Kushtia

Kushtia District (khulna division) with an area of 1621.15 sq km is bounded byrajshahi, natore, pabna districts on the north, chuadanga, Jhenaidah districts on the south, rajbari districts on the east, West Bengal of India and meherpur district on the west. Main rivers are Ganges, Garai, Mathabhanga, Kaliganga and Kumar. Annual average highest temperature 37.8ºC and lowest 11.2ºC; annual rainfall 1467 mm.

Kushtia (Town) Kushtia municipal town consists of 12 wards and 29 mahallas. The area of the town is 13.31 sq km. It has a population of 86066; male 51.34%, female 48.66%; density of population is 6466 per sq km. The literacy rate among the town people is 64.1%. Kushtia Municipality was established in 1969. Hamilton'sGazetteer has the mention of Kushtia (Kustee) town and local people call the town as Kushte. Kushtia is not an ancient town. It developed as a river port during the reign of Emperor Shahjahan. The East India Company made intensive use of the port but the growth of the town owes much to the settlement by the indigo planters and traders. The town was connected with Calcutta by rail in 1860; since then it experienced quick development and became a good location for mills and factories including those like the Renwick and Company (1904), Jagneshwar Engineering Works (1896) and the Mohini Mills (1919). The town got a new momentum for development with the establishment of the headquarters of the Ganges-Kobadak Project and a number of government offices in 1954.

Administration Kushtia was once a part of the Nadia district of the undivided India. It became a new district in 1947 consisting of Kushtia Sadar, Chuadanga and Meherpur subdivisions. All these three subdivisions are now independent districts. Kushtia district consists of 6 upazilas, 4 municipalities, 39 wards, 70 mahallas, 61 union parishads, 710 mouzas and 978 villages. The upazilas are kushtia sadar,kumarkhali, daulatpur, mirpur, bheramara and khoksa.

Archeological relics and monuments Kuthibari of Rabindranath Tagore at Shilaidaha, tomb of Lalon Shah. Shahi Mosque (Mughal period), house of Mir Mosharraf Hossain at Lahinipara, tomb of Nafar Shah at Aruapara, tomb of Darvish Sonabandhu at Kumarkhali Bazaar, tomb of Jangli Shah at Safiyat Village, Jourgebari of Chandpur Village, Mahishkundi Indigo Kuthi, Kalidevi Mandir.

Historical events indigo resistance movement spread in Bengal in 1860 and Shalghar Madhua organised the largest movement in the Kushtia district. Inspired by the movement, all indigo farmers in the Kushtia area refused to pay government taxes. The British government sent an army platoon under the command of GG Morrison, to investigate into the matter. Farmers could successfully negotiate with him, committed to start paying taxes provided the indigo planters would stop torturing them and had sent the army back.

Marks of War of Liberation Mass grave 10, monument 1, most noted memorial sculpture is the 'Muktabangla' at the Islami University.

Population 1713224; male 50.86% and female 49.14%; Muslim 95.72%, Hindu 4.22% and others 0.06%.

Religious institutions Mosque 1582, temple 34, church 1, tomb 148.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 25.8%; male 30.9%, female 48.35%. Educational institutions: university 1, government college 3, private college 30, government high school 3, private high school 173, private junior school 38, government primary school 330, private primary school 275, kindergarten 39, madrasa 37 vocational training institute 2, law college 1, PTI 1, the mentally and physically retarded school 1, medical school 1, teachers training institutes 2, NGO operated school 456. Noted educational institutions are Mission Primary School (1898), Kushtia Government University College (1947), Kushtia Islamia College (1968), Kushtia High School and Kushtia Zila School (1960), Bagoan Khirad Chanda Bidya Niketan.

Locally published newspapers and periodicals Dailies: Ajker Alo, Bangladesh Barta, Bajrapat, Shikal, Kushtia, Sutrapat and Deshbrati, Darpan, Srijanshil, Prottashar Protibimba, Niharika, Deshbarti. Weeklies: Mukur and Simanta Katha. Extinct: Jagaran (first published 1921), Dipika (1933), Shaibi (1895), Azad (1932), Tili Samaj, Jogajog.

Cultural organisations Public library 26, playground 115, club 204, sangit college 1, women's organisation 25, jatra party 2, theatre group 11, theatre stage 5,shilpakala academy 1, children's academy 1, cinema hall 16, literay society 34, community centre 3.

Main occupations Agriculture 31.5%, agricultural labourer 13.9%, wage labourer 4.48%, handloom 3.58%, industry 1.14%, commerce 15.34%, transport 2.05%, construction 1.41%, service 7.15%, others 9.45%.

Land use Cultivable land 116181.52 hectare; fallow land 13164.19; single crop land 52.42%, double crop 38.64% and treble crop land 8.94%.

Land control Among the peasants 42.9% are landless, 46.8% small, 8.5% medium and 1.8% rich.

Value of land The market value of land of first grade is about Tk 5000 per 0.01 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, jute, sugarcane, pulses, oil seed.

Extinct and nearly extinct crops Indigo.

Main fruits Mango, banana, jackfruit, litchi.

Fisheries, dairies, poultry Fishery 227, poultry 855, dairy 197, nursery 50, hatchery 37.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 469.92 km, semi pucca 540.1 km, mud road 2031.07 km; waterway 45 nautical mile; railways 42.5 km.

Traditional transport Palanquin, boat, bullock cart, horse carriage. These means of transport are either extinct or nearly extinct.

Manufactories Ice factory 21, flour mill 11, textile mill 5, rice mill 113, others 15.

Cottage industries Weaving 687, bamboo work 259, goldsmith 358, blacksmith 880, woodwork 682, tailoring 419, welding 82.

Hats and bazars Hats and bazars are 180, most noted of which are Mirpur (cattle market), Poradaha (clothings), Ujangram, Kumarkhali, Mathurampur and Allah Dargah; fairs 15, noted of which are Trimohini Baishakhi Mela, Lalon Mela at Chheuria, Khoksha Janipur Mela, Barokhada Mela and Kalitala Mela.

Main Exports Tobacco, betel leaf, banana and sugarcane.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are Setu, Joy, Disha, Pipasha, Jagarani, CDL, brac, Mukti, Swanirvar Bangladesh, asa, Drishti, Bodhodaya, Karmei Mukti.

Health centres District sadar hospital 1, upazila health complex 6, union health centre 10, satellite clinic 97, health and family planning centre 38, TB hospital 1, diabetic centre 1, maternal and child welfare centre 2, police hospital 1, jail hospital 1, eye hospital 2 and child hospital 1.


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