Panchagarh District

Tea Garden in Panchagarh © Nazmul Hossain Nisad
Panchagarh
পঞ্চগড়
District

Location of Panchagarh in Bangladesh
Coordinates: 26°12′N 88°20′E / 26.2°N 88.34°E / 26.2; 88.34Coordinates: 26°12′N 88°20′E / 26.2°N 88.34°E / 26.2; 88.34
Country  Bangladesh
Division Rangpur Division
Area
 • Total 1,404.62 km2 (542.33 sq mi)
Population (2011 census)
 • Total 987,644
 • Density 700/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Literacy rate
 • Total 51.08% (male 55.2%, female 48.3%)
Time zone UTC+6 (BST)
Postal code 5000
Website www.panchagarh.gov.bd

Panchagarh (Bengali pronunciation: [pɔntʃoɡɔɽ]; Bengali: পঞ্চগড়, Panchagaṛ "five forts") is a district of Rangpur division.It is in the extreme northern part of Bangladesh with an area of 1404.62 square km,[1] is bounded on three sides by 288 km long Indian border, having Darjeeling district on the north, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar Districts on the northeast, West Dinajpur District and Purnea district on the west. Dinajpur and Thakurgaon Districts on the south, Nilphamari District on the east. Its soil is sandy, alluvial and bears close affinity with the soil of the old Himalayan basin. On the northern part of the district there exists underground layer of pebbles. It is 150 feet (46 m) high from the sea level. Panchagarh has 16 rivers. Among them some main rivers are Karatoya, Atrai, Tista, Nagor, Mahananda, Tangon, Dahuk, Pathraj, Bhulli, Talma, Chawai, Kurum, Versa, Tirnoi, and Chilka.

History

The existence of five garhs (fortifications) has hitherto been traced, of which the most noted are Bhitargarh, Hosaingarh, Mirgarh, Rajangarh and Devengarh. Panchagarh is named after these five garh.But before panchagarh it was called "Pachagarh". At first, Panchargarh was a thana under Thakurgaon mahakuma when the partition between India and Pakistan happened in 1947. In 1st January 1980 it was established as a mahakuma consisting of 5 thanas named Tetulia, Panchagarh Sadar, Atwari. Boda and Debiganj. First commissioner of Panchagah was Sayed Abdur Rashid from 1 January 1980 to 31 December 1982. It was then established as a district in 1st February 1984. First deputy commissioner of Panchagarh was A. S. M. Abdul Halim from 1 February 1984 to 16 June 1985.[2]

Geography

Panchagarh is the situated in the north side of Bangladesh. It is 150 feet (46 m) high from the level. The border of this district was designed by Sir Cyril John Radcliffe in 1947. The length of the border in Panchagarh between Bangladesh and India is 286.87 km.[3]

Description 2011 2001 % of National
Area(km2) 1,404.62 1,404.63 0.96
Population 10,26,141 836,196 0.71
Description 2011 2001 1991 % change
Density 703 595 507 17.36
Literacy rate 71.8 40.82 27.80 46.83
  1. Total Boundary: 302.68 km
  2. Estublished: 01.02.1984
  3. No. of City Corporation: 2
  4. No. of Upzilla: 5
  5. No. of Union: 43
  6. No. of Village: 825
  7. No. of Mouza: 463
  8. Rate of education:
    1. Men: 42%
    2. Women: 24%
  9. No. of Rivers: 16
  10. Main Rivers: Korotoya, Dahuk, Chawai, Tirnoy.
  11. Rivers: Panchagarh has 23 rivers. Among them some main rivers are Karatoya, Atrai, Tista, Nagor, Mahananda, Tangon, Dahuk, Pathraj, Bhulli, Talma, Chawai, Kurum, Versa, Tirnoi, and Chilka.

Economy

Industry: Tea, Sugar, Rice mill, ice factory, garments factory, oil mill, and Saw mill.

