HAJIGANJ

Hajiganj Upazila (chandpur district) with an area of 189.90 sq km, is bounded by kachua and matlab upazilas on the north, faridganj and ramganj upazilas on the south, shahrasti upazila on the east, chandpur sadar and matlab upazilas on the west. Main rivers are dakatia, Kachua and Boaljuri.

Hajiganj (Town) consist of 9 wards and 14 mahallas. The area of the town is 20.03 sq km. It has a population of 42254; male 51.81%, female 48.19%. Density of population is 2110 per sq km. Literacy rate among the town people is 43.7%.

Administration Hajiganj thana was established in 1818. The upazila consists of 10 union parishads, 124 mouzas and 147 villages.

Archaeological heritage and relics Hajiganj Bara Mosque, Math at Bakila and homestead of Hari Saha at Balakhal.

Population 254057; male 50.83%, female 49.17%; Muslim 92.04%, Hindu 7.8% and others 0.16%.

Religious institutions Mosque 400, temple 25, church 1, place of pilgrimage 1; noted religious institutions: Hajiganj Bara Mosque and Mada Khan Mosque (Aliganj).

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 38.5%; male 41.1% and female 34.3%. Educational institutions: college 3, technical educational institution 2, high school 31, madrasa 41, government primary school 97, non-government primary school 36, NGO operated school 69, Kindergarten school 4. Noted educational institutions: Hajiganj Pilot High School and Balakhal Jogendra Narayan High School.

Cultural organisations Rural club 10, cinema hall 2, women's organisation 2, playground 23.

Main occupations Agriculture 33.56%, fishing 1.27%, agricultural labourer 17.10%, wage labourer 3.68%, commerce 13.2%, transport 2.44%, construction 2.36%, service 13.44% and others 12.95%.

Land use Total cultivable land 14225 hectares; fallow land 35 hectares; single crop 29.11%, double crop 65.48% and treble crop land 5.41%.

Value of land The market value of the land of the first grade is Tk 12500 per 0.01 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, potato and varieties of vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Linseed, sesame, kaun, mustard seed, sweet potato, onion, garlic, peanut, chilly, china and varieties of dal (pulse).

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit and coconut.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Poultry 18, fishery 24, dairy 2 and hatchery 41.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 9.5 km and mud road 582 km; railways 13 km; waterways 8 nautical mile.

Traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage, country boat and donga (small boat made of palm tree). These means of transport (except country boat) are either extinct or nearly extinct.

Manufactories Jute mill 1, rice mill 104, bakery 21, bidi factory 2, printing press 6, brick field 5, welding 15 and saw mill 27.

Cottage industries Bamboo work 105, goldsmith 95, blacksmith 65, wood work 201, tailoring 250.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars 32, most noted of which are Hajiganj Bazar, Rampur, Rajar Gaon, Ramchandrapur and Chengatali; fair 1 (Lakshminarayan Jeor Akhra Mela).

Main exports Jute and jute goods.

NGO activities Operationally most important NGOs are brac, asa, proshika and Attanibedita Mahila Sangstha.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family welfare centre 11 and satellite clinic 3. [Md. Tofael Ahmed Sheikh]