Habiganj District (sylhet division) with an area of 2636.58 sq km, is bounded bysunamganj district on the north, Tripura State of India on the south, maulvi bazarand sylhet districts on the east, brahmanbaria and kishoreganjdistricts on the west. Annual average temperature maximum 33.2°C, minimum 13.6°C. Total rainfall 3334 mm. Noted rivers are Khowai, Sutang, Korangi, Kalni, Kushiyara, Gopala, Ratna, Barak.
Habiganj (Town) consists of 9 wards and 64 mahallas. It has an area of 20.60 sq km. The town has a population of 54178; male 52.59%, female 47.41%. Literacy rate among the town people is 59.9%. Habiganj Town Committee was established in 1881 and it was turned into a municipality in 1913. During the British period an embankment was constructed along the Khoai to protect the town. The main business centre of the town is Chowdhury Bazar. The town has one dakbungalow.
Administration Habiganj subdivision was established in 1874 under sylhet district and was turned into a district in 1984. It consists of 4 municipality, 36 wards, 124 mahallas, 8 upazilas, 77 union parishads, 1241 mouzas and 2093 villages. The upazilas are ajmiriganj, baniachang, bahubal, chunarughat, habiganj sadar,lakhai, madhabpur and nabiganj.
Historical events On 4 April 1971 Col. Ataul Ghani Osmany (supreme commander of the War of Liberation) and some officers of the 2nd and 4th East Bengal Regiment assembled in the Teliapara Tea Garden Dakbungalow to discuss war situation.
Population 1757331; male 49.94%, female 50.06%; Muslim 80.23%, Hindu 19.12%, Buddhist 0.05%, Christian 0.13% and others 0.47%; ethnic nationals include Khasia and Manipuri.
Religious institutions Mosque 1385, temple 176, church 2, tomb 46.
Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 22.51%; male 27.86% and female 17.01%. Educational institutions: medical college 1, polytechnic institute 1, college 14, government high school 8, non-government high school 87, junior school 14, government primary school 1411, non-government primary school 233, madrasa 96, satellite school 6.
Cultural organisations Club 131, public library 10, library 5, theatre group 12, literary society 6, women's society 7, cinema hall 13.
Locally published newspapers and periodicals Daily Pravakar, Pratidener Bani, weekly Swadhikar, Swadeshbarta, Drishtikon, Khoai, Hobiganj Samachar, Janatar Dalil, Parikrama, fortnightly Prayas and Mritika; extinct: monthly Moitri(1909), weekly Projapati (1909), Sree Sree Sonar Gauranga (1329 BS), Palli Bani (1940), weekly Shahid (1948), weekly Jagaran (1955), monthly Avijatrik(1966).
Main occupations Agriculture 42.26%, agricultural labourer 20.55%, wage labourer 6.45%, commerce 8.2%, service 4.69%, industry 1.7%, fishing 2.73% and others 13.42%.
Land use Total cultivable land 25299.3 hectares; fallow land 520.53 hectares; single crop 51.6%, double crop 38.7% and treble crop land 9.7%; tea garden 22, rubber plantation 2.
Main crops Paddy, tea, wheat, potato, jute, ground nut, betel leaf and oil seed.
Extinct or nearly extinct crops Varieties of local paddy.
Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, litchi, coconut, lemon, pineapple and black berry.
Fisheries, dairies, poultries Dairy 148, poultry 739 and fishery 638.
Communication facilities Roads: pucca 321 km, semi pucca 205 km and mud road 1592 km; railways 107 km.
Traditional transport Palanquin, Gaina boat and bullock cart. These means of transport are either extinct or nearly extinct.
Manufactories Textile mill, umbrella factory, flour mill, rice mill, ice factory, soap factory, dry fish processing centre, biscuit factory.
Cottage industries Weaving, bamboo work, goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, tailoring and welding, shital pati making.
Mineral resources Natural gas.
Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 126, fair 23.
Main exports Paddy, tea, betel leaf, date molasses and forest and bamboo goods.
Health centres Zila sadar hospital 1, upazila health complex 10, union health and family planning centre 28, satellite clinic 1 and maternity 31 and veterinary hospital.
Disclaimer: All these information has been taken from http://www.banglapedia.org/ (national encyclopedia of Bangladesh) just for dissemination of information, not commercial use. For detail please refer to http://www.banglapedia.org/ . For more updated information please visit http://www.bangladesh.gov.bd/
Disclaimer: All these information has been taken from http://www.banglapedia.org/ (national encyclopedia of Bangladesh) just for dissemination of information, not commercial use. For detail please refer to http://www.banglapedia.org/ . For more updated information please visit http://www.bangladesh.gov.bd/