Banglabandha land port is located in about 10 acres (40,000 m2) of acquired land at the north-western tip of Bangladesh in Tetulia under Panchagarh district on the Bangladesh-India highway.The port is situated 60 km from Panchagarh Town. The place is of international character and used for Nepal transit traffic passing through a small corridor of India. It is about 22 meter away from the Bangladesh-Indian borderline.

The growing tea sector in Panchagarh has ushered in a new hope for further enhancing the standard of socio-economic life and women empowerment, they said. The female workers are yet to get their just wages from the garden-owners as the growing tea-farming sector in the region has been facing manifold problems including present unfair prices of the tea leaves for the tea farmers. Presently, over 7,000 skilled and unskilled workers, mostly women, have been working in 246 tea gardens, including 18 big estates, 13 medium-size and 215 small-scale gardens set up on more than 1,815 acres (7.35 km2) of land in Tetulia and its surrounding areas, they said. Of them nearly 2,300 workers, mostly women, are working alone at the giant Kazi and Kazi Tea Estate (KKTE) at Tetulia which has earned reputation in both national and international markets by producing, processing and marketing the famous and most popular Kazi & Kazi Organic Tea and earning foreign exchange.

Industry for manufacturing SPC electric poles, established a plant (Gemcon Ltd.) over a land of 35 Acres in Panchagarh District, here all the products in the plant are manufactured by using indigenous raw materials. The factory has created direct or indirect job opportunity for more than 1500 people and helping the nation in poverty alleviation.

Gem Jute Limited was established in Panchagarh in 2003, with the corporate vision is to improve the livelihood of the local population by providing employment and advancement opportunities, stimulate the local economy through direct and indirect economic activities. Gem Jute promotes sustainable development and support the environment by providing high-quality, organic, biodegradable products to the world market.Over 5000 people are working at Gem Jute Limited.

Under Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC), Panchagarh Sugar Mills Ltd. is the oldest industry of the district. Panchagarh Sugar Mills was set up by the Government in 1965-69 at a cost of Tk.55.55 million. It is near the district headquarters of Panchagarh and is the northernmost sugar mill in Bangladesh. Machinery and equipment of the sugar mill were supplied by M/S. Stork Werkspoor of Holland. The sugar mill started its trial production in 1969-70. Since independence of Bangladesh (until 2005), the sugar mill has produced 8,536 m. tons of Sugar per annum on average at an average sugar recovery rate of 8.10% from sugarcane.

Arts and culture

In pohela boishakh, the first day of Bengali year, boys-girls and all section of people play with color water (similar to Holy in India) in every road.

Points of interest

Atwari

As tourist spot, Atwari has the three domed mosque at Mirzapur, Chhaprajhar (Pahar bhanga) and Sardarpara, which bears the relics of Mughal architecture; remains of the ruined the "Zamindar Bari" of Aloakhoa. The Bara Awliyar Majar is another notable place in the upazila.

Atwari has the marks of War of Liberation of 1971. These are 2 mass graves, 1 twin grave and 1 martyr memorial monument.

  • Mirzapur Jame Mosque
  • Chaprajhar Mosque
  • Solthori Mosque
  • Shordarpara Mosque
  • Atwari Imambara

Tetulia

Tetulia has great hospitality for tourists. It has a "Daak Banglo" situated on the bank of river Mahananda facing Darjeeling, a charming ice city of India. Tea of Tetulia has same quality like tea of Darjeeling. The "Kazi & Kazi" tea garden, the "Tetulia Tea" garden, the Banglabandha land port are the attractive places for the visitors.

Remnants of a fort at a place named Buraburi between Bhajanpur and Tetulia. Also Bhadreswar temple and Shiva-temple are the two tombstones of the Greek sculptural.It has Bhadreswar Temple, Vitorgarh.

Panchagarh Sadar

Mirzapur in Panchagarh

Maharaja Dighi (Pond) at Bhitargarh is well known tourist attraction of the sadar upazila. Bhitrar Shalmara is a notable beel (Lake). Shal forest of Bhitargarh and the government forest on the banks of the Chawai and Karatoya are notable.

