Manikganj District (dhaka division) with an area of 1378.99 sq km, is bounded bytangail district on the north, dhaka district on the east, faridpur and Dhaka districts on the south, the padma, jamuna and the districts of pabna and rajbari on the west. Annual temperature: maximum 36°C and minimum 12.7°C; annual rainfall 2376 mm. Main rivers are the Padma, Jamuna, Dhaleshwari, Ichamati and Kaliganga. An extensive area of the district especially riverine area of the upazilas of Harirampur, Shivalaya and Daulatpur becomes victim to riverbank erosion every year.
Manikganj (Town) consists of 9 wards and 49 mahallas. The area of the town is 20.59 sq km. It has a population of 53161; male 51.16% and female 48.84%; density of population is 2582. Literacy rate among the town people is 49.9%.
Administration Manikganj subdivision was established in 1845 and was turned into a district in 1984. It consists of 1 municipality, 7 upazilas, 65 union parishads, 1357 mouzas, 9 wards, 49 mahallas and 1647 villages. The upazilas are manikganj sadar,singair, shivalaya, saturia, harirampur, ghior and daulatpur.
Archaeological heritage Matta Math, Sree Sree Anandamayee Kalibari, Rajani Bhaban and Jhobhat Bhaban, Narayan Sadhu Asram, Sivabari Mandir, Neel-kuthi at Bimile (sadar upazila); Fort at Fordnagar, Baira Neel-kuthi, residence of Datta-Guptas, Ananda Kuthi and Mandir, Senabari and Durga-mandap, Imampara Jami Masjid, tomb of Ibrahim Shah, (Singair upazila); Ekdala Fort, Katasgarh Fort, Fort at Dhaki-jora, Daschira Buddha-vihara and stupa, Navaratna Math, Teota Zamindar Bari, Machain Masjid, tomb of Shah Rustam, Tepra Kali Mandir, Sree-bari, Neel-kuthi at Teota (Shivalaya upazila); Baliati Zamindar Palace, Dhankora Zamindar-bari, tomb of Kalu Shah, Gauranga Math (Saturia upazila); Neel-kuthi at village Sreebari Baratia, Panch-thubi Bauddha-vihara (Ghior); Jhitka Lokmania Dargah (Harirampur).
Historical events A decisive battle was fought between the Mughal army and the combined forces of the Bara Bhuiyans under Musa Khan at Jatrapur and Dakchara on the Ichamati (under Harirampur upazila) resulting in the defeat of the Bara Bhuiyans and establishment of the Mughal supremacy over the central bhati region. In the second half of the nineteenth century indigo uprisings spread over the district. The anti-British revolutionists under Hiralal Mohanta of Manikganj town initially looted the postal despatch on 12 February1932.
During the War of Liberation in 1971 a group of Pak-soldiers on boats while proceeding towards the Singair camp was attacked by the freedom fighters on the Nurani-ganga Khal and in the encounter more than three hundred Pak-soldiers including a major were killed. In a pitched battle between the Pak-army and the freedom fighters at Baira under Singair upazila 15 Pak-soldiers were killed. The Pak-army killed 41 villagers by gun shot at village Terasree under Ghior upazila on 22 November. The Pak-soldiers attacked the camp of the freedom fighters at Nayabari under Shivalaya upazila in the month of November and after a fight for four hours the offenders were compelled of retreat. A battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the Pak-soldiers at village Kagajinagar of sadar upazila on 12 December in which the Pak-soldiers being pressed by guerrilla attack dispersed. In an encounter between the Pak-army and the freedom fighters at Baliartek on 14 December one Pak-soldier was captured and freedom fighter Nawsher Molla embraced death. The freedom fighter Chand Mia was killed in an encounter at village Manra. A battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the receding Pak-soldiers on 15 December at village Ghazinda in which the freedom fighters Mohammad Aminur Rahman, Chhakkeluddin, Shariful Islam and Rahijuddin embraced death.
Marks of War of Liberation Mass killing site: Saturia Pilot High School compound, Primary Training Institute campus, Tara-ghat, house of Balai Babu; mass grave: by the side of Thana pond; Memorial monument: at a place adjacent to the Manikganj Bus-stand, memorial monument at village Terasree in Ghior upazila.
