direct encounters were held on the border of Pirganj-Mithapukur and the Damdama Bridge areas between the Pak army and the combined forces of the freedom fighters and the allied troops. The Pak army conducted mass killing and plundering in the upazila of which the most brutal was mass killing at Joyram Anwar Mouza in Pairaband union.
Marks of the War of Liberation Mass grave 3 (at a place on the eastern side of the tomb of Gazi Pir at Boiragiganj, near the Damdama Bridge and Damdama Bazar); mass killing site 5 (Damdama Bridge, Damdama Bazar, in front of the tomb Gazi Pir at Boiragiganj, Jamuneshwari River bed at Milanpur point, backyard of Jhinuk Cinema Hall).
Religious institutions Mosque 650, temple 32, church 2, tomb 4, buddhist vihara 1. Noted religious institutions: Turka Mosque at Latifpur Union, three domed Jami Mosque at village Mithapukur, mazar' and mosque of Gazi Pir at Boiragiganj, three domed Mosque at village Bhangni, Ancient Mandir of Aladipur village, Baldipukur Church, Benuban Buddhist Vihara.
Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 41.7%; male 45.49%, female 37.75%. Educational institutions: college 16, secondary school 74, primary school 245, madrasa 110. Noted educational institutions: Mithapukur College (1970), Shathibari College (1970), Shathibari Multilateral High School (1958).
Cultural organisations Library 1, club 86, theatre group 1, auditorium 1, playground 15, cinema hall 5.
Main sources of income Agriculture 69.47%, non-agricultural labourer 4.43%, industry 0.51%, commerce 11.27%, transport and communication 3.05%,' service 3.48%, construction 0.8%, religious service 0.17%, rent and remittance 0.11% and others 6.71%.
Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 53.2%, landless 46.8%; agricultural landowner: urban 50.4% and rural 53.27%.
Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, sugarcane, vegetables.
Extinct or nearly extinct crops Jute, tobacco.
Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, blackberry, papaya, banana.
Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 15, dairy 70, poultry 100, nursery 22, hatchery 3.
Communication facilities Pucca road 129.9 km, semi-pucca road 40 km, mud road 1340 km.
Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart.
Noted manufactories Husking mill 75, saw mill 25, oil mill 2, ice factory 10, bidi factory 1, welding factory 20, dairy and food products 1, meat processing industry 1, cold storage 4.
Cottage industries Blacksmith 76, potteries 55, jute work 10, leather work 12, bamboo work 230, tailoring 202.
Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 60, fairs 12, most noted of which are Shathibari Hat, Jayagirhat, Shukur Hat, Bairati Hat, Rani Pukur Hat, Chowdhury Gopalpur Hat, Balua Hat, Serudanga Hat, Shathibari Durga Puja Mela, Mithapukur Bazar Puja Mela, Bairati Baruni Mela, Chowdhury Gopalpur Hat Baruni Mela.
Main exports Paddy, wheat, sugarcane molasses, potato, vegetables.
Access to electricity All the unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 11.53% (urban 48.57% and rural 10.64%) of the dwelling households have access to electricity.
Sources of drinking water Tube-well 91.31%, tap 0.65%, pond 0.31% and others 7.73%.
Sanitation 12.6% (rural 11.96% and urban 39.18%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 27.39% (rural 27.42% and urban 26.29%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 60.01% of households do not have latrine facilities.
Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union family planning centre 17, union health centre 11, regional training centre for family planning 1.
NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are bracasa, CARE, caritasthengamara mahila sabuj sangha. [Abu Md. Iqbal Rumi Shah]

Mithapukur is located in Bangladesh
Etymology
Mithapukur is the largest upazila in Rangpur zila in respect of both area and population.It came into existence in 1885 as a thana and was upgraded to upazila in 1983. Nothing is definitely known about the origin of the upazila name. It is said that Mir Jumla II, the Subahdar of Bengal, came there by the order of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in order to invade Koch Bihar.[2] He set up a camp near the current Mithapukur Degree College during the period of his military expedition in Bengal. His forces faced an acute problem of water for which a pond was dug near the camp. The water of the pond was so sweet that Mir Jumla named the place "Mithapukur" (Mitha means Sweet and Pukur means Pond). Some believe that Shah Ismail Ghazi ordered to dig the pond. It is believed that the pond consisted of five separate ponds. But in course of time, they mixed into a single pond.[citation needed]

Mithapukur (then, Mettypukre) in the Dury Wall Map of Bihar and Bengal, India in 1776
The name Mithapukur also appears in the James Rennell's Dury Wall Map of Bihar and Bengal, India (as Mettypukre) and N. Hindostan Map (as Mettypokra) and John Bartholomew's Map of Provinces of the Lower Ganges (as Mitapokhar).

Geography
Mithapukur is located at 25.5417°N 89.2833°E. It has total area 515.62 km². Mithapukur possesses vast fertile land. The Jamunashwori, Akhira and Ghaghot are the major river flows through Mithapukur. The Akhira river, which divided to Mithapukur landscape into two parts. The land character of the western part of Mithapukur is red brown soil and eastern part is locally known as Poly area, which contains a large part of the Upazila. Gopalpur Forest is the main landmark of Terrace soils area.
Demographics
As of the 2011 Bangladesh census,[3] Mithapukur has a population of 5,08,133 where males constitute 2,52,325 and females constitute 2,55,807 of the population with annual population growth rate of 1.21%. The total number of household of Mithapukur is 1,35,073. Mithapukur has an average literacy rate of 46% (7+ years) compared to the national average of 51.8% literate and 2nd highest literacy rate among the upazila Rangpur district followed by Rangpur Sadar.[3] [3]
Mithapukur Upazila has a very diverse population with minority groups including Buddhists, Christians and tribes such as Santhal who have lived in the district from the beginning of settlement in this area.[4]

Administrative
Mithapukur has 17 Unions, 311 Mauzas and 315 villages. The 17 unions are as follows:
Khoragach
Ranipukur
Payrabond
Vangni
Balarhat
Kafrikhal
Latibpur
Changmari
Moyenpur
balua masempur
Barobala
Milonpur
Gopalpur
Durgapur
Baro Hazrathpur
Mirzapur
Imadpur

Economy
Unripe mangoes on a mango tree, Harivanga Mango
Agriculture is demographically the broadest economic sector and plays a significant role in the overall socio-economic fabric of Mithapukur. Mithapukur is the largest producer of mangoes, vegetables and potatoes in the district. Mithapukur is the birthplace of the sweet mangoHarivanga, famous for its different taste.

Tourist attractions
Mithapukur Upazila has many historical and attractive places. Begum Rokeya Memorial in Pairaband is the birthplace of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880–1932), an eminent educationist and a pioneer of women's liberation. Mithapukur's most popular tourist attractions are the Mithapukur Pond-Excavated during Mughal period, Benubon Buddhist Vihara-Mithapukur, The Mughal era three domed jami Masque- Mithapukur, Tanka jami Mosque at Latibpur and Gopalpur forest and Eco 

Mithapukur Mughal Era Masque

Statue of Begum Rokeya near Begum Rokeya Memorial


Notable people
H N Ashequr Rahman,Parlamment member, entrepreneur
Rashid Askari, writer, academic
Road communication
Mithapukur is well connected to DhakaRangpurBogra by National highway. Mithapukur can be reached by the 304 km long National highway(N5) from Dhaka. The highway also provides a link to the neighbouring divisional town Rangpur by 18 km from Upazila Sadar. Highway buses run from kallanpur, Dhaka to Rangpur and it takes about six to seven hours.

See also

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