During the War of Liberation in 1971 the guerrilla fighters demolished the bridge on the Chawai near the Amarkhana camp thereby obstructing the advance of the Pak-army towards the north. At the initial stage of the war Maqbul Darji & the Badi Howladar (EPR) were killed in an encounter with the Pak army which however lost eighteen of its soldiers.

The Shaheed Farooque Ahmad memorial monument at Dhakka-mara in Panchagarh town is the marks of war of liberation. Also the grave of the martyr freedom fighter Sakimuddin at Jagdal-hat in front of the Baital Aman mosque is another Mark of the war.

Pond of beside the 12 Auliar mazar in Panchagarh

Boda

The Vadeswari mosque, Vadeswari temple and Govinda temple are the tourist attractions in Boda.

Debiganj

In Debiganj, the Revenue office building and old residential house of the raja of Kuch-Bihar is famous; Also Jagabandhu Thakur-bari is another place of interest for the tourists. The town has one Dakbungalow (Rest house). thumbnail

Administration

Panchagarh has five Upazilas:

upazilapopulation (2011)[4]
Panchagarh Sadar271707
Debiganj224709
Boda232124
Atwari133650
Tetulia125454
  • Administrator of Zila Porishod: Abu Bakar Siddique[5]
  • Deputy Commissioner (DC): Muhammad Salah Uddin[6]

Members of tenth Jatiyo Sangsad

The members of the tenth Jatiyo Sangsad, elected 2014 are:[7]

Transport

Bi-cycle, rickshaw, motor cycle are the main modes of transport for the local people. Regular buses connects the district to their neighbor districts and subdivisions. The road distance from Dhaka (Capital city of Bangladesh) to Panchagarh is 475 km. Road transportation between Dhaka & Panchagarh is a private sector affair operating predominantly in domestic routes. There is no direct rail and airway from Dhaka to Panchagarh.[8]

Education

B.P (Bishnu Prasad) Govt. High school which is located near the Panchagarh Town, is the biggest and most famous boys' school of Panchagarh and the S.S.C examination (public exam) result of the school is very good. In 2009, 85 students of this school got GPA 5 in the SSC examination. It also stood 9th in Bangladesh. In the 2015 JSC exam 16 students got talentpool scholarship which is really rare in our country. Panchagarh Govt. Girls' High School, which is situated at the heart of the Panchagarh Town, is the most famous girls' school of the district. In 2008 SSC examination, 32 students of this school got GPA 5 in the SSC examination. M.R (Moqbular Rahman) Govt. College is the biggest and most famous college of Panchagarh while Panchagarh Govt. Women's college is the most famous women's college of the district. It has another 2 Govt High School in Debiganj Upazilla. (a) N.N (Nripandra Narayan) Govt. High School (b) Debiganj Alodini Govt. Girls' High School which are famous for good academic results.

Notable places

  1. Bhitarganj
  2. Maharajar Dighi
  3. Badeshwari Mahapith Temple
  4. Mirjapur Shahi Mosque
  5. Golok Dham Temple
  6. Banglabandha zero point and land port
  7. Tetulia Dak Banglo
  8. Rocks Museum[9]

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ↑ Md Sherozzaman (2012). "Panchagarh District". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  2. ↑ "Background of District".
  3. ↑ "Geography of Panchagarh".
  4. ↑ "Community Report Panchagarh Zila June 2012" (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  5. ↑ "AL men appointed administrators". thedailystar.net. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-12-22. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  7. ↑ Super User. "List of 10th Parliament Members English". parliament.gov.bd. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Transport system of district".
  9. ↑ "Tradition of district".
  10. ↑ "Notable residents of Panchagarh". 
"বাংলাপিডিয়া, মির্জা গোলাম হাফিজ"
"জেলা তথ্য বাতায়ন, পঞ্চগড়।"
Sher-e-Bangla Park, Panchagarh © Nazmul Hossain Nisad
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