Muradnagar Upazila


Muradnagar Upazila (comilla district) with an area of 339 sq km, is bounded by nabinagar upazila on the north, chandina and debidwar upazilas on the south, Debidwar, brahmanpara and kasba upazilas on the east and daudkandi, homna and bancharampur upazilas on the west. Main rivers are Gumti and Buri Nadi; jalmahal 4.

Muradnagar (Town) consists of 2 mouzas. The area of the town is 10.53 sq km. It has a population of 18325; male 50.29%, female 49.71%; density of population is 1740 per sq km. Literacy rate among the town people is 34.9%.

Administration Muradnagar thana was established in 1858 and was turned into an upazila in 1983. The upazila consists of 21 union parishads, 154 mouzas and 301 villages.

Historical events National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam married at village Daulatpur. The home-stead of Nazrul Islam's in-law has now turned into Kabi Nazrul Smriti Niketan. During the War of Liberation quite a number of direct encounters were held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army and Razakars in which several freedom fighters were killed.

Population 417204; male 50.50%, female 49.50%; Muslim 90.6%, Hindu 9.39% and others 0.01%.

Religious institutions Mosque 280, temple 46, tomb 8, place pilgrimage 1; Bhutail Sarkarbari Mosque, Sonakandha Pirbari Mosque, Kashimpur Pirbari Mosque, Muradnagar Mosque, Nabipur Mandir, Sreekail Kalibari and Ramchandrapur Kalibari.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 30.6%; male 38% and female 23.2%. Educational institution: college 17, high school 80, madrasa 49, government primary school 149, non-government primary school 40. Noted educational institutions: Bangra High School (1887), Ramchandrapur High School (1918), Sreekail College (1942).

Cultural organisations Rural club 40, press club 2, public library 1, museum 1, cinema hall 5, playground 32.

Locally published newspapers and periodicals Monthly Bihanga and Muradnagar.

Main occupations Agriculture 44.14%, commerce 12.3%, service 7.68%, transport 1.97%, weaver 2.21%, agricultural labourer 16.89%, wage labourer 3.07%, fishing 1.58% and others 10.16%.

Land use Cultivable land 28621.28 hectares; fallow land 198.70 hectares; single crop 23.83%, double crop 63.88% and treble crop land 12.29%; land under irrigation 9117.36 hectares.

Land control Among the peasants 35% are landless, 30% small, 25% intermediate and 10% rich; cultivable land per head 0.07 hectare.

Value of land The market value of the land of the first grade is Tk 7500 per 0.01 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, linseed, sesame, chilli, onion and pulses.

Extinct or nearly extinct crop Jute.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana and black berry.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 66 km, mud road 12 km.

Traditional transport Palanquin (nearly extinct).

Manufactories Bidi factory 4, rice mill 7, ice factory 4 and welding 40.

Cottage industries Weaving 1200, goldsmith 96, blacksmith 70, potteries 80 and tailoring 300.

Hats, bazars and fairs Total number of hats and bazars is 80, most noted hats and bazars are Ramchandrapur, Companiganj, Hatkhola, Pipdia Hat. There is a mention of Ramchandrapur Bazar as a rice export centre in William Hunter's Statistical Account of Bengal.

Main exports Rice and mustard seed.

Mineral resources Bakharabad Gas Field (one of the largest gas fields in Bangladesh) is located at Sreekail of this upazila.

NGO activities Operationally important ngos is brac.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 5 and family planning centre 9.