Population 1274829; male 49.69%, female 50.31%; Muslim 87%, Hindu 12.41%, Christian 0.03%, Buddhist 0.03%, others 0.53%.
Religious institutions Mosque 1635, temple 458, church 1, mazar 51, dargah 5, sacred place 5.
Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 26.9%; male 33.7%, female 20.1%. Educational institutions: college 24, high school 130, junior high school 7, primary training institute 1, vocational training institute 1, madrasa 87, music school 1, tol 1, primary school 588, NGO operated school 290, community school 2, adult education centre 225, satellite school 10. Old and noted institutions: Government Devendra College (1942), Government Girl's College (1972), Daragram Viku Memorial College (1966), Khondkar Nurul Hossain Law Academy, Manikganj Government High School (1884), Surendra Kumar Government Girl's High School (1938), Manikganj Islamia Senior Madrasa (1953), Primary Training Institute, Baliati Iswar Chandra High School (1919), Ghior DN High School, Jaimandap High School (1921), Teota Academy (1891).
Newspapers and periodicals (weekly) Karcha, Alor Bani, Muktir Vahana, Manikganjer Khabar, Ababil; (defunct) Paril Bartabaha (1280 BS), Weekly Manikganj (1972), Weekly Budhbar, Weekly Pataka, Navagram (1978), Chalaman (1980), Muktir Dak (1980), Manikganj Barta (1981), Maitree International (1979), Jagarani (1965), Ritu-rang-man (1967), Abahaman (1978), Bitapa (1981), Dishari, Aloklata, Shiuli, Durbachal, Dawal, Ghazikhali, Chhayapalli.
Cultural organaisations Club 425, public library 14, society and organisation 12, women's association 8, shilpakala academy 1, theatre group and jatra party 44, drama stage 6, cinema hall 10.
Main occupations Agriculture 37.96%, fishing 1.87%, agricultural labourer 22.25%, wage labourer 3.92%, industry 1.15%, commerce 11.97%, construction 1.03%, service 8.43%. transport 1.76% and others 9.66%.
Land use Cultivable land 107897 hectares; fallow land 16193 hectares; single crop 25%, double crop 59.4% and triple crop land 15.6%. Cultivable land under irrigation 40%.
Land control Among the peasants, landless 23%, marginal peasant 29%, small peasant 25%, intermediate 18% and 5% rich; cultivable land per head 0.091 hectare.
Value of land The market value of the first grade arable land is Tk 11,642 per 0.01 hectare.
Main crops Paddy, jute, sugarcane, wheat, tobacco, mustard, sesame, potato, ground nut, onion, chilli, garlic, khesari, lentil, leguminous pulse, vegetables.
Extinct and nearly extinct crops Kaun, china, linseed, barley, arahar, maize, sweet potato.
Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, safeda, banana, papaya, guava, coconut, palm,kamranga.
Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 660, livestock and dairy 741, poultry 1375, hatchery 16.
Communication facilities Roads: pucca 264 km, semi pucca 52 km, mud road 2268 km, waterways 118 nautical mile.
Traditional transport Horse, horse carriage, push van, palanquin, bullock cart, buffalo cart. These means of transport are either extinct or nearly extinct.
Manufactories Heavy industry 5, medium industry 15, small industry 945.
Cottage industries Weaving 1107, silk work 23, brass metal work 39, conch work 19, packaging 54, bidi factory 9, welding 294, candle and agar factory 51, molasses production 54, book binding 46, wood work 399, bamboo work 1264, goldsmith 460, blacksmith 382, potteries 953, tailoring 1042, miscellaneous cottage industries 97.
Hats bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 166, fair 54.
Main exports Tobacco, cotton and silk fabrics, molasses, paddy, jute, wheat, potato, milk, poultry, metal products, ground nut, oil seed, electric pole, gas cylinder.
NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, asa, grameen bank, Prism Bangladesh, Sheds, NBCL, Gana Kalyan Trust, Shapla Neer, VON, Sonali Sangstha, Manab Unnayan, TURD, VIRK, Arab, ITCL, iccdr,b, SPUS, Usha, DRRS, CDC, ccdb, Samamana, Dak (Total NGOs 354).
Health centres Sadar hospital 1, diabetic hospital 1, maternity and child care centre 2, upazila health complex 6, family planning centre 43, satellite clinic 27, community clinic 30, NGO operated health centre 2, private clinic 5.
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